Should you buy one?

The Suzuki Swift is a recommendable small car, but there are more practical offerings on the market. It’s very fun car to drive – and its fine handling dynamics are complemented by excellent reliability and admirable fuel efficiency. It’s also good value for money and is offered with a reasonable amount of standard equipment.

But despite all its strengths, the Ford Fiesta remains the better car in nearly every respect. But then, the Ford Fiesta is about to be pulled from the showrooms – and you can’t take part in the race if you fail to show up to the start line. For that reason, the Swift could soon become the default choice for enthusiasts in the small car sector.

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However, the Swift is a bit of a one-trick pony. It’s average in every respect other than its driving experience, which means it’s of limited interest the average car buyer who simply wants a practical, comfortable runabout. A quick canter through the opposition illustrates our point. The Skoda Fabia has a bigger boot, the Vauxhall Corsa can be specified with a pure-electric powertrain and the Citroen C3 is more comfortable.

The Volkswagen Polo and Audi A1 also have much nicer interiors than the Suzuki Swift, although they are considerably more expensive. But then, if you’re spending all day behind the wheel, you’ll probably appreciate the extra refinement and the prettier plastics.

What we like

We like how the Suzuki Swift manages to offer an engaging driving experience without sacrificing ride quality. Its suspension is very well suited to Britain’s pockmarked road network. It also has a range of well-equipped trim-levels, a pair of frugal mild hybrid petrol engines and an excellent reputation for reliability. The Swift Sport is a riot, too.

What we don’t like

Suzuki’s infotainment system is basic and dated. The CVT automatic gearbox is awful, too, because it makes the engine noisy and removes the item that makes the Swift so much fun – its manual gearbox. Some buyers might also lament the lack of plush materials in the cabin, but we think that’s a small price to pay to trim weight and improve the driving experience.