• Passenger room is competitive with its supermini rivals
• Boot not the biggest in the sector
• Low seating position not for everyone

How much space is there?

Although this generation of Swift is quite a short car by class standards, it’s also relatively spacious, with good headroom in particular.

Journeys with three adults in the back are best kept short, but there’s enough legroom and overall cabin width to offer rear passengers a surprisingly comfortable environment. Note however that rear electric windows are only available on the top-spec models.

Otherwise the Swift has all the hallmarks of the supermini genre, being compact and easy to manoeuvre in confined spaces.

Boot space and storage

The boot capacity is 265 litres, which means it's no class leader. It has a high loading lip, too, which makes putting heavy objects in more difficult than it needs to be. If you want a bigger boot, we'd go for a Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia, Dacia Sandero or Kia Rio.

There’s an impressive assortment of cubbies and cupholders in the front cabin, too, even if the materials surrounding them does feel a little cheap. 

Is it easy to park?

All models other than the entry-level version come with a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors, which make it a cinch to position the Swift in the tightest of spaces. Even without those, the Swift is a compact car with relatively upright surfaces, so it’s easy to judge where its extremities are.

Along with that, there’s a good view out in all directions via large windows and all of the controls are light, so twirling the steering from one side to the other is no chore at all. The turning circle is tight, too, making the Swift feel a

How big is it?

How safe is it?

• Only a three-star Euro NCAP crash test result
• Rises to four stars on all versions other than SZ-L
• Even more equipment fitted since 2017 test

When tested by the crash-testing experts at Euro NCAP in 2017, the Swift was split into two levels of competence. When fitted with the basic level of safety equipment, the result is a poor three-star score. Thankfully, that only applies to the entry-level SZ-L car. All others, including the Sport, come with much more advanced safety kit, and that means a more acceptable four-star rating - still lagging behind many of its tougher supermini rivals, though.

That lack of kit makes it difficult to recommend the SZ-L on safety grounds, particularly when you consider how much extra you get for your money on the higher-spec models. Those Swifts come with:

• Dual Sensor Brake Support - Suzuki's autonomous emergency braking system
• Automatic main beams
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-departure warning and prevention
• Drowsiness warning - set-off when the systems detect the car's weaving

More commonplace safety kit such as six airbags, ABS brakes and electronic stability control is standard across the whole Swift range.

For additional security, the SZ5 is also available with AllGrip, a four-wheel-drive system that diverts power to the rear wheels when it senses the front ones don't have optimum traction. In reality, few people in Britain live in areas where this is a vital addition, so it's not a package we'd recommend - a set of winter tyres would be significantly less expensive.

Watch the Euro NCAP crash test video