Written by Parkers Updated: 24 April 2024

Cheap new small cars are an increasingly rare sight, so will Suzuki buck the trend prove there’s still life the sector yet?

Tested by Ryan Gilmore

Update one: Welcome

Introducing the Suzuki Swift Mild Hybrid Ultra

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Suzuki Swift. A 2007 Suzuki Swift Sport (in Championship Yellow) was always my go-to first purchase in Gran Turismo 5, and I’ve come close to buying a more modern Swift Sport on two occasions now.

I’ve always liked the razor-sharp styling, featherweight construction and ingenuity of the Swift, even if always sat in the shadow of the Ford Fiesta. But, with the death of the de facto small car, now could be the time for the Swift to shine. After all, it’s still in production and still very affordable. The Swift Sport has been a casualty though, a crying shame.

Admittedly, the new one has lost the sharp styling. There’s a bit of a water-bloat aesthetic going on here, and the piddly 16-inch wheels look like shirt buttons. But it’s still exceptionally lightweight at less than a tonne, and that food-baby exterior means the interior is big and airy. Ingenious.

It also feels decidedly old-school. The interior feels familiar if you’ve driven a small car from 2014 or so, albeit with a nine-screen nestled on the top. A five-speed manual or CVT make up the gearbox choices, I’ve got the manual. A physical handbrake and the mildest of hybrid systems complete this Swift. It all sounds rather pleasant.

Check out the Suzuki Swift specs page on Parkers for the entire range.

What you get with a Swift Ultra

The Swift is well-equipped price for the money, even in base Motion trim. Our Swift is an Ultra model, which costs an extra £1100 over the standard Swift Motion for a list price of £20,299. The additional cash for an Ultra gets you polished alloy wheels, electrically adjustable mirrors and automatic air conditioning. You also get the side indicators mounted in the door mirrors. Here are the main features you get as standard on both versions of the Swift:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Heated front seats
• Rear view camera and parking sensors
• Keyless entry and start
• Wireless smartphone pairing (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)

A very fetching shade of Frontier Blue Pearl Metallic, a £700 option, finishes off the Swift’s specs.

Optional extras?

Aside from the usual rubber floor mats and roof bars, there’s very little that doesn’t come standard on the Swift. Darker wheels can be optioned, as can some natty side decals, but it’s not the buffet of packs and options found on some premium small cars.

The only very tempting option is the All-Grip AWD system, making this technically one of the smallest and cheapest 4x4s on sale today. It isn’t present on my Swift and bumps the finance price up a fair bit but will serve a noble purpose for those who need it.

First impressions

The efficiency has bowled me over so far. Despite doing a lot of short trips and the stop-start feature activating intermittently, it will not dip below 54mpg. It’s not like I’m hypermiling either, I’m having to work that tiny engine quite hard to get it up to speed.

On a less positive note, there’s nowhere to store my phone. While you get a panel of ports under the heating controls, the small nook nearby doesn’t quite fit my iPhone 13. It’s also slides around making an awful scratchy noise. I’ve found it much more useful to dump my phone in one of the central cup holders if I want to charge it. I’m also sorely missing a wireless charger here.  

It does get massive brownie points for the water bottle storage in the door pockets, which are perfectly shaped and snugly nest my bottle in place.

Everyone who’s gotten into it so far has liked it. They’ve liked the interior space and low list price. Rear space hasn’t been a concern either. Although, at 5’7 (the same height as Tom Cruise may I add), I’ve never had a complaint that I’m sat too far back.

I’m now almost constantly thinking about whether this would make a good Swift Sport. My current conclusion is yes; the chassis is beautifully sorted and some extra poke would make it even more fun. We’re sorely lacking affordable small hot hatches and a new Swift Sport could be a blinder.

Suzuki Swift Ultra Hybrid
Total mileage	5,700 (4,000 when delivered)
Real-world average fuel economy	54mpg
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP figures)	57.6 – 64.2mpg
Parkers ‘MPP’ (Miles Per Pound) calculation	8.4 – 9.4
Car joined Parkers fleet	November 2024