Suzuki Swift Mild Hybrid Review: Look for the Bare Necessities

What we like:

Superbly simple - and brilliant

Potent drivetrain

Great efficiency

Affordable doesn't mean cheap

What we dislike:

CVT might not be the most engaging thing around

Hear, hear. Let it be known to all that Suzuki is really on to something with its new Swift. By being true to itself and going for the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, it has the makings of a winner.

What was wrong with a gear stick, a climate control panel, physical instrument and a manual handbrake? Absolutely nothing, so Suzuki stuck with it. And the test of time has proven that it works beautifully. Tactility is so underrated these days.

What about a naturally aspirated engine - festoon it with a turbocharger like everyone else? Nah, Suzuki knows better - it stuck to a 1.2-litre NA engine but with a mild hybrid system. And you know what, the car is really sprightly and efficient at the same time. I struggle to get anything worse than 10 km/l by driving like a hooligan, and the average is much closer to 18 km/l. I can overtake with confidence and the engine even sounds good while stretched. The CVT is fairly responsive and brings out the best of the engine. I don’t know why, but it’s a pretty potent drivetrain that dislikes guzzling fuel.

Actually, I do know at least one reason why. Because the car is so simple, it is very light. At 945 kg, all the good things of a good drivers’ car known to man comes to the fore, plain and simple. It just steers better, accelerates better and brakes better. I almost forgot how fun a no-frills car can be until I drove the new Swift.

But it is not in poverty spec, far from it. There’s all you’d really need, specified really cleverly by Suzuki, like the active safety assistance systems, automatic LED headlamps, electric folding mirrors, keyless entry and push start ignition, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (including Suzuki’s own operating system), a reverse camera and six airbags. So it really doesn’t feel cheap at all.

Same goes with the looks. There are sharpened, more modern lines while retaining the familiar form factor. I particularly like the front end with an interesting bonnet line. The revised colour palette on offer, including the avocado-like Cool Yellow Metallic on the test car, keeps things youthful and chic.

Because it has eschewed chasing the crowd, where almost everybody else seems to be rushing somewhere (buttonless, more weight, more power world…?) aimlessly anyway, the Swift has really proven that all we need is to look for the bare necessities.

Priced at just under $150k, what you pay for the Swift can probably get you entry level Chinese EVs, give or take, like the Aion ES. If you prefer not to buy an EV just yet, the Swift is a fairly clear and convincing choice.

Photos by James Wong

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