Our test car was Suzuki's answer to the Mini Cooper 'S' - the Swift 'S' and we were very impressed with it from the moment we hopped inside. The 'S' is not the standard version - for an extra $2,000 you get alloy wheels and fog lights plus it comes with 6 extra airbags, a vital feature if you are looking for more safety in your car. The fit-out was a real surprise, with comfy dark blue seats and matching blue/grey interior, plus sporty gear change and dash arrangement. The leather rimmed steering wheel is comfortable and properly spoked to allow the proper '¼ to 3' hands position. Creature comforts like remote locking, electric windows (front & rear) and air-conditioning are standard. A single in-dash CD player is also standard and the sound system with six speakers is surprisingly good. Controls for the sound system are also duplicated on the steering wheel. An LCD display in the middle of the dash shows the time, the outside air temperature and instantaneous fuel consumption. The steering wheel is adjustable vertically and the driver's seat is also height adjustable, making it reasonably easy to sit comfortably.
While the seats gave reasonable lateral support, the problem we had was the lack of space beside the clutch pedal for our left foot to rest. The clutch and brake pedals are spaced well apart and as a consequence the clutch pedal is very close to the side of the transmission tunnel. Sounds like a small thing but it just makes for an uncomfortable driving position and tempts the driver to leave his/her left foot hovering over the pedal. In a car as nimble as the Swift, it's important to be able to brace yourself with your left foot. Access in and out was fantastic and head room amazing for such a little car. As a consequence the high roof line provided excellent vision all round. The Swift has electric exterior mirrors as standard. The swift has front disk brakes with rear drums and ABS is standard, together with EBD (electronic brake force distribution). Dual front airbags are standard but, as mentioned above, you need to buy the 'S' to get the six extra side and curtain airbags. While still reasonably uncommon in cars at this end of the market we reckon that for $2,000 you'd be crazy not to go for the S. Of course, you also get fog lights and alloy wheels.
To get top performance you have to really use the gear box, but once the little 1.5 litre motor gets working the Swift has that and more. Out on the freeway it feels very stable and the Suzuki has no trouble at all getting up to speed and keeping up with 100+km traffic. Its power assisted rack and pinion steering feels precise. Overall the car has a nimble feel, due in no small part to its brilliant Bridgestone Potenza RE080's on 15" alloy wheels. The same tyres though are apparently fitted to the base model's 15" steel wheels The Swift has a reasonably sized fuel tank at 43 litres. Suzuki quotes 7.0 litres/100kms (9.0 urban & 5.9 country) as the average fuel consumption for the manual Swift we tested. We averaged closer to the top of the range as most of our driving was city based and we must confess we enjoyed using the little engine's full rev range, right up to the 6,500 rpm red line. Suzuki offers a 3 year/100,000km warranty and 3 year 24 hour roadside assistance. The base model is priced at $15,990 in manual form (plus on-roads). The 'S' with its fog lights, alloy wheels and (what we feel are vital) side and curtain airbags is only $2,000 extra. Considering the wide range of small commuter cars, or super-minis, on offer from car manufacturers these days, we rate the Suzuki Swift 'S' very highly on fit-out, price, performance and safety. You should give it serious consideration, but if you do decide to buy, please buy the 'S'!!

Tested in June 2005
Test Car provided by Suzuki Australia Pty. Limited