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The new Swift has been with us for several months now and that's given us plenty of time to put it through its paces. The new model starts from £10,999, but for this particular review we've chosen the top spec SZ5 SHVS 5 door version which starts from £14,499.
The SZ5 SHVS is a mild hybrid and features the new 1.0 Boosterjet (turbo-charged) engine combined with a small battery to provide extra torque from the get go and reduce CO2 emissions to a mere 97g/km. The small engine provides a punchy 109bhp and produces competitive economy figures of 65.7mpg (combined), thanks in part to the SHVS system. Performance in the new Swift hasn't only been improved by the new engine, but thanks to its all-new, lightweight platform it has shed 105kg of weight. This means it can sprint from 0-60mph in just 10.3 seconds vs. 11.9 seconds in the old model.
The range-topping SZ5 is host to a plethora of features including climate control, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry/start, sat nav and advanced safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and high-beam assist.
So how does it stand up to the popular Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Corsa? Let's find out!
At the risk of sounding biased (we do love the new Swift), we've decided to let the numbers do the talking for this comparison. We've chosen models from the Fiesta, Polo and Corsa range which closely match the Swift SZ5 SHVS for a fair comparison and listed the information that most buyers are likely to take into consideration.
At the bottom of each model we've given them a score, and this score reflects the number of categories where it was the clear winner over the other models. If two or more models are matched in a particular category, they all score a point. The higher the score, the more categories won - simples!
(The figures quoted below are to the best of our knowledge and have been taken from two impartial websites: Autoexpress and Parkers)
| Suzuki Swift 1.0 BoosterJet SHVS SZ5 | Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Zetec 5dr | VW Polo 1.2 TSI 90 Match Edition 5dr | Vauxhall Corsa 3dr 1.0T SRI VX-Line | |
| On The Road Price | £14,499 | £15,445 | £15,480 | £15,795 |
| Monthly PCP Payment (£3,000 Deposit / 3 Years) | £167 | £193 | £168 | £243 |
| Average Insurance Quote | £542 | £573 | £739 | £404 |
| Length / Wheelbase | 3,840/2,450mm | 4,040/2,493mm | 3,972/2,470mm | 4,021/2,510mm |
| Height / Width | 1,495/1,735mm | 1,476/1,941mm | 1,453/1,901mm | 1,479/1,944mm |
| No. of Doors | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Engine | 3cyl in-line/998cc | 3cyl in-line/998cc | 4cyl in-line/1,197cc | 3cyl in-line/999cc |
| Peak Power / Revs | 109/5,500 bhp/rpm | 99/4,500 bhp/rpm | 89/4,800 bhp/rpm | 113/5,000 bhp/rpm |
| Peak Torque / Revs | 170/2,000 Nm/rpm | 170/1,500 Nm/rpm | 160/1,400 Nm/rpm | 170/1,800 Nm/rpm |
| Transmission | 5-spd man/fwd | 6-spd man/fwd | 5-spd man/fwd | 6-spd man/fwd |
| Fuel Tank Capacity / Spare Wheel | 37 litres/repair kit | 42 litres/£100 | 45 litres/repair kit | 45 litres/£110 |
| Boot Capacity (Seats Up / Down) | 265/579 litres | 292/1,093 litres | 280/952 litres | 285/1,090 litres |
| Kerbweight / Payload / Towing Weight | 952/455/1,000kg | 1,163/502/1,000kg | 1,107/531/1,000kg | 1,166/469/1,200kg |
| Turning Circle | 9.6 metres | 10.1 metres | 10.6 metres | 10.1 metres |
| Basic Warranty / Recovery | 3yrs (60,000)/1yr | 3yrs (60,000)/1yr | 3yrs (60,000)/1yr | 3yrs (60,000)/1yr |
| Service Intervals | 12,500 (1yr) | 12,000 (1yr) | 10,000 miles (1yr) | 20,000 miles (1yr) |
| 0-60 mph (Seconds) | 10.3 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.0 |
| Top Speed / RPM at 70 mph | 121mph/2,600rpm | 113mph/2,300rpm | 114mph/2,600rpm | 121mph/2,700rpm |
| Braking Distance 30-0 mph (m) | 9.2 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 11.0 |
| Noise Outside / Idle / 30 / 70 mph | 67/52/65/72 dB | 68/52/63/71 dB | 62/50/564 dB | 64/42/59/67 dB |
| Combined mpg | 65.7 | 65.7 | 50.1 | 57.6 |
| CO2 (g/km) | 97 | 97 | 109 | 114 |
| Airbags | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Isofix | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Parking Sensors | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Camera | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Cruise Control | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Autonomous Emergency Braking | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Climate Control | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Xenon Lights | LED | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Keyless Start | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Sat Nav | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| USB Port | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| DAB Radio | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bluetooth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Score | 25 | 12 | 10 | 13 |
It's clear from the table above that in many sections the cars are very closely matched, however the Suzuki Swift eclipses the competition when it comes to price and features.
The Swift is the cheapest of the line-up, with the Corsa being the most expensive priced at £1,296 more. Thanks to the Polo's residual value, it does mean that on a PCP agreement you will pay only £1 more than the Swift - but if you're looking to own your car outright then this number is irrelevant and the Polo will likely cost more to run due to its lower MPG figure, shorter service intervals and higher servicing costs.
To meet the same number of features found as standard in the Swift such as Sat Nav and a reversing camera, you'd have to spend an additional £1,350 on the Fiesta, £2,140 on the Corsa and an astonishing £2,635 on the Polo. So to summarise, if you've had your heart set on a Ford Fiesta, a VW Polo or a Vauxhall Corsa, why not give the Suzuki Swift a shot? It might just surprise you.
*Correct at the time of posting on 26/08/17. Offers available until 30th September 2017.
