Suzuki Swift Hybrid Motion long term-test: budget supermini has a glaring issue

Verdict

The Swift is delivering on its promise of trimmed-back, affordable motoring. It’s no Swiss Army knife, but I’m thankful for the small number of luxuries it offers. However, the one-setting heated seats and auto-dimming headlights are key examples of how the Suzuki lacks polish in certain areas. I’m no Swiftie yet, but I’m becoming a casual appreciator.

• Mileage: 2,246
• Economy: 59.0mpg

The new government began its research into headlight glare and the dangers it causes only a month ago. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of complaints has skyrocketed since the nights got darker and I discovered the Suzuki Swift’s rather temperamental auto-dimming headlight feature.

Of course, this isn’t something exclusive to the Suzuki; in fact, I’d bet almost every single car on the Auto Express test fleet boasts some kind of auto-dipping headlight function. But what truly gets me is how the Swift’s set-up lulls me into a false sense of security.

For example, I can be driving along and the system works completely fine, switching the headlights from full to dipped beam almost instantaneously. Then, once the car senses I’m getting a little too comfortable, it decides not to work, thus blinding any drivers coming  in the opposite direction.

The RAC reckons that 85 per cent of UK drivers feel the problem of getting dazzled by oncoming headlights is worsening. And while this is certainly thanks in part to makers  fitting their cars with increasingly bright LED bulbs, the rise in popularity and inconsistency of matrix, adaptive and auto-dimming headlight systems surely feed into this.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it was easy to switch things back to a dipped beam, but while I’m not sure whether it’s because the system is poorly designed or that I’m just technologically inept (probably the latter), every time I try to do so, I just end up switching the lights into their full high-beam setting, further burning the retinas of my fellow motorists.

On the topic of things burning, the Swift’s heated seats only have two settings: off, and what feels like something akin to the surface of the sun. Mind you, it’s a miracle that a car as cheap as the Swift has heated seats at all.

You see, as I mentioned in my first report, the example we have on test is the entry-level Motion model with no optional extras fitted other than its pearl white paintwork. Although I originally thought it was a little dull, the colour really comes to life in the darker months as the streetlights reflect off of it.

16

With this in mind and never wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I’m very glad to have the heated seats, because once you get used to them, it’s really easy to find yourself pining in their absence. Also keeping me toasty is the air-conditioning system which, while not the fully automatic set-up that you get with top-of-the-range Ultra trim, is more complex than you might expect, with a digital display and a good amount of adjustability.

Yet despite the Swift being a ‘hot’ hatchback in the very literal sense, I’m pleased to report that its efficiency is much better than the Hyundai i20 N that I drive at the weekends – even in the cold weather. On longer trips with a mixture of motorway and B-road driving, I’m managing as much as 59mpg, despite having the heated seats and air-con on full blast. This, combined with the unusually low fuel prices at the moment (a full tank is currently setting me back around £40), is a welcome surprise for my wallet, with a house sale and Christmas just around the corner.

Fleetwatch

A trip in a racy 2015 Suzuki Swift Sport reinforces opinion that our Hybrid model needs more power

Senior content editor Shane Wilkinson wasn’t too impressed by my first report, in which I drew connections between the Suzuki Swift and a certain pop star with a similar name. Thus, he took revenge by taking me out for a spirited spin in his racy 2015 Swift Sport. The drive was intended to reintroduce me to my lunch, but merely cemented my desire for more oomph to make the most of the Swift’s chassis.

Suzuki Swift Hybrid Motion: first report

16

Tom's embracing his inner Swiftie and asks if his new 'getaway car' is '...ready for it?'

• Mileage: 1,300
• Economy: 56.0mpg

I've never quite got the hype surrounding Taylor Swift. Without resorting to the cliché of being born in the wrong generation, if you ask me about her, you’ll be met with a puzzled stare.

But as the saying goes, don’t knock it until you try it. So I’ve taken custody of the latest addition to the Auto Express fleet to find out if I really can be turned into a ‘Swiftie’.

When the Suzuki Swift landed on my driveway, I wondered if someone had left it in front of a radiator. I’ve always thought it a smart-looking supermini, but this latest model has a droopy face that looks as if it’s melted slightly. 

The version we’ve got is the entry-level Motion, which starts from £18,699. I was impressed when I received the spec sheet, because despite the eye-catching price, there’s very little ‘Blank Space’ on the kit list. Our test car gets adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, heated seats and a reversing camera – all features you pay extra for on top models from brands like Volkswagen.

One surprising omission, however, is that of a fully digital instrument cluster. The Swift sticks with old-school analogue dials that sit alongside a colour display and relay details such as the MPG and sat-nav directions.

While this could be seen as a drawback, I’m the first to admit that, in the time I’ve been driving, I’ve spent most of my time relying on digital readouts rather than needles and gauges, so I rather enjoy the simplicity of it all.

Something I’m not a fan of, though, is the interior quality; textured white and grey plastics go some way to brightening it, but a few too many brittle plastics are a reminder that this is a budget car built to a price.

16

What’s more, despite having recorded only 1,000 miles, the trim around the centre console has popped out of place, exposing clips that feel difficult to slot back into place without snapping something.

Without wishing to create ‘Bad Blood’, I’ve also been making use of the standard-fit Apple CarPlay to avoid using Suzuki’s own infotainment as much as possible. The system feels antiquated and there’s little to delve into other than sat-nav, radio and efficiency stats, while the graphics are gloomy. Then you’ve got the display itself, which can be lethargic in responding to inputs and lacks contrast.

With just 81bhp going to the front wheels from its 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, you might expect the Swift to be rather lethargic. However, thanks to a lean 945kg kerb weight, the Swift feels rather, well, not swift by any means, but nippy. The lack of a turbo means you’re encouraged to rev it hard, but I’ve still managed to return over 55mpg.

The Swift’s lightweight build does make it feel incredibly nimble, and after being in too many two-tonne EVs it’s refreshing to drive a supermini that doesn’t weigh the same as an adult hippopotamus. The steering is light, too, and while this would certainly be a problem if I had a full-blooded hot hatch, it suits the Swift’s character, and its precision makes it easy to zip around through traffic.

So, as my experience with the Suzuki Swift gets under way, two questions remain: is this the beginning of a brand new ‘Love Story’, and will I ever live down this article’s photoshoot? 

All I can say is that one of those scenarios is more likely than the other, and that I’m already eyeing up a romantic getaway with the Swift in the Lake District to give its lightweight chassis a proper test. And I might even take my new wardrobe with me…

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.