Suzuki Swift Hybrid Motion long term-test: love story or cruel summer?

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.

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.

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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.