Suzuki Swift 1.4 GLX 5DR Review: Home improvement

What we like:

Sharp handling dynamics

more refined than its predecessor

more room inside

economical to run

well-controlled ride

What we dislike:

Looks too much like its predecessor

tiny boot

only four gears

interior still lacks behind most of its European rivals' when it comes to quality

high COE prices don't favour it

Thanks to its more generous exterior proportions, the new Swift offers more room for rear passengers than in the old car which is an important point to note as the old car was often criticised for its lack of rear legroom when compared to say, a Honda Jazz. The latter still offers more space and better utility inside thanks to its unbeatable interior packaging but the new Swift is still a marked improvement over its predecessor especially when it comes to rear kneeroom - at least there's enough kneeroom now for the knees of rear passengers not to be permanently touching the rear of the front seatbacks. Like in the old car, headroom is hard to fault while shoulder room has slightly improved thanks to the slightly wider cabin than previously.

Up front, the driver is greeted by an all-new dashboard that draws inspiration from the Kizashi's design. The dash is still made from some very hard plastics in most parts but perceived quality and value has moved up a notch when compared to the old car thanks to the use of better looking and more tactile switchgear and silver coloured accents throughout the cabin. In terms of design, the stereo headunit now has its display screen integrated within the unit itself rather than being high up on the dash while the air-con controls and the smart looking instruments with an integrsted screen for trip computer readings and gear indicator up perceived luxury a notch. The Kizashi sourced steering wheel not only features fingertip controls for the stereo but is adjustable for both reach and rake in the GLX model tested here. The front seats might not look great but they offer a wide variety adjustments including height for all body shapes to feel comfortable to rest their bums on.

Boot space though, is disappointingly small thanks to a load area that is short on length. Thankfully, the Swift comes standard with split/fold rear seats to extend the load area if necessary.

The new Swift is available in two trim level versions - the base GL and the $3,000 more GLX tested here. The GLX adds 16-inch factory-fitted alloy wheels, keyless entry and operation, six airbags, front fog lamps, rear disc brakes, tilt and telescopic steering column and LED side repeaters on the wing mirrors to the GL's standard kit list. The latter features the same factory fitted six-speaker stereo system with iPod connectivity and fingertip controls as the GLX, two front airbags instead of six, locally fitted 15-inch alloy wheels and so on.

Despite the new model's familiar looks, Suzuki has improved and enhanced its most popular model in all major areas - interior, accomodation, performance, fuel efficiency, refinement, handling and ride, which makes the Swift an even more complete entry level small car for the budget conscious car buyer. One factor that is not on the Swift's side though is the high COE prices which in turn bumps up the Swift's price tag and lessen its affordability than in the past. If COE prices start to fall soon then the Swift will be prepared and poised to retake back its status as one of Singapore's most popular cars.

Credits: Story and photos by Raymond Lai