WITHIN a couple of minutes of driving the latest Suzuki Swift for the first time, I knew it was one of the best superminis on the market.
It has excellent road-holding, willing and smooth engines and very safe handling, but put all these together and you have a car that’s a joy to drive.
Petrol engines are 1.3 with 91bhp, 1.5 100bhp or 1.6 123bhp and all three rev sweetly and sound delightful.
Even the 1.3 is good fun and the 1.6 is a mini firecracker that is still quite civilised at speed.
The level of refinement is a world away from some others in the class, and it is easy to manage in tight parking spaces thanks to light yet informative power steering and a tight turning circle.
They are comfortable over long distances and also score well on safety.
They are also well equipped as standard and have chunky good looks that don’t seem to date.
Interior
Even the cheapest models have remote locking, air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, four airbags and electric heated mirrors.
Security is good, with deadlocks and a visible VIN number, and the interior has a high quality feel in the plastics and switchgear.
FAST FACTS
Suzuki Swift
Price: Pay about £4,000 for an '06 06-reg GL 3dr, £5,600 for an '08 58-reg 5dr
Mechanical: 90bhp, 1,328cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 109mph
0-62mph: 10.6 seconds
Combined mpg: 48
Insurance group: 6
CO2 emissions: 140g/km
BIK rating: 15%
Marks: 10/10
Main rival: Vauxhall Corsa, Citroen C3