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Light on its feet and swift on the street: Why the Suzuki Swift is our top underdog choice

Underrated, and underappreciated but not to be underestimated, the Suzuki Swift is one of the underdogs in its segment.

Earl Lee on May 03, 2023

Hatchbacks are a dying breed here in the Philippines, but they’re one of the most fun segments that you can have, bar none. With short overhang in the rear, and their already-short wheelbases, they can make for some exceptionally fun driving vehicles and they’re mostly cheap to run, fix, and modify to your heart’s content.

One of the models that we think is a great purchase in the Philippines is the Suzuki Swift. Going toe-to-toe with the likes of the Mitsubishi Mirage, and the Honda City Hatchback, the Swift is a great and underrated choice that we feel deserves some spotlight. The model isn’t exactly cutting-edge, and it’s not as premium as the Mazda2 hatchback, but it’s definitely a blast to drive on the right roads with some practicality in tow.

The current generation’s origins:

The Swift's current generation was launched back in 2018 as a 2019 year model, and it went on to be one of Suzuki’s prime sellers in the lineup. The model did relatively well back in its first year but faced up against stiff competition, it was overshadowed by other models. The Swift quickly became an underdog and was appreciated by few that were in the know about how good the car actually was, us included.

What makes the Swift an underdog?

To be frank, there’s nothing too great to write about when it comes to the specifications of the Suzuki Swift. With its 1.2-liter gasoline engine, it makes a paltry 82 hp and 113 Nm of torque either mated to a CVT.

Equipped with an engine that’s just okay, why is it an underdog? Whereas other rivals focus on engine power, Suzuki appears to have made the chassis its main focus. You can’t really list how good a chassis performs on a spec sheet apart from listing the suspension systems, in which case the Swift comes with a MacPherson Strut in the front and a torsion beam in the rear. The wheels come in at 16 inches with a 185/65 sized tire around it, which is what we’d consider an economical size, but also a fun size. Getting deeper into the handling of the Swift, it’s a rather fun, light, and zippy hatchback to throw around and drive. Never mind that it has relatively small tires, only semi-independent suspension, and an engine that doesn’t seem so powerful because this car is all about carrying speed and momentum at a fraction of the intimidation factor.

To be honest, it could use a bit of a boost, especially in 2023, but that would have driven up the price tag of this hatchback. Suzuki has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of sorts, with prices getting a wee bit higher every year. The Swift has become a rather expensive endeavor to pursue, but then again the rest of the industry’s hatchbacks will tell the same story, mostly.

Calming down

So after you’ve done your mountain pass drive without much traffic to get in the way of a good time, you may be shocked to realize that all the fun you just had only cost you a fraction of your fuel tank, and only marginally worse fuel economy. Suzuki vehicles are notorious for sipping fuel, much to the dismay of its competitors. The Swift, in particular, is also up there in terms of consumption compared to its rivals, frequently netting up to 20 km/L or more on the highway and around double-digits in city traffic. That’s the beauty of the Swift’s 1.2-liter engine as it makes up for its lack of power with a lot of fuel savings which benefit you on most if not all drives.

The CVT isn’t too bad in traffic either. It’s not the AGS transmission which is either a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing, but it’s a good balance between smoothness and in-traffic responsiveness compared to the automated transmission of Suzuki.

After the spirited drive, there’s always a wave of traffic and “real life” that you have to go back to, and the Suzuki Swift is a very respectable city slicker with a decent amount of trunk space, coming in at 221 liters and then some if you fold the rear seats down. If you were to have only one car, and if you still like having fun driving, then consider the Suzuki Swift. Perhaps you will like how it handles compared to its rivals. Perhaps its engine is just enough for you to have all the fun in the world without getting intimidated. Perhaps the chassis handles like a dream for you, or perhaps the engine’s frugality is the biggest draw. Either way, as a driving car, the Swift is great for the practical stuff and the rather fun stuff on top.

The cons?

Well, let’s just say that the Swift isn’t the most decked-out in terms of features and tech, at least the infotainment is fully capable of pairing seamlessly with your Android or Apple phone thanks to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The model got a quiet update in recent years, and it joins the rest of its rivals with the modern infotainment system, but wait isn’t this a pro? The thing is, it is, but what is the con here? Actually, the con here is timing. Suzuki took a while and quietly launched the update to the Swift, so not a ton of people got to know about it, but there is one more con that you might want to consider with the Swift, and that is the price. At P972,000, the Swift is rather expensive for a subcompact hatchback. For that money, you might want to expect a more powerful engine, or at least the option to make it more affordable (and fun) by getting the manual variant. However, Suzuki has cited that the model isn’t too affordable anymore because the Swift was hit rather hard by taxes and other price increases. The company cited that the additional features that it added resulted in a higher price tag through the years such as that particular infotainment unit, but alas the value of being a Suzuki is still there in most respects.

The verdict?

Suzuki is proud of its prowess when creating small cars, and the Swift is no exception. In our books, you’re probably getting a great deal if you appreciate how Suzuki’s way when it comes to making compact, light, and nimble cars with still plenty amounts of practicality and space. Features aren’t in abundance on the Swift, but it’s more than enough to get you through the day and then some. Premium isn’t exactly the word we’d use the describe the Swift, but the model is one of the more fun cars to drive out there.

In fact, one of our team members actually owns one with a 1.2-liter engine and a CVT. His only regret is that he didn’t get to find a manual variant when he was looking for a car to buy, but he’s mostly satisfied with his purchase. The go-kart-like handling of the Swift matches well with the energetic styling of the hatchback, and its rather cavernous space allows him to take it out on dates and even fit bicycles inside the cargo area. Fuel economy is also one of the Swift’s strong points, and the phrase it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast rings true. If you haven’t recognized our teammate yet, his name is EJ and he writes for MotoDeal.com.ph. A little-known fact is that he drives a Suzuki Swift, right? To top it all off, he also did a bit of modification to his little hatch, in the form of some aftermarket wheels in a bronze color.