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Suzuki Swift 1.0 (A) Review

Honda Jazz 1.5 RS vs Seat Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI DSG vs Suzuki Swift 1.0

Rule change allowed car buyers to access bigger loans

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This is an old car model that is no longer for sale by the local distributor since Dec 2020.
Click here for the new model Suzuki Swift that is currently for sale.
Editor Review
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Honda Jazz 1.5 RS vs Seat Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI DSG vs Suzuki Swift 1.0
23 Aug 2018  |  Suzuki Reviews
The Honda Jazz RS may be the most practical and the Seat Ibiza is the most refined overall but the new Suzuki Swift displays a youthful spirit that guarantees smiles.
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HONDA JAZZ 1.5 RS
Sportiest styling
Most spacious
Largest boot
SEAT IBIZA 1.0 ECO TSI DSG
Best build quality
Smoothest powertrain
Best fuel economy of 18.5km/L
SUZUKI SWIFT 1.0
Cutest-looking
Sportiest cabin design
Most fun to drive
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   Consumer Reviews of Suzuki Swift
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4.0
 
10 Consumer Reviews
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Comfort
3.5 Reliability
4.0
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Handling
4.0 Features
3.5
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Exterior Styling
4.0 Interior Design
3.5
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Value for money
4.0 Engine Performance
4.5

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Epicon
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 16-Dec-2020
Good for city drive  Posted on 16 Dec 2020
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
I have scraped my BMW 523i and decided to change to this car due to less usage. I have never thinking of buying this car when I went to take a look on vitara and sales person introduce this cute swift . It's look small outside but very spacious inside. My family of 5 fit perfectly, I would say this car have all driver needs. The aircon is very cold at 23 degree. Power wise is very good for 1.0 turbo , it's make the pick up effortless and very good power to handle. Brake is those European car styles hard , not those soft Toyota brake which I drove mark before.Stock audio is marvelous , good bass as good as my BMW audio. Try the test car with local install touch screen audio is trash.Cornering body roll is there and sound proof is bad. Fuel comsumption is 15.5/L .However , with this price and all the plus . Plus the fact is normal 6 speed transmission very responsive not like most cars these days use CVT Transmission , response is retarded. Would recommend sales person Ms Angie , she take care all your needs in details and very patient .

What I like
Cold aircon
Powerful pickup
Engine sound is nice and smooth, some car engine sound rough.
Fuel consumption
Bright led head light
FOC 3M film
Well design dashboard
Small turn radius
Fantastic stock audio
Hard brake type.
Made in Japan
Sales person service.

What I do not like
Abit Body roll
Poor sound proof


Mueltwo
1st Gear
1 reviews
36 points
20 forum posts Joined on 07-Jun-2012
1.0 Turbo  Posted on 08 Apr 2020
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
My third car but first turbo car. Had drove for slightly more than a year.
Pick -up was quite good for a 1 litre car due to it turbo.
Normally a 1 litre non-turbo auto car will be quite lack in pick-up.
Turbo is really nice, it make your car very sporty like a 1.5 to 1.8 NA.
This car pick-up is equilvalant to a manual car.
My first car is a 1.1 litre NA manual.

I personally had tested up to 175km/hr in Malaysia road, not fully step down yet.
Had also drove this car all the way to Pattaya in Thailand and returned successfully without a problem.

Compact and speedy pick-up is good in this car if you are not into luxury or huge space.
I do not like bulky car such as SUV, crossover etc.
Compact hatchback have that kind of sporty look if you did the right mod.

What I like
Newest facelift design in term of Hatchback car category.
Have high tech feature compare to other Hatchback range.
Price was consider lower than others hatchback.
Have the fastest 0-100km/hr time compare to other hatchback in Asia manufacturers.
Quite a number of colours to choose from.
Low road tax cost.

What I do not like
Lack of legal modification compare to the old swift.
Every physical cosmetic mod i brought is from overseas.
A bit high in the sitting height.
4-nuts wheel rims.


lilcar
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 17-Jan-2020
Beware of the AD store practice before you think about purchasing this car!!  Posted on 16 Jan 2020
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 3.0
Handling 5.0 Features 2.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 2.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Have test drove this car before and after further research, decided to purchase this car during Oct 19 Cars@Expo show.

Paid $10,700 for deposit so that they can bid for my coe.

Nightmare begins: After 5th round of unsuccessful bidding, my SE contacted me to ask if I would like to top up $2k to have a higher chance of securing coe, which I chose not to. I asked if the 6th bid failed as well, will they refund my deposit and he said of course, it will probably take a while from the bank to process the refund as well but cannot commit to how long exactly will they need to finalize the refund.

True enough, the 6th bid failed and thus, I asked from my SE to refund me my deposit. He sent me a cancellation form to fill in which I did and sent it back to him on 20 Dec 19.

Since then and till now 15 Jan 20, gone MIA. Refused to pick up my phone calls. Texted him a few times to ask for updates and all he replied were 3 words "I check later". No more response

I am not saying the car is not good to drive and all (which i will explain further under the what i like and do not like section), but end of the day i waited 3 months with no coe success and had to give $10,700 as deposit. At the very least, like I told my SE, lets meet on a good note and leave on a good note so please do assist in refunding my money promptly.

My SE attitude changed 360 degrees after he himself knew his own AD could not secure the bidding for the car. The worse thing was I found out from another friend of mine that he also placed a deposit during the Oct cars@Expo for the swift (which failed in the bidding as well), but he has already gotten back his refund while I am still helpless here with my SE, Frank Phua.

What I like
Zippy and fun loving car to drive
Economical fuel consumption and low road tax
Back door opening of the car can be found under the C section pillar of the car, makes the car look like a coupe

What I do not like
Outdated interior with the bluetooth radio. Had to top up close to $1.7k just to change it to an LCD screen which is pretty costly.
Alot of plastic materials for the car interior but for the price, this is what you have to expect.
Road noise can be pretty obvious when I test drove the car


tanbk
4th Gear
3 reviews
564 points
207 forum posts Joined on 09-Oct-2013
Value for money car  Posted on 05 Dec 2019
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
First of all, the positives:
1. Great driving experience as the car seats and suspension are comfortable, interiors are decent. Good for long drives
2. Very safe, as is evident from the overall structure as well as design, the car doesn't vibrate and has excellent control even at high speeds

The negatives:
1. Terrible for city traffic-acceleration at low speeds is really bad
2. Fuel mileage dramatically drops in city traffic
3. Exteriors look outdated, especially from the rear


Jameswong
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 30-Nov-2019
High spec and powerful engine  Posted on 29 Nov 2019
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Swift 1.0Turbo is back! It is a very reliable brand and car, High spec and powerful engin. Good for those new or old driver cause can drive easily around and parking is easy too. Highly recommend to all of you looking for small compact and beautiful hatchback japanese car with low maintenance cost and running cost as well.

What I like
everything

What I do not like
nothing


CarGuy88
2nd Gear
5 reviews
101 points
63 forum posts Joined on 02-Sep-2015
A dignified car for low SES people  Posted on 22 Mar 2019
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
If you are, like myself a person with low SES, read on.

This car looks dignified. Think modern exterior styling with LED daylight running lights and headlights. The interior is well designed for the limited space it has, and is well put together. In Japan.

There are no unnecessary rattles or squeals during operation, and there is little to complain about as far as ergonomics are concerned (apart from the rear seats not folding flat). This may be a bottom reefer car, but it is no Chevrolet Aveo, which is a great thing.

Performance is decent for a 1l engine, although the engine isn't efficient considering its displacement and the car's super-light weight. On paper, a Honda Vezel with a 1.5l engine and a significantly heavier body actually gets better fuel economy than this.

Space wise, you might be able to sit zero passengers comfortably at the back if the driver and front passenger are above 1.8m tall. Not a good thing if you have a family of adults to shuttle around often. However it's perfect if there's usually only 1 or 2 people sitting in the car. Or if you come from a family of dwarves.

Handling wise, the car is decent, although doesn't seem to be as wonderful as what some reviewers make of it. Perhaps due to the stubby proportions of the car, it just cannot match up to the cornering ability of a low slung sporty sedan. We'll just have to accept that for the shape of this car, handling is as good as it gets.

In terms of safety, the car comes with 6 airbags. But that is of little reassurance when you realise that the car doors feel light and have a tin can feel to them. Indeed, the door panels are one of the thinnest out there. The sheet metal elsewhere is soft and the front grille is effortlessly malleable by hand.

So you shouldn't be buying this car just for its fuel economy. Nor the space. Nor the handling. So what is it good for? The answer is character. The car is relatively uncommon on our roads, is competent on the highway, and is well put together. It looks respectable from the outside too.

If you have to spend the next ten years in a low budget car, then this one has the necessary characteristics to keep you from constant self pity.

What I like
-Looks dignified
-Competent performance despite the small engine
-Cheap road tax
-Proper disc brakes
-Likeable overall package
-Easy to park in tight spaces

What I do not like
-Soft metal
-Sound insulation is poor
-Lack of space at the back (if drivers are taller)
-Poor fuel economy for a 1l engine (but it's ok if you dont think about that ~15km/l combined)
-Suspension is on the bumpy side


MarkerPen
Clutched
23 reviews
15 points
12 forum posts Joined on 28-Aug-2011
A peppy drive but let down by a outdated interior  Posted on 17 Feb 2019
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 3.0
Handling 4.0 Features 2.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 2.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
The new Swift 1.0 Turbo drives really nicely, almost like a continental car in its response. The engine is punchy and great for overtaking slower moving traffic. Dare I say it, the 3 cylinder actually sounds pretty rorty. Handling is nice and darty and overall ride quality is good. The compact size makes squeezing in traffic easy and a fuss free affair. The steering and speedo dials look great as well.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the rest of the cabin. The interior space is on the small side. The dashboard seems rather dated with its circular air vents, old-fashioned head unit (for Standard model) and cheap feeling plastics. The doorcards are particularly cheap looking, IMO. The rear bench is also almost flat without any support for occupants. The boot space is also rather paltry in its class.

What I like
- Entertaining drive
- Nice engine and gearbox combination
- Exterior looks
- Speedometer dials
- Steering wheel

What I do not like
- old fashioned interior
- cheap feeling plastics
- flat rear bench
- small boot


Hotnyh
3rd Gear
6 reviews
426 points
381 forum posts Joined on 02-Aug-2006
Zippy pocket rocket  Posted on 25 Nov 2018
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Been driving my new Swift for a couple of days now. I am constantly surprised at the performance of this little car.

There's a slight hesitancy at low revs and it feels like it's in a gear too high but push down harder and you hear the low pitched growl come on and everything smoothens out. The turbo kicks in and you're accelerating easily to the legal limit even with 4 in the car. The steering is light and direct. The ride is firm and it feels very chuckable.

I find that you can exceed the speed limit easily if you are not careful.

The cabin is roomy for Asians and pretty comfortable in the back for 2. There is medium amounts of road roar and some wind noise at highway speeds.

Getting around 15km/L so far in Sunday (light) traffic- 70% Highway. Dropped to 14 when I was a bit more enthusiastic (and the car is not run in yet).

I hope to see more of these cars on the roads soon. SE told me that last round most of the Swift buyers were successful with their COE bids.

What I like
Punchy performance. Seems way faster than the other superminis I see around me (Jazz/ Note).
Really nice handling in town.
Feels solid and stable at legal highway speeds. No sense of floating despite its lightweight.
6 airbags
4 wheel disc brakes
Cruise control
Nice flat bottomed steering wheel with lots of buttons.
Normal 6 speed auto box; not a CVT!

What I do not like
Ancient low spec head unit in the basic model
$3K for the premium model with a Clarion head unit (only IOS friendly, not Android Auto) and a reversing camera. Cannot get the original head unit other countries get
No option to get the other safety equipment in other countries- lane departure, auto cruise speed adjust, auto braking.
Mediocre sound proofing.
Right now, no options to zhng it either- which was such a big scene for Swifts of old.


Kalvinder
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 04-May-2012
Turbo 1000 cc  Posted on 13 Nov 2018
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 3.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Nice compact turbocharged 1 liter car Good upgrade from Suzuki Swift. Love it size , features, function and power


Pocus
Turbocharged
16 reviews
13,757 points
5828 forum posts Joined on 30-Aug-2004
The cheapest fun car right now!  Posted on 27 Oct 2018
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
The Swift has officially arrived. This time we are getting the Australian tuned 1.0 Boosterjet turbo that is different from JDM version. Horsepower is upped from 102BHP to 109BHP and torque from 150nm to 160nm. It's good to know we are getting better stuff than the Japanese this time.

Looks alone, the Swift looks is "Updated". The trademark black A and B pillars "Helmet visor" Facade is still there. The C pillars is tweaked with a semi black "Sharkfin" Design to go with the times. The design of the front and rear lights with DRL are also tweak to go with comtemporary stylings. The rear door handles are hidden in the pillar ala Afa 147/Honda Vezel, giving it a coupe-like look. The bumper trim we get are unlike the sportier honeycomb grilles found in JDM models so it's less sporty. Too bad for me.

It mentioned that cabin space are improved. But if you ask me you won't notice unless you own an older Swift before. The Swift is a small car. Period. Comparing with the current compact hatches I have tested. The Swift size is somewhere in between a Mz2 and Jazz. The weakness is the rear seats. While the leg room is generous, the headroom is slightly low and the rear windows are a tad small. The rear seat are foldable to give bigger boot space but not as innovative as how the Jazz folds its rear and flat out the floor. The Boot space, although can stack 2 large lugguages with tonneau cover removed, is also not as large as the versatile Jazz. .

The interior trims of the Swift hints it's sporty nature. I like the dashboard layout and how the buttons are nicely put together. It is more streamline compared to the Jazz and almost as neat as the mazda 2. The D shaped steering design and the pushstart button gives a fun and sporty look to it. The front seats are abit squeezy but firm with waist/leg-hugging cushions that will hold well in spirited driving.

What I like
Firing up the car, you can feel it's eager to move, unlike the letargic initial acceleration you get from ANY of it's competitors, even the 1.5 cars. I recall that wilful torque when I test drove the Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost, but this is different. The Swift is a little rougher, but the car is much more lively. For a moment I forgot I was driving a 1.0 car. With the turbo it felt more like a 1.6 or 1.8, until the speed reaches about 70 to 80km/h as the torque stabilize and horsepower takes over. As I predicted, this car is perfect in urban traffic. When I take it to the highway, the Swift have no problem keeping up the traffic and filtering to the right lane. It's competent engine has no issues hitting 100km/h easily despite being a 1.0 turbo.

Back to the small roads I starting playing with the paddle shifter, I downshifted and hit the pedal, that sudden gush of power, accompanied but the sporty drone catapult the Swift effortlessly. The last time I had similar feel is with the Audi A1. I didn't play too rough though, but if this car is already so fun, the ZC33S Swift Sport will be a blast!...if it reaches our shores.

My only regret is the lack of a proper corner for me to take, but based on other reviews, the new swift take corners fair good. I do agree that the car is pretty okay in ride comfort. Not too stiff or too bouncy.

One thing I noticed while seating in the rear, the noise. It's a combination of the wheel noise and some wind noise at high speed. But the noise is not that prominent in the front. Wheel noise depends on the road but can be quite intrusive.

What I do not like
Overall the 3rd generation Suzuki Swift has definitely evolved. It came a long way since it's 1st generation "ZC" Swift hatchback rolled out 14 years ago. The decision makers knew what made the Swift "click" and chose to keep and refine them. From the young chic looks to the engaging handling. Coupled with the traditional torque convertor and a force-induced engine, it looks like it is a clear winner.... or is it?

Singapore is unique. Our cars are the mostly expensive in the world. Gone were the days when COE was merely 10k and there is a huge demography of buyers that were bold, young and looking for a fun-loving cute compact hatch. The current COE price limits potential buyers to those who are older and probably starting families and looking for practicality and space. That is why the highly competitive compact hatchback market suffered into the oblivion of the niche.

Naysayers of Jazz fanboys(or SEs) in the forum will hijack the Swift thread will ask you to get the Jazz 1.3, but with so much features to offer in the Swift(6 airbags, keyless start, all disc brakes, LED with DRL headlights and more) and so much more engaging to drive, I'd say.... Forget the Jazz, it's either the Swift for the engaging sporty hatchback driving that put a smile every trip or just get the much more and spacious Hyundai Elantra if you want a practical point A to B car.


Good:
- Loads of low-end torque.
- Engaging driving
- Loads of features & functions for a no-frills man

Bad:
- rear cabin, small windows
- wind noise

Suzuki Swift
4 stars - based on 10 reviews