2005 Suzuki Swift walkaround impressions

[mbt]

So our gracious hosts at Suzuki Makati proudly showed their latest baby to us today, and we were pretty eager to see if the car matched its dashing looks. No test drive yet unfortunately (wait for it in a few weeks), but we've got a lot of photos hehe

Impressions:

Cool styling
Okay, okay, so the Suzuki designers copied a whole lot of other cars, but then again, you can't go wrong at all if you copy such stylistic luminaries as the Mini Cooper (the sides, rear hatch, proportions and the blacked out pillars), a certain Peugeot or Citroen (rear lights), Nissan 350Z (headlights) and Mazda 3 (dashboard and instrument cluster), right? Overall, the Swift is a dead ringer for a Mini Cooper, which can't be bad at all (except maybe for Mini Cooper owners hehe).

Interior space is somewhat tight, but tolerable
Of course, with a total length of only 145.5 inches (3695 mm) -- 31.3 inches shorter than a Lynx sedan, 44.5 inches shorter than a Camry, almost five feet shorter than an Expedition -- this micro-hatch can't be expected to swallow a lot of stuff. Legroom up front is rather tight, and with the front seats set to a comfortable position for the driver and passenger, kneeroom and legroom at the rear are somewhat compromised. There's generous space for your feet under the front chairs, but a rod under each seat blocks the tips of your shoes. That said, the amount of people space inside remains useful for four adults (as long as they're not all NBA players of course), even for long trips, and actually, I was surprised at the amount of room that the Suzuki engineers managed to squeeze into this tiny wonder. The rear bench is set comfortably high (made possible by the vehicle's height, which is greater than that of a Ford Focus sedan), which translates to good thigh support. There isn't enough car between the rear doors to seat three adults comfortably, however, and the driver and front passenger could be rubbing elbows all the way... which really means that the Swift makes a great car to go out on a date in hehe. There's a tiny (but useful) trunk with a removable cargo cover, and the split-60/40 rear seat folds and tumbles forward, greatly multiplying the cargo capacity. Subjectively, the Swift is as roomy or just slightly more cramped than a Vios sedan... it won't hold a candle to a Honda Jazz or City in this criterion, however.

Interior styling and build quality are good
The dash is exceptionally clean and functional, and the gauges (which are almost copied verbatim from the Mazda 3) are attractively sporty. The flush-mounted stereo and the simple mouldings on the dash make the Swift's console resemble a swanky piece of hi-fi equipment. Tight panel gaps emphasize the impression of careful assembly. Drivers will be pleased by the small, fat steering wheel (with secondary audio controls, too!). The various buttons and switches feel fine, not as junky as in some other Suzukis (like the APV), although not exactly at the level of Honda yet. Attractive fabric covers the sseats and door panels, but some plastic panels (like the window sills on the doors) still feel cheap. There are some unexpected touches of sophistication, though, such as the rear hatch that opens not with a usual latch, but with an electric button... and speaking of that hatch, closing it is made very satisfying with the solid slam it produces (the other doors slam solidly too). All in all, the Swift looks and feels much richer than its humble Kei-car roots suggest. Kudos to Suzuki.

A brief test ride revealed...
somewhat pronounced road noise and wind noise, a somewhat hollow-feeling structure over bumps, and the rear suspension seemed to crash loudly over surface irregularities (could have been exaggerated by too-high tire pressures, didn't confirm). These are probably forgivable, since the Swift is still after all an econo-car, but don't expect the Swift to rival a Camry in refinement. However, light weight and ultra-compact dimensions probably mean that the Swift could very well be a fun-to-drive, tossable car, not to mention a car with amazing maneuverability in the city.

Price: P738,000, introductory, and only one variant
On the high side, considering that similar moolah can get you an Altis 1.6E, a basic Mazda 3 or a high-end Ford Lynx, but for that, you get a standard 110-horsepower, 105-lb.-ft.-of-torque, 1.5-liter gasoline engine with variable valve timing, a 4-speed automatic tranny with a gated shifter, an in-dash CD player and radio with four speakers (plus two tweeters on the A-pillars), dual airbags, ABS, 15-inch rims, steering-wheel audio controls, power steering, windows, mirrors and door locks, front fog lamps, cup holders, a trip computer, and a lot of stares and glances from passers-by. The Swift is by no means a stripper. You don't get rear disc brakes, however.

Tentative conclusion: Looks like a definite winner for Suzuki
It's light, it's compact, it looks good, it feels good, and the girls will love it. What's not to like? Here's hoping that it drives as good as its low weight promises.

Specifications
Vehicle type Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door really tiny hatchback
Price P738,000
Engine 1.5-liter 16-valve inline-4 DOHC EFI with intake-side variable valve timing, gasoline
Max. Power 110 bhp * 6000 rpm
Max. Torque 105 lb-ft (143 Nm) * 4000 rpm
Weight/power ratio approx. 21.00 lbs. per hp
Tranmission 4-speed automatic
Dimensions (LxWxH) 145.5 x 66.5 x 59.1 in. (3695 x 1690 x 1500 mm)
Wheelbase 94.1 in. (2390 mm)
Curb weight approx. 2310 lbs. (approx. 1050 kg)
Chassis type Monocoque
Front suspension Independent; McPherson strut, coil spring, control arm, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension Rigid axle (torsion beam), coil springs, anti-roll bar

Photos
Note that the photo unit had optional accessories (rear and chin spoilers, side skirts and tacky fake carbon-fiber stickers under the door handles) installed.

[mbt]

[carlocaraddict]

good job

lets wait for the test drive

[Hero]

nice work mbt!

from the pics, this car looks so small..the gauges look more like the optra's.. mazda 3 hatchback pa rin ako, i really dont like the elbow to elbow seating..

[BlueBimmer]

not bad at all! nice alternative to the jazz!

[gearspeed]

ganda..sana may manual..
Oo nga parang optra ang speedometer niya..

[chris_d]

It looks quite good. If only it were priced a little bit lower...

[carlocaraddict]

It looks quite good. If only it were priced a little bit lower...

yup, how we wished that it was priced lower. Blame it on the tax (I think its 30%)

[Karding]

ang ganda ng Swift nyo jan sa Pinas!!! tignan nyo naman ang swift dito sa states! :sukaback:

[empy]

ang ganda ng Swift nyo jan sa Pinas!!! tignan nyo naman ang swift dito sa states!

aka the Geo Metro aka the $9.99 per day rental car special :bwahaha:

i might be wrong but i thought i read somewhere that this car has a 3-speed transmission!