Cynon Valley

Swift is still best supermini

- PETER HAYWARD newsdesk@walesonlin­e.co.uk

IT’S not often that in these days of very good cars, that one still stands out head and shoulders above most of the rest in the class.

But with the latest Swift, Suzuki has come up with a gem so good in every way it outshines the best of the competitio­n.

I know others rave about the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta – both very good superminis – but the Swift takes them on at their own game and plays it better.

I recently drove the 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo with optional six-speed automatic gearbox.

It was a knockout in just about every way and, for anyone downsizing from a larger automatic, it would be absolutely perfect.

While I had it, the Swift was showing 49mpg, which has to be fantastic. Yet it will also cover the 0-60mph sprint in under 10 seconds.

The 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo drives the front wheels in this model, but there is a 1.2 non-turbo in the range that comes with four-wheel drive and yet another two-wheel drive with an electric hybrid system.

The power unit is lovely and smooth and has a delightful sound as the revs rise. It also pulls brilliantl­y from just 2,000 revs.

The steering is positive and direct with great road feel through corners and the handling and road holding are both right up there with the very best.

But this small car has a real ace in the hole because it’s also really comfortabl­e over virtually all surfaces.

Equipment includes keyless entry and starting, stability control, cruise control, climate control, sat nav with an eight-inch touchscree­n, multi-function steering wheel, parking sensors, Bluetooth and speech recognitio­n.

The Suzuki Swift is brilliant all round and currently about the best supermini you can buy.

I drove the Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-5 automatic which costs £15,180.

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The Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-5 automatic
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