Budget cars

Our Swift engages in a circa-1000km road trip with us in its second month - exactly the kind of territory where small, city-focused cars like this can fall downSo, how did our GLX Hybrid fare, and what else has cropped up in our extended time behind the wheel?There are some good and bad things as well as a few surprises along the way. Read on to find out what's been happening.We travelled north of our Sydney home to the NSW mid-north coast for a week, allowing plenty of time to explore the local area. The result was a trip of nearly 1000km, which revealed a few things about the car.For example, it’s not just the cabin up front which is tight on storage. It’s the boot, too. Measuring in at 265 litres, it’s not terrible for the class, but if you’re away for a week or more you’ll definitely use the space available.With just two large duffel bags, an Eski (for the beach, of course) and some chairs, we had no room left.Everything else, groceries, bedding, the works, had to be left in the footwell of the back seat, or worse still, on the back seat itself. If you have kids or a pram, I can’t imagine it would be fun to try and pack for a similar trip.We'll often spruik the benefits of a small car for use inside city limits, but it’s unlikely to be a road-trip hero.On the other hand, this little car surprised me with just enough refinement to not get on your nerves on a long trip.Yes, it’s not as quiet as many mid-sized SUVs or more expensive size-up hatchbacks, but it’s also not bad considering its size.The ride is comfortable over a long journey and so are the seats, which are plush enough to have you hopping out after a few hours in a decent state.Still, cabin storage continues to be a sore point. With a frozen Coke and water in the front cupholder, a phone on the charger, and another cabled up to the system in the third rear cupholder, it left only the doors for storage, neither of which could fit our additional 1.25-litre water bottle, which was consigned to the floor. At the end of the day, it’s a city-focused hatch, and not really designed with inter-city running as a primary consideration. But then again, I’ve seen more clever designs in this class, like Honda’s sorely-missed Jazz, which offered a masterclass in city car floor planning.This was a big surprise, because when it comes to hybrids their fuel efficiency benefits can taper off at freeway speeds.This is generally because the way they are geared means the combustion engine gets more use, and the electric motors can do little to help at such velocities, let alone benefit from the recycled energy from regenerative braking which makes them such fuel-sippers in stop-start traffic.Yet, it's here the Swift’s 'not-a-real-hybrid system' comes into its own. Without a hybrid transaxle with tricky variable ratios to work with, and just a lean and efficient pairing of a three-cylinder engine and continuously variable automatic, the freeway portion of our journey had little to no impact on overall fuel consumption.In fact, the sustained higher speeds had the consumption drop by 0.1L/100km to 4.8L/100km.Real hybrid or not, this Suzuki continues to prove you don’t have to overthink the solution.As good as its fuel consumption may be, I find myself refilling this car a little too often. The computer says I get about 650km from a tank, which I have discovered is because the Swift hybrid’s fuel tank is only 37 litres.Sure, it’s less bill shock when you pull up at the pump and only need to put 25 litres in, but there are now electric cars which can travel as far on a single charge.Oh, and the kicker? This hybrid’s new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded which undoes some of your efficiency gains when it comes time to pay.Part of our adventures included some curvy hilly roads, which let the Swift put some of its best traits on display. Specifically, its ride and handling.While Chinese automakers focus on packing in features while offering a clean-sheet design aesthetic, Suzuki’s engineers clearly still have their heart on the art of the drive.The Swift isn’t a masterpiece to drive by any stretch of the imagination. This is, after all, an affordable light hatchback with a small efficiency-focused engine. However, considering its price and class, this is a fun little car to steer.The steering is weighted just right while the ride is tight enough to keep it from leaning too hard in the corners, but forgiving enough to not make you cringe every time you see a bump.Grip is middling from the stock Yokohama eco tyres, and sound levels are only okay. But the whole package feels more sophisticated and refined than the previous-gen car.The biggest detractor from the drive experience is, as usual, the continuously variable automatic transmission, which pairs with the mild engine outputs to make for disappointment when powering out of a corner.The little three-cylinder engine might have an agreeably gruff tone, but when you’re foot to the floor it’s happy to make a lot of noise while not much is happening in terms of road speed.It’s easy to imagine how much more fun this car could be with more poke, which makes the death of the GLX Turbo a shame. We can only hope the brand follows this hybrid up with a new Swift Sport, which is always a gem of a car.Overall, I came away from our trip impressed with the Swift. I didn’t have high hopes for the city hatch spending extended time on the open road, but every time I got out of it I didn’t come away feeling fatigued or frustrated.Tune in next month for some final thoughts on the Swift Hybrid, and our farewell video.Acquired: February 2025Distance travelled this month: 1291kmOdometer: 6313kmAverage fuel consumption this month: 4.8L/100km

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