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Suzuki Swace (2020 - )

The Swace is a mid-sized, five-door estate car that offers generous boot storage for family getaways and is basically a budget-priced Corolla in disguise.

Starting price:
£30,799

Pros:
  • Latest hybrid powertrain offers improved performance
  • Larger infotainment screen and additional safety features
  • Cheaper than the Corolla
Cons:
  • Engine is quite vocal when pushed hard
  • Less powertrain and body style choices than the Corolla
  • No sat nav system
Secure your test drive today
Request a Suzuki Swace test drive

Introduction

Suzuki Swace

We are seeing more collaborations between manufacturers these days with would-be rivals sharing technology, expertise and costs. One joint venture involves two Japanese companies working together and, as a result, the Toyota Corolla was re-worked with some fairly minor design and interior tweaks, along with new badging and became available as the Suzuki Swace.

So, when Toyota recently launched its latest Corolla model featuring the company’s fifth-generation self-charging hybrid electric technology, it was time for the Swace to gain the same new powertrain tech along with a number of other enhancements.

The Swace is a mid-sized, five-door estate car that offers generous boot storage for family getaways and is basically a budget-priced Corolla in disguise. The 2023 car also sees a new model grade structure with customers offered trim levels called Motion and Ultra.

As well as the improved performance thanks to the upgraded hybrid unit, the Swace also benefits from extra safety equipment and enhanced driver assistance aids, plus improved multimedia and digital features.

The Swace, which is built in Derby alongside the Corolla, is on sale now and available to test drive. 

Suzuki Swace

The five-door Swace is an elegantly-designed estate car that maintains a stylish and athletic appearance while still keeping all the practicality and versatility bases covered along the way.

With sweeping curves, a black grille, sleek light clusters with bi-LED projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED rear lamps, a rear upper spoiler, roof rails, privacy glass and 16-inch polished alloy wheels, it has plenty of road presence.

The interior is bright and spacious with a clutter-free layout and easy-to-use features. The main focal point is the eight-inch touchscreen offering access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. There is a DAB radio, Bluetooth, rear parking camera and new seven-inch digital cluster with three different display modes. 

Dual zone automatic air conditioning keeps occupants suitably warmed or cooled and the separate controls for the climate functions result in less driver distraction. An S-FLOW Control system rather cleverly optimises fuel efficiency by ensuring the air conditioning is only provided to occupied seats. And the ambient lighting is a nice feature too.

The fabric seats are manually adjusted and, with a steering wheel that offers full manual adjustment too, finding the perfect driving position is a simple process. The front seats and steering wheel can be heated to fend off the winter chill and the car impresses with its comfort levels.

On the downside, there is no sat nav. Although these days the majority of drivers tend to use their mobile phones for any navigation needs.

The Swace is on sale with a choice of seven colours.

On The Road

Suzuki Swace

Handling & Performance

The Suzuki Swace is available with an upgraded hybrid system that combines a powerful electric motor with a four-cylinder petrol engine. The recent upgrades see the electric motor gaining more power increasing from 53kW to 70kW. This in turn has seen an increase in torque from 163Nm to 185Nm. As a result, there has been a 32 per cent increase in power. 

So, with its a maximum output of 102PS and 142Nm of torque, the latest car cuts almost two seconds off its 0-62mph sprint time which it now completes in 9.4 seconds. And with a top speed of 112mph, the only compromise for this new, improved hybrid system is a very minimal one g/km increase in carbon emissions. 

The acceleration through the CVT transmission seems far more responsive and the Swace can take on steep hill climbs with confidence. Thanks to its low centre of gravity, the front-wheel drive car is grippy through twisting country lanes without any body movement of note. 

The engine does get a little vocal when pushed particularly hard, but few owners will be buying the Swace for outright pace and blistering performance. This is a car that excels when it comes to comfort, practicality and affordability and those attributes will suit Suzuki owners to a tee.

Drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport alter the reactions slightly rather than dramatically, and there is an EV mode that will result in the vehicle being driven solely by its electric motor with power supplied from the battery.

Suzuki Swace

Space & Practicality

The Suzuki Swace is a family estate car that stretches 4,655mm in length, is 1,790mm wide and 1,460mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,700mm. This translates into a spacious cabin with bundles of room up front and space for a couple of adults in the back provided the front seats are not pushed back too far. A trio of youngsters would have ample room and with wide opening rear doors, plus Isofix fixtures to the two outer rear seats, fitting and carrying a child seat is a simple task.

The boot  can swallow 596 litres of luggage, but that limit increases considerably to 1,232 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. The rear carpeted floorboard can be set to a lower position making it easy to store taller items and is also reversible with a resin-based coating making it ideal for transporting muddy boots and the likes.

Additional storage can be found within the cabin such as a glovebox, central cubby, door bins with space for a water bottle, front and rear cup holders and seat back pockets.

The Swace Ultra also offers a wireless charging pad as standard and all models have two USB-C terminals and an AUX terminal to keep devices connected on the move.

Ownership

Suzuki Swace

Running Costs

The 2023 Suzuki Swace costs £28,999 for the Motion model and £30,799 for the Ultra grade. Our Swace Ultra featured metallic paint which bumped up the price by a further £600.

When it comes to the day-to-day running costs, the fuel efficiency cannot fail to impress with a combined 62.7mpg under WLTP testing and carbon emissions of 102g/km.

This CO2 figure would result in a first-year Vehicle Excise Duty (otherwise known as road tax) charge of £175 dropping to the standard fee for hybrid cars of £170 after 12 months.

For anyone considering the Swace as a business car, the Benefit in Kind tax relief rating is 25 per cent and the car sits in insurance group 17.

The Swace comes with a standard three-year warranty, but this can be extended to seven years and 100,000 miles provided the car is serviced at an authorised Suzuki workshop. This attractive warranty package can also be transferred if the car is sold on. 

Verdict

Suzuki Swace

While the Toyota Corolla is available in Hatchback and Touring Sports (estate) body styles along with a choice of powertrains, Swace buyers are limited to one hybrid set-up and the estate design. And that’s not a bad thing as the estate sector is a new avenue for Suzuki, so why bombard customers with too much choice. Two trims – Motion or Ultra – and that’s it. 

The latest car is anything but a mild upgrade with so much new hybrid technology enhancing the performance, along with improvements to the infotainment systems within the car.

In addition, safety tech has been developed too. For example, the pre-collision system has a wider range with additional motorcycle detection now as well as other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, The safe exit assist works in tandem with the blind spot detection to prevent doors from being opened into the path of a passing cyclist or vehicle, and the emergency driving stop system, which is new, monitors the driver’s condition. If necessary, it will bring the vehicle to a safe stop and activate the hazard warning lights.

But if you are wondering why someone might consider buying the Swace above rival models, then it could come down to trust. That’s because Suzuki has been ranked the number one automotive brand in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index six times since 2019. The awards are held twice a year for any organisation that prides itself on the excellence of its customer service and last month, Suzuki was 26 places higher than any other automotive brand.

Secure your test drive today
Request a Suzuki Swace test drive
By Maxine Ashford
Apr 17, 2023

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