By Ian Strachan.
The Suzuki Swace has always been a very competent and well-built medium estate car. Now, following its latest upgrade, it gets a higher specification and more technology.
This British-made hybrid is based on the Toyota Corolla. It differs from the Corolla with a re-designed front end and Suzuki badging inside and out. The collaboration between the two Japanese manufacturers works and the Swace is the result.
The Swace comes as a full hybrid powered by a 1.8 litre 102 PS petrol engine, coupled to a 70kw electric motor which powers the car when the petrol engine isn’t required. The switch from petrol to electric and back is seamless. The engine is married to a stepless CVT automatic gearbox.
With electric assistance you get impressive fuel economy. Published figures for combined driving are 62.7 mpg. CO2 emissions are low at 102 g/km.
I test drove the Swace in Ultra trim level, which gives you 16-inch polished alloy wheels, all-round airbags, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, a multimedia audio system with DAB radio, speed-sensing volume control, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity via a 10.5-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, rear parking camera, intelligent park assist, lane departure alert, rear cross traffic alert, automatic high beam and blind spot monitor. You also get radar cruise control, remote central locking, front and rear distance alert. electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, split folding rear seats and rear privacy glass. This spec comes at £31,999 on the road. My test car had metallic paint at an extra £600.
Unlike earlier versions of the Swace in Ultra spec, the car now comes with satellite navigation which is a welcome addition.
The cabin of the Swace is a very pleasant place to be, thanks to a good use of trim materials and simple, well-placed instruments and dials. There’s lots of oddment space, and all controls fall easily to hand. Space for driver and front seat passenger is generous and rear head and legroom is good. There’s a large 596-litre luggage compartment, with underfloor space where the spare wheel would normally be. Folding the 60-40 split rear seats gives you a cavernous 1,232 litres of luggage space.
Performance from the 1.8 unit is more than adequate, with no flat spots across the range and a 0-60 mph timer of just over nine seconds. The engine never feels under strain, and handling is confident and controlled.
This stylish, versatile and sporty-looking estate is a welcome addition to Suzuki’s range. Suzuki has said its plan is to sell 2000 units a year in the UK. It deserves to sell a lot more.
