The current Suzuki Swift has been on the market for around two years now, so to keep things fresh, the Japanese brand has given the long-standing supermini a bit of attitude. To look at, this new car looks very similar to the Swift, but look closer and you’ll see it’s not quite as bold. However, it’s more in your face than the standard car, so it should prove to be a good halfway house.
Sporty looks without breaking the bank
The ethos for the new Attitude is to offer buyers (specifically younger buyers) the chance to buy a car that has sporty looks, but without the high running costs that such a car can bring. The Attitude features 16″ alloys, faux carbon fibre trim, a sporty mesh grille, and a cheeky roof spoiler. Ride height remains unchanged, in case you happened to be wondering.
The exterior may look like it’s packing a bit of punch under the bonnet, but in fact it isn’t. The Attitude doesn’t feature the 1.4 litre BoosterJet used in the Sport (for obvious reasons), and nor does it feature the 1.0 litre BoosterJet engine. No, instead, Suzuki has deployed its 1.2 litre naturally aspirated DualJet petrol unit, which offers only 90hp and 120Nm of torque.
Well, what’s the point in that?
The point of it, as my previous title hints at, is to offer a sporty looking car, but without the higher running costs. One of the largest benefits of opting for the Attitude is a lower insurance group, which will be especially attractive for younger drivers. The Swift Sport sits in insurance group 35, whereas the Attitude is a whole 10 lower, sitting in 25D. At a starting price of just over £14,500 it’s cheaper to buy than the Sport as well, plus it will cost less to run.
With that in mind, let me run you through the fuel economy – on a combined run, Suzuki states that the Attitude will be good for 51.4mpg, and CO2 emissions come in at 124g/km. Therefore, this should be a frugal little runaround to get you from A to B, only with a bit more exterior aggression.
How does it drive?
Despite the pumped up looks for the outside, the running gear for the Attitude is exactly the same as what the standard Swift can offer you, which is by no means a bad thing. This means you get a compact, light supermini that’s enjoyable to drive. It offers up a good amount of fun, with a healthy amount of character.
Sure, it doesn’t have the same fizz as a Swift fitted with a BoosterJet engine, but thanks to a kerb weight of just 980kg, the 1.2 litre never feels overly strained, although there’s a good chance you’ll need to drop a cog when you approach a hill. Apart from that small – and rather predictable gripe – the 1.2 unit works just fine, and I think it will be able to keep most buyers happy.
The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which offers a nice enough change, it’s pretty slick and snappy, allowing you to work through the gears in an orderly manner. The ride is good as well; yes, it does have a firm edge at slower speeds, but it’s compliant at speed, with the ability to soak up most bumps along the way.
Is it practical?
The Attitude shares the exact same dimensions as any other Swift, so space and practicality is the same. This means you get a boot capacity of 265 litres, which is larger than the previous generation of Swift, but still behind rivals such as the Ford Fiesta or the Vauxhall Corsa. Space in the rear is tight for taller passengers, but the same could be said for the two cars mentioned a few moments ago.
How much is it?
The Attitude is based on the mid-range SZ-T, meaning you get standard features such as 7″ touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth, navigation and smartphone connectivity, as well as a reversing camera, daytime running lights, automatic headlights, and air conditioning to name a few. So, it should have enough kit to keep you happy, but what about your bank balance?
The Attitude starts from £14,599, although at the moment Suzuki has a customer saving of £1,100 for the UK market, so at the time of writing, this car can be yours for as little as £13,499. That makes the value pretty hard to beat, so I think Suzuki is on to a winner here, and in fact, the Japanese brand predicts that 40% of all Swift sales will be an Attitude.
Should you buy one?
Given what’s stated above, I think that has to be a yes. If you’re on the market for a well priced supermini that offers sporty looks but with cooking model running costs, the Attitude should definitely be on your shopping list.