1.6 Sat Nav + Dab 3dr Hatchback

Cute, sporty, great fun and superb value!

I bought our Swift privately and drove it 200 miles home. Within a few miles of twisty country road I was wearing a huge grin and thoroughly enjoying myself. The Sports' natural habitat is a B road - the chassis and handling are sublime, steering quick and agile and the close ratio gearbox enables safe and fast progress. Due to the lack of a turbocharger you can't just lazily plant your right foot and expect a surge of torque to propel you - you have to find the power and keep it there, working in tandem with the 6 speed gearbox. In short you have to drive! I test drove a VW Polo 3 cylinder diesel and Hyundai i10 and was horrified by the turgid and lifeless progress - I am prepared to forego the claimed 80 mpg and settle for somewhere between 40 and 50 mpg in the swift. In fact, I never consider mpg - i'm having too much fun. I'm sure 50+ could be achievable but it's like a puppy - always wants to play and eggs you on to have fun.

In town, it's also a delight, easy to maneuver and park. It is a little noisy and fidgety on the motorway, even sixth gear is not very high whilst the firm suspension and short wheel base are not conducive to high-speed long drives.

Inside it has every extra you could realistically expect including satnav, bluetooth, DAB, a/c, keyless entry.etc,etc and superbly supportive front seats. There is room for two adults in the back, although the boot is small. Overall the interior is functional and minimalist, which I love! Overall, it's far more than the sum of it's parts. A fine car.

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