Sunrise on the A69 at Warwick-on-Eden
So a 2025 battery/petrol hybrid. The 1197cc Suzuki Swift convinced me as a driver and I did a double-take when I saw the fuel consumption display, which showed 63 mpg on my run from Newcastle to Keswick, that’s 88 miles using the A69/M6/A66 route.
As a car the Suzuki Swift is pretty good. Corners true. Enough power under the pedal though you need to change down maybe twice, but the red line isn’t until 6000 revs. I got to 5500 revs doing an overtake up hill and it didn’t seem the power was running out. The changeover from battery to petrol power is progressive and doesn’t impact on driving. Fuel economy is good to outstanding. Murky weather this trip so I was happy that the headlights are up to standard, the wipers good too.
The downside is the control surfaces. Difficult to read, fussy and over-complicated. Of course there are the beeps and binks that the manufacturers of all modern cars think we want. Many are distractions when you are driving on real roads rather than repeating an urban commute route. Suzuki allow switching off of many of them but some seem unavoidable and distracting. I don’t want an amber light in a side mirror that distracts from my assessing the vehicle that might be about to overtake me, for example. The side mirrors on this one didn’t retract when the vehicle locked.
The heater on the Suzuki Swift is effective but slow to respond. It took a long while from cold. Adjustments take a while to take effect so on a short run to the supermarket the Suzuki Swift isn’t going to get cosy.
Overall, probably the third favourite car I’ve hired in 2025, behind my first choice, the Corsa turbo, more fun but worse fuel economy. Number 2 this year would be the Clio. Then the Swift. That’s for hiring, owning would be different.