Suzuki Swace Review 2024

If you like the idea of owning a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but would rather spend less money (and who wouldn’t?), the Suzuki Swace could be the estate car for you.

There is a focus on value and usability, with the Swace boasting a large boot and a spacious cabin. Its hybrid powertrain also means good fuel efficiency, helping to keep running costs down.

If you are not keen on the idea of owning an SUV, the Suzuki Swace is a possible – and very level-headed – alternative.

Suzuki has kept the model range and engine lineup for the Swace surprisingly simple, so choosing which version to buy should be easy.

There is only one powertrain on offer: a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with a hybrid electric system. An automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)  is used, and the Swace has the ability to cover short journeys on battery power alone.

By contrast, the related Toyota Corolla Touring Sports can be had with a larger 2.0-litre engine – also combined with the hybrid tech.

The Swace model range consists of Motion and Ultra trim levels, which have relatively little difference between them. Given that the entry-level Motion comes with LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and heated front seats, it covers all the important bases.

It makes the extra £1,800 needed for the Ultra seem unnecessary, unless leather-effect trim detailing and ambient interior lighting are important to you.

It perhaps goes without saying that the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports is the closest alternative to the Suzuki Swace, given it is literally the same car underneath. The Swace does have fewer engine and trim options than the Toyota, though.

Aside from the obvious Toyota, the Volkswagen Golf Estate, Ford Focus Estate and Skoda Octavia Estate are all credible alternatives to consider. However, none of these options feature a self-charging hybrid powertrain like the Swace.

It’s also worth remembering the Hyundai i30 Tourer and Kia Ceed Sportswagon, both of which offer a lengthy standard warranty.

Much like the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, the interior of the Suzuki Swace is robust and well made – if lacking in flair. You will certainly not mistake the Swace for a premium product, but it feels like an estate car that will survive anything a family can throw at it.

There are some soft-touch materials to be found throughout the cabin, even if they are not the most expensive-feeling fabrics. The higher-spec Ultra model does come with some leather-look detailing, but neither version can be had with full leather upholstery. 

Overall, the Suzuki Swace feels on a par with the Ford Focus Estate for interior quality, and just behind a Volkswagen Golf Estate.

There are a few subtle differences between the Suzuki Swace and the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, and the most noticeable is the infotainment system.

The Toyota comes with a 10.5-inch unit, but the Suzuki has to make do with a smaller 8.0-inch display. Facelifted versions of the Swace, built from 2023 onwards, do benefit from a screen with a higher resolution, but it is still one place where Suzuki’s cost-cutting can be seen.

Although there is a physical knob for the volume control, everything else has to be done through virtual menu buttons on the screen. These can be a little laggy at times, as can the overall operating system. It should not be a deal-breaking problem, but is a reminder that the Swace has to play second fiddle to the Toyota Corolla.

This is also evident in that no versions of the Swace come with built-in satellite navigation. You get DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and even wireless smartphone charging on the top-spec Ultra model, though.

The Suzuki Swace is a reasonably large estate car, measuring 4655mm in length and 1790mm in width. This translates into a spacious interior, despite the need to accommodate a hybrid powertrain.

There is plenty of room in the front of the Suzuki Swace, with the seats able to offer a lot of adjustment to accommodate even the tallest of drivers. Headroom is perhaps not the most generous in the estate class, but it should offer no real concerns. Numerous cubbies and a large glovebox offer plenty of storage.

In the rear, the Suzuki Swace can easily accommodate two adults, plus a third adult in the middle at a push. Legroom is competitive, being on a par with the impressive Skoda Octavia Estate.

The Suzuki Swace cannot best the Skoda when it comes to luggage capacity, but few estate cars can. With the rear seats in place, the Suzuki Swace can accommodate 598 litres of luggage, which compares favourably to the 605 litres found in a Volkswagen Golf Estate. Dropping down the back seats sees this capacity increase to 1232 litres, which should be more than sufficient for most families.

Suzuki also equips the Swace with a variable boot floor, meaning there is space to store smaller items and valuables out of view.

Things are fairly simple when it comes to the Suzuki Swace’s engine range, as there is only one powertrain to choose from.

Both the latest Motion and Ultra versions of the Swace come equipped with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which is combined with an electric motor. Working together, these result in an output of 140PS, helping the Swace to feel pretty agile on the road.

As mentioned previously, the Toyota Corolla also features the option of a larger 2.0-litre engine (still with hybrid tech).

A 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds only tells half the story, with the hybrid assistance allowing the Swace to be quick to react when power is needed. Should it matter, the Swace can reach a top speed of 112mph.

Earlier versions of the Suzuki Swace came with a power output of 120PS and are noticeably slower, with 0-62mph taking in excess of 11 seconds.

All Swace models are fitted with an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which can be left to its own devices. Unless it gets asked to deliver maximum power, the CVT setup should be smooth and unobtrusive.

Being a hybrid, the Suzuki Swace manages to be quiet around town, when it can make use of its electric motor. Although the battery can only power the Swace for short distances, there is not too much noise when the petrol engine springs into life.

Away from urban roads, the CVT automatic gearbox can prove to be loud when it demands maximum power. This is similar to other CVT-equipped cars, including the Toyota Corolla, and is made worse if you have Sport mode engaged.

The Swace does manage to insulate its occupants from external sounds well, with minimal road and wind noise being transmitted back to the cabin. Comfort-oriented suspension adds to the overall impression of refinement.

The Suzuki Swace is packed with plenty of safety equipment, such as numerous airbags – including one for the driver’s knees. It comes with lane-keeping assist, road sign assistance, dynamic radar cruise control, pre-collision braking and a lane centring function all fitted as standard.

In terms of crash safety, the Suzuki Swace has not been tested by the Euro NCAP organisation. However, the virtually identical Toyota Corolla has been evaluated and it received the maximum five-star rating. This included a 95 percent score for adult occupant protection and 84 percent for child occupants.

Given that the Suzuki Swace is essentially a Toyota, the question should really be ‘how reliable is a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports’? Thankfully, the answer to that is ‘very reliable indeed’.

Toyota has developed a strong reputation for dependability, demonstrated by the most recent Honest John Satisfaction Index survey. This saw it ranked as the fourth-best brand for reliability. Intriguingly, Suzuki was in second place.

It means the Swace should prove to be very reliable. It has a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty included as standard, which can be extended to provide cover up to seven years or 100,000 miles with regular servicing at a Suzuki dealership.

As you might hope, the Suzuki Swace comes with relatively affordable insurance costs.

The entry-level Suzuki Swace Motion is rated in group 17 (out of 50 insurance groups in total), with the Ultra model placed in group 18.

This is slightly higher than the insurance groups applied to the equivalent Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but should not make a substantial difference in terms of annual premium cost.

When it comes to VED (road tax), being a hybrid means there is a slight saving in costs. The Suzuki Swace attracts an annual charge of £170, compared to the £180 demanded for a conventional petrol or diesel car.

Self-charging hybrid power does not bring the same benefits offered to company car drivers as a plug-in hybrid, but there are still savings to be made. The Swace attracts a Benefit-in-Kind rate of 25 percent, which sees monthly costs starting from £122 for the Swace Motion for a basic-rate taxpayer.

Suzuki offers the Swace in a choice of two trim levels, both of them well-equipped.

The Suzuki Swace Motion is the starting point for the range, with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED front fog lights, privacy glass and a rear spoiler. There are also roof rails for extra practicality, along with automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.

On the inside, the Swace comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and a rear-view camera. An 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is fitted, with DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB C connections and connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Dynamic cruise control, active road sign assistance, pre-collision autonomous braking and lane-keeping assist are standard.

At the top of the range is the Suzuki Swace Ultra, bringing extra equipment to the hybrid estate. The additions include bi-LED projector headlights, front and rear parking sensors, and smart door locking. On the inside, the car gains leather-look trim, ambient lighting and wireless smartphone charging.

There is also extra safety equipment, with blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

Suzuki previously used the SZ-T and SZ5 monikers for the two trim levels, now replaced by Motion and Ultra.