REVIEW | Why the Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ CVT forces you to take it easy

Suzuki's local success story is worth revisiting.

From being a fledgling, niche brand that re-entered Mzansi in 2008 after a hiatus to clawing its way up the charts to a place in the top three.

Shrewd management and the right products at the right price ensured its upward trajectory.

The nameplate the brand owes its South African success to is the Swift. Initially, the B-segment hatchback was designed to compete with rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio and other European compacts of the day.

As it evolved, the Swift took on a more budget-conscious slant, growing to compete instead with similarly cost-sensitive juniors such as the Volkswagen Polo Vivo. The third-generation model marked a change of origins, being sourced from the Maruti-Suzuki plant in India.

Last year, the newest iteration of the model was launched on our shores. It ushered in a comprehensive stylistic refresh without losing the familiar Swift identity.

Interior appointments were enhanced with certain cues borrowed from the bigger Baleno sibling. Under the bonnet, a new 1.2l three-cylinder petrol unit took the mantle from the former four-cylinder.

More crucially, the Swift upped the ante in the safety department, now boasting six airbags from the base model. An impressive bragging right that segment rivals cannot lay claim to.

The new Swift was well received. It even has a place in the running for the 2025 South African Car of the Year. In the 2024 competition, its sibling, the Fronx, mustered second place overall. The Swift also has the enviable honour of being a 2025 World Car Awards finalist. Quite a big deal for such a modest tyke with emerging market roots.

My first turn with the current Swift was in December last year, evaluating the model in high-grade 1.2 GLX manual trim. The takeaway from my perspective was, what it lost in engine displacement, it made up for in other areas, including improved manners, in addition to the safety boost noted earlier.

Last week Suzuki offered another representative of the Swift range for evaluation: the middle-grade GL+ with a continuously-variable transmission (CVT).

The manual GL+ comes in at R239,900 while the two-pedal will set you back R259,900. It is one of the most accessible new automatic cars on the market. Pricing includes a five-year/200,000km warranty and two-year/30,000km service plan.

While a CVT has its quirks (the drone and dull response), your aversion to manual labour will probably help you overlook such characteristics. Make no mistake, the manual gearbox is far more flattering to the 60kW/112Nm three-cylinder engine.

The two-pedal Swift encourages a more relaxed driving attitude. You should leave to your destination without focusing too much on arriving there in a hurry. If Classic FM were still a thing, it would be the frequency you would want to dial into before setting off in the automatic Swift. The brand does not provide a claimed 0-100km/h time.

Aside from the strained monotone under hard acceleration and its natural speed limitations on the freeway, the Suzuki was an easy-going companion over the week of commuting. Frugality has always been a Swift hallmark. No change here with an achieved average of 5.6l/100km.

It tackled an airport run (its 265l boot filled to capacity); happily handled a grocery-getting mission and felt tidy when driven through waterlogged roads during recent Johannesburg storms.

Being the lesser GL+ there are omissions in kit vs the grander GLX. Still, they were not glaring. Apart from the smaller wheels, lack of leatherette upholstery on the steering wheel and halogen headlamps, it still seemed decently outfitted.

It retains the colour-screen infotainment system, reverse camera, steering wheel audio controls, front and rear electric windows and electric side mirror adjustment. Oh, but a rear windscreen wiper would have been nice.

While it has a sombre ambience abounding in black and grey hues, one can award praise on the overall assembly and quality of the Swift's cabin, considering the price tag. It evinces a feel above expectations created by similar products hailing from India.

If self-shifting ease is a non-negotiable and you find yourself on a budget eyeing a new car, the Swift GL+ CVT is by no means a disappointing pick.