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By Tim Saunders

Every car I drive these days is fitted with a lazy automatic gearbox and an electric handbrake. I’m getting a bit fed up of it.

Thank goodness that Suzuki is still making cars with five speed manuals and traditional handbrakes. I take delivery of the Swift hybrid model just after driving a luxurious Genesis G80 saloon. Which is unfair because I’m bound to make comparisons which will put the little Suzuki at a disadvantage. Or will they? When closing the doors of the little Suzuki they are quite tinny in comparison but I suspect this aids efficiency. Its namesake is a medium-sized aerial bird, which is a superb flyer. The four wheeled version is a hybrid that will travel around 400 miles on a single tank returning about 60mpg. These are attractive figures and can only be dreamed of by the decadent G80 driver.

I drive it to Christchurch and Liphook, which allows me to put it through its paces. The driving position is good although I could do with the seat being a little further back but don’t adjust it because I’ve got three rear passengers in the rear and leg space is a bit tight. When I rest my arm on the driver’s door as I sometimes do, there isn’t enough padding for comfort. This is probably a good thing because it’s a bad habit of mine and I should always have my hands at the ten to two position on the wheel.

The cruise control is intelligent meaning that it tracks the vehicle in front and brakes or accelerates accordingly. Generally, this is pretty reliable and even maintains the desired speed when travelling up or down hill. Gears can be changed without effecting this function.

I love the efficiency of this little car. It’s the only car I’ve driven for a very long time where the range actually increases after I have driven it! Whether I’m driving on the motorway or pootling around country lanes the Swift returns over 61 miles to the gallon. It’s remarkable. It’s a very tiny engine but it’s gutsy and it’s a great little driver’s car that is really enjoyable to throw round bends - floor it and the roar from the 1200cc engine sounds great – reminding the driver of Suzuki’s motorcycling heritage. It sits in the outside lane very comfortably and gives many a car a good run for their money.

It’s interesting to note that the front seats have considerably better padding than in the luxurious Genesis G80 I was previously driving. The black fabric is hardwearing. I like the splash of cream on the dash. The interior is finished to a good standard. This particular model is loaded with goodies and has all the luxuries you might expect of a larger vehicle; heated front seats, all round electric windows, air con, sat nav and alloy wheels. It’s a shame that the DAB function on the radio isn’t very good so we have to resort to FM.  

There’s a good size boot and the lid opens and shuts in the traditional manner of using one’s own muscles rather than pressing a button on a keyfob and waiting. I do appreciate this traditional approach and enjoy it. Many manufacturers are constantly thrusting technology upon the motorist. It is pleasing that Suzuki has drawn a line, as I would, and incorporated some technology but not gone overboard. It’s important to treat the motorist as a human being. Thank you Suzuki.

Externally it’s attractive. This model is finished in burgundy. “I prefer the front to the back,” says eldest daughter Harriett (13) who has an eye for design, which is always a subjective thing.

It’s interesting that while driving this car, I spot countless Suzukis on the road. I’ve never seen so many.

Overall it’s a competent, frugal, low emission, five door hatchback and I’ll be sad to see it go.

Facts at a glance

By Tim Saunders

If conspicuous motoring is your thing then you’ll like the Genesis G80 luxury saloon. During my time with this vehicle I enjoy watching countless double takes and quizzical glances. At the traffic lights as pedestrians walk by. Cyclists turning round as they pass to get a better look. Old folk really concentrating as they walk down a pavement, questioning, “What car is that?” It’s hilarious to watch.

Meanwhile we glide past in luxury and notice that considerably more expensive vehicles do not attract such attention. The G80 – yours for well under £50,000 – is firmly targeted at BMW and Audi drivers wanting something less bland and predictable; to stand out rather than follow that dull crowd. The massive grille and overall styling is reminiscent of an Aston Martin, which is pleasing to the eye. It’s a low slung all wheel drive sports saloon and a fairly sizeable one at that. It does cling to the road. With its all black leather interior there are wood inserts in the doors, which my wife is convinced is real wood but I’m not so sure. At any rate it is finished to a high standard.

We take it for a spin to Cambridge, a three hour, 130 miles drive on varying roads and sometimes some frustrating traffic jams. It’ll crawl with the rest of them or it will drive like a sports car, if allowed. With a nought to sixty time of around six seconds the two-and-a-half litre petrol turbo is satisfying. I would enjoy it even more if it were fitted with a manual gearbox rather than the lazy automatic that all cars these days seem to be fitted with. It’s fitted with a head up display which projects speed and directions onto the windscreen in front of the driver, which is helpful. The sat nav is easy to use and reasonably reliable until you’re on a roundabout or needing to exit a motorway and sometimes the delay can be problematic. Over the course of this quite long journey I discover that there is an automatic posture session that is triggered about halfway through our trip, which massages the driver’s back. It’s a bit off putting at first especially when travelling at speed. Then I discover that the seats both front and rear actively tighten the faster the car travels at 70mph and over, holding the occupants more firmly which should be comforting, but not for me. It’s a case of technology overstepping the mark I feel. I prefer more simple motoring. Which gets me on to the screens fitted to the back of the front headrests. The children, wanting to watch something during our journey, force me to investigate how this can be done. There are a couple of ways, plug a smartphone in and stream, or use a USB. It is at this point that I discover that it is possible to download content from youtube and save it to a USB. So that’s what I do and the children are delighted that they can watch their favourite cartoons as I drive. This is all very well but I have a couple of issues here. One is that they just keep watching and watching, which is really bad for them in terms of tiredness, which affects their behaviour. There’s endless arguing over them wanting to watch it and us not wanting them to. Secondly, it seems that if they watch something we have to listen to it, there’s no way round it unless they wear headphones but even then we cannot listen to the radio while they are watching. So for me this doesn’t work. I can see how it might do for a chauffeur and his VIP passenger but not for a family scenario.

Over a reasonably long journey Caroline and I find the front seats do not have enough padding for our bottoms.

I like the fact that there is a sizeable powered tilt/slide glass sunroof, which is very welcome on a hot summer’s day. The power boot can be a little frustrating because there does not seem to be a button on it to open/close it so you’re relying on the keyfob and if the driver’s door’s open the keyfob won’t open it and you have to use a switch on the dash. A bit too much faffing about for me. But that boot is fairly large and certainly big enough for all our luggage and even Henry’s scooter.

The children are comfortable in the back. Rear passengers also get blinds and can operate the sat nav and music, which is another frustration for me but I can see how beneficial this could be for a chauffeur and his passenger.

Facts at a glance