The Suzuki Swace is one of a couple of cars Suzuki sells that are basically rebadged Toyotas - the other being the RAV-based Across. The Swace is based on the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but has a slimmed-down range that fits neatly into Suzuki’s lineup.
It has the same benefits as the Corolla, from an easy drive to excellent fuel efficiency and a practical estate body shape, and while the Suzuki brand might seem a little downmarket to some buyers, the Swace is a good way of getting Toyota quality at a potentially lower price.
The Corolla Touring Sports is naturally the closest alternative to the Swace, and comes with a more powerful engine option and more trim levels, but expect to pay a touch more, like-for-like. Other estates in this class include the Volkswagen Golf Estate, Ford Focus Estate, and Skoda Octavia Estate.
There are a few reasons you might choose a Suzuki Swace. One, the Suzuki brand tends to attract loyal customers, and if you’ve bought Suzukis in the past then the Swace would naturally appear on your radar. Two, you want something practical but aren’t keen on SUVs. And three, you need something fuel-efficient - in which case the hybrid-only Swace could be ideal.
It could also be a combination of all three. If you’re partial to the Suzuki brand we should point out the Swace is actually a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports with a Suzuki badge on the nose, but that just means you’ll be getting something reliable and well-built like all Toyotas, and a sturdy cabin is something you’ll be used to from previous Suzukis.
It’s a spacious cabin too, with rear legroom on par with the large Skoda Octavia Estate, a big boot only just shy of a Golf Estate, and a comfortable driving position - enhanced by standard heated seats. The 8-inch touchscreen in the Swace is smaller than the one Toyota offers, but standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make it simple enough to interact with.
On the road you’ll find the Swace smooth and refined, with the usual caveat that CVT automatic gearboxes can result in a little noise under hard acceleration, as the revs stay high. Later models offer a little more power (detailed below), but not as much as Toyota’s equivalent, which also comes with a 2-litre hybrid setup.
That may be an option if the Swace doesn’t quite cut it for you, but there are several other estates in this class too - albeit few hybrids. The Ford Focus Estate is the handling choice, the Volkswagen Golf Estate a quality option (though 2020-on models are blighted by frustrating touchscreen controls), and the Hyundai i30 Tourer and Kia Ceed Sportswagon benefit from longer warranties than Suzuki’s three-year offering.
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With one engine and two trim lines to choose between, Suzuki has kept things simple with the Swace. While this does limit your options compared to the Corolla Touring Sports it’s based on - which has two engines, and four trim levels - it at least makes choosing the right car a little easier.
We’d go for Motion trim over the higher-spec Ultra. Motion is already very well equipped, and Ultra’s extras like leather trim or wireless phone charging won’t significantly change your experience. That also applies to the trim levels the car was launched with, SZ-T and SZ5, which offered essentially the same equipment - though bear in mind these earlier cars make a little less power than Motion and Ultra-badged models.
Suzuki Swace 1.8 Hybrid: The 1.8-litre petrol hybrid setup in the Swace makes 140PS (122PS in earlier models, when the range was split between SZ-T and SZ5 trims)), and powers the front wheels through an e-CVT automatic. Suzuki claims 9.4 seconds from 0-62mph (11.1 in earlier cars), while combined economy is 62.7mpg (64.2mpg earlier on).
Suzuki offers two trim levels on the Swace, Motion and Ultra. Both are well-equipped, befitting a new price tag that is quite high by Suzuki standards. All models get climate control, LED headlights, and heated seats, but the Ultra does add a few welcome options like parking sensors at both ends, and leather trim. Earlier SZ-T and SZ5 trim levels were also offered, which broadly correspond to the renamed Motion and Ultra.
The Suzuki Swace Motion comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and fog lights, privacy glass, auto lights and wipers, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a rear-view camera, an 8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, and radar cruise control.
The Suzuki Swace Ultra upgrades to bi-LED projector headlights, front and rear parking sensors, ambient interior lighting, wireless phone charging, leather trim, and extra safety features including blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.
The Suzuki Swace’s dimensions are:
Length: 4655mm
Width: 1790mm (without mirrors)
Height: 1460mm
Ground clearance: 135mm
The Suzuki Swace’s boot size is:
596 litres
1232 litres (seats folded, to roof)
As a hybrid you currently pay £10 less a year in tax than drivers of a regular petrol or diesel estate. As we write, VED for the Swace is £170 per year, though this is likely to increase in future.
Suzuki Swace insurance shouldn’t sting too much at renewal time. Motion models have a group 17 rating and this only rises to group 18 for the slightly better-equipped Ultra. That’s a little more than the group 15 starting point of the Corolla Touring Sports (or the group 14 of a 1-litre petrol Golf Estate), but the difference shouldn’t be excessive.