Review – What does the Suzuki Swace have to offer in 2023?
Suzuki Swace, a hybrid station wagon
The Suzuki Swace shares its technology with the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but sets its own course in terms of equipment and price proposition. To Suzuki’s advantage, by the way, because the brand has only one goal: to convince as many individuals and business drivers as possible of the qualities of this hybrid station wagon. You basically get the same car, but for a lower amount. That must sound pretty good to your ears, right?
Modified hybrid powertrain
Before we dive into the prices, let’s take a look at the updates for 2023. After all, what exactly has been changed from the previous model? Under the hood is a completely new generation hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with an output of 72 kW (98 hp) and 142 Nm of torque. This gasoline engine is complemented by a 70 kW electric motor and 185 Nm of pulling power. This makes the electric motor considerably stronger than before.
More power, so faster
The system power of the 1.8 hybrid powertrain now reaches 140 hp (103 kW). That’s a power increase of 18 hp. That higher power output also results in faster acceleration. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h now takes only 9.4 seconds, a gain of 1.5 seconds. Top speed comes out to 180 km/h.
Suzuki Swace Hybrid 2023: more fuel-efficient than a diesel! – AutoRAI TV
Better throttle response
You especially notice that the electrical power has greatly increased on this Suzuki. The powertrain responds more smoothly to the throttle and offers much more push, especially from below. That makes driving this family-estate a lot more comfortable. You also notice that the Suzuki is smarter about recovering energy. For example, the car independently applies stronger braking to the electric motor when a vehicle in front brakes. Very clever and it sincerely works very well.
How economical?
Suzuki also mentions that the Swace is somewhat more fuel-efficient than before. And we can agree. Rarely have we been able to achieve an average fuel economy of over 1 in 23.5 so easily without too much effort. That is sincerely economical. With these numbers, who still needs a diesel, you may ask. In each case, the Suzuki Swace is very economical. On a full tank of fuel you can easily cover over 800 kilometers if you try a little bit.
Modified equipment level
For 2023, the Suzuki Swace also gets a modified trim level. These are only minor differences, though. We detect new chrome inserts at the rear bumper, modified taillights (now with continuous LED pattern) and a slightly different interior fabric that is also pleasant to the touch.
Suzuki Multi Media System
The infotainment system went up a notch. Each Swace features the Suzuki Multi Media System with 8-inch touchscreen. Again, integrated navigation is missing. Suzuki firmly believes in application of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that allows the user to use Google Maps or Waze. That is always up to date, according to Suzuki, so why bother with an integrated navigation system? There is something to be said about it. In any case, the infotainment system works very simply. You can’t set that much either. It is mostly a fool-proof system with fine graphics.
Lots of space!
What else stands out? That the Suzuki Swace is a true pack mule. There is plenty of luggage space. With the rear seatback in the normal position, there are already 596 liters available. With the rear seatback folded down, that’s even 1,606 liters. Folding down the backrest is very easy thanks to two levers in the luggage compartment. A little pull and whoopee: the backrest goes flat. Suzuki should get an award for it.
Suzuki Swace Prices
Speaking of prices, let’s dive into that. Because now it gets interesting. Because exactly which version of the Suzuki Swace should you take? Know that there are only two versions on the price list. Of course, that already makes choosing very easy. You pay a minimum of 35,795 euros for the Select, which includes a six-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty. The Select already has very good working steering wheel and seat heating as standard, as well as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, a collision prevention system and traffic sign recognition. All those systems are bundled into the Suzuki Safety System.
Suzuki Swace Style
If you go for the Suzuki Swace Style ($37,795), you also get a wireless phone charger, smart entry and start system and Suzuki Safety System Pro. What exactly does that addition “Pro” mean? Simple: you also get systems like blind spot monitoring, a rear cross traffic alert system and Safe Exit Assist. So the top-of-the-line Swace 1.8 Hybrid model costs just under 38 grand. A competitive price, considering that a Corolla Touring Sports Active costs a minimum of 36,695 euros and you still have to start ticking options.
Fine features
Suzuki has taken an excellent look at the Swace’s pricing. Because that’s right. Choosing the top model is not necessary as far as we are concerned, because even in the base this Japanese is already a very sporty, economical and comfortable station wagon with fine hybrid powertrain. The suspension has a pleasant tuning, though perhaps a little too soft for some. For comfortable cruising, it is perfect. It is primarily a no-nonsense car aimed at people who want a lot for little.
Driving assistance systems sometimes a little too enthusiastic
What else stands out? The interference of driver assistance systems is sometimes a little too enthusiastic. Take lane assist. On some roads, if there is an oncoming car, it is necessary to make room for a moment so that the oncoming car can pass nicely. If the system is counter-steering in the direction of the oncoming car at those times, it is not pleasant. On the highway, such a system works very well, but not on all roads. Fortunately, all systems are easy to disable so you can customize the car entirely to your own taste. Especially nice is the ability to choose between adaptive cruise control, normal cruise control and a speed limiter, just as it should be. Well done Suzuki.
Conclusion Suzuki Swace 2023 review
The short summary? You buy the Suzuki Swace with all your wits about you. It is spacious, comfortable, already richly equipped from the basic version and, above all, very economical. The latter is becoming a bigger and bigger sport in reducing that average fuel consumption. Next time we are aiming for an average of 1 in 25. We are sure it is possible.
