New Suzuki Swift – ALMOST as cheap as the new MG 3 Hybrid+

The new Suzuki Swift comes with a mild-hybrid powertrain as standard and starts at £18,699, much the same as the new MG 3 Hybrid+.

In the government’s dreams, we’re all gagging to get into EVs and understand they cost a chunk more, are less practical, a pain to charge away from home and are expensive to insure. But that doesn’t matter because we’re saving the planet. Of course we are.

Back in the real world real car buyers see the benefit of electric in cars, but they see it as a way to help an ICE powertrain with mild hybrid, Hybrid and PHEV the favoured route.

That’s why, apart from being forced to build more and more EVs, car makers are adding electric help across their range, with even superminis now offering hybrid options.

The Toyota Yaris had the game pretty much to itself until recently, but we’ve now had the arrival of the MG 3 Hybrid+ (a bit bigger than your average supermini) costing from £18,495 – a chunk cheaper than the £22,630 Yaris – and now we get a new supermini Hybrid, the new Suzuki Swift costing from just a couple of hundred quid more than the MG 3 at £18,699.

The Swift gets a new 1.2-litre three-pot with a 12-volt mild-hybrid setup delivering official mpg of around 64mpg, with an output of 82bhp, a choice of five-speed manual or CVT ‘box (which adds £1,250) and Suzuki’s ‘AllGrip Auto’ four-wheel drive system at the top of the offerings.

Entry-level Motion trim comes with 16″ alloys, 9.0″ infotainment, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear-view camera, heated front seats, LED headlights, with standard safety stuff like adaptive cruise, AEB and blind spot. Move up to Ultra trim and you also get auto air con, posher 16″ alloys, and rear heating.

The new Suzuki Swift goes on sale in the UK on 3 April 2024.