Suzuki has a reputation for affordability, reliability and efficiency, built on its offering of everything from cars and motorcycles to all-terrain vehicles and marine engines.
While their vehicles speak for themselves, Suzuki was recently crowned the number one automotive brand in the UK by the Institute of Customer Service and, for the third year in a row, the Suzuki Ignis has won the WhatCar? Best Buy award.
A brief history of Suzuki
As one of the most recognised manufacturers to come from Japan, it might surprise you to know the company started off building weaving looms for Japan’s giant silk industry in the early 20th Century. Based on consumer demand, Michio Suzuki decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture when he wanted to diversify his offering in 1937.
While plans were halted with the onset of World War II, Suzuki returned to the production of motor vehicles with the “Power Free” post-war. This bicycle fitted with a motor was made to meet Japan’s need for affordable, reliable personal transportation.
By 1954, Suzuki was producing 6,000 motorcycles per month and in 1955 introduced their first automobile, the Suzuki Suzulight. In 1963, Suzuki commenced official import of motor vehicles, in particular motorcycles, into the UK and the brand has gone from strength to strength since.
Suzuki Ignis
The Ignis is the smallest model in the Suzuki range, and yet features strong SUV styling. That means it’s small enough to fit easily into any parking space but inside it’s surprisingly spacious with rugged control thanks to its ALLGRIP four-wheel drive tech.
The Suzuki Ignis Hybrid compact SUV recently came top in two categories at the 2021 What Car? Awards, winning the Best Small SUV for Value and Best True MPG on Rural roads and Motorways categories.
Not only is the Ignis suitable for any lifestyle and easy to drive, it’s excellent value for money with an economical performance that will bring peace of mind to any journey.
Characterised as the small car with a big attitude, the Suzuki Ignis is available in three trims: SZ3, SZ-T, and SZ5:
Suzuki Swift
With mild hybrid technology as standard across the current Swift range, it’s a supermini that offers drivers good economy and an engaging drive.
One of the Top Gear team’s favourite cars, the Swift features a refined 1.2 Litre Dualjet hybrid engine which allows for a 0-62 mph of 12.7 seconds. All of this is contained within a subtly retro yet ultra lightweight design which improves efficiency while utilising its modest output to its optimum.
With dynamic styling inside and out, the Suzuki Swift is available in three trims: entry-level SZ-L, SZ-T and top of the range SZ5.
Suzuki Swift Sport
The Suzuki Swift Sport builds on the base model by offering a turbocharged hybrid engine to offer a little bit more power.
With 0-62 achieved in a so-so 9.1 seconds, the Suzuki Swift Sport’s 1.4-litre turbo engine makes it feel a lot faster than that. Small and powerful, the Swift Sport provides an affordable entry into performance driving making it a lot of fun to drive.
The exterior differences to the regular Swift add to the Sport’s racy nature too thanks to its aggressive grille, carbon fibre trims, 17-inch alloy wheels and two large exhausts.
Suzuki Vitara
The Vitara has long been the star of the Suzuki range and it’s easy to see why: with its shrunken Range Rover Evoque-esque styling and ALLGRIP technology, it’s a compact car that continues Suzuki’s theme of offering stylish affordability and practicality.
Though it was a genuine off-roader upon first release in the 90s, the Vitara has moved with the times and trends of the motoring world. That means it has rugged looks and raised driving position of a 4×4, but with the running costs of a conventional hatchback.
With a 1.4 Boosterjet petrol hybrid engine and six-speed manual gearbox standard across the range, the Vitara delivers 128PS and 235Nm of torque.
The Suzuki Vitara is available in three trims: SZ4, SZ-T and the range topping SZ5 which is the only version available with a 4WD option.
Suzuki S-Cross
Wider and longer than the Vitara, the S-Cross is the Vitara’s more pragmatic big brother.
Originally launched in 2013, the S-Cross was a not-so-subtle attempt for Suzuki to offer a rival to the Nissan Qashqai and was designed to almost look like a carbon copy.
Where it differs from the nation’s most popular crossover is in offering slightly more size and a good amount of equipment while not compromising on value. Once again, the sole engine option is a 1.4-litre turbocharged mild-hybrid petrol which boosts performance and efficiency.
Similar to the Vitara, the Suzuki S-Cross offer three trims: SZ4, SZ-T and top of the range SZ5.
Suzuki Swace
The Suzuki Swace is the manufacturers attempt at presenting a car that balances sporty functionality with practicality and style. We’ll let you be the judge of whether you think it achieves that or not.
Thanks to a platform sharing agreement, the Swace is based on the Toyota Corolla Touring Sport. Where the estate differentiates itself from that model is by offering a decent amount of kit as standard including heated front seats, heated steering wheel, reversing camera and an 8-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity.
With just a single engine option, it uses the same 1.8-litre petrol-hybrid found in the Corolla which is ideal for around town driving, and all cars are front-wheel-drive with a CVT automatic gearbox.
The Swace only comes in SZ-T and SZ5 trims, and with just the one engine option it should make your choice pretty simple.
Suzuki Across
The Across sits at the top of Suzuki’s range, ditching the simplicity and affordability of the rest of its range to offer something unique.
Like the Swace, the Suzuki Across takes advantage of the platform sharing agreement with Toyota and uses the RAV4 plug-in hybrid as its base. That means it can travel nearly 47 miles in electric mode before needing to be recharged, with the 2.5-litre hybrid-petrol engine producing 182HP alone.
With a state of the art E-Four four-wheel drive and E-CVT automatic gearbox as standard, the Across offers genuine performance and is a truly unique vehicle in the Suzuki range.
Suzuki Jimny: Discontinued… but available used
You might have noticed that every model on this list is offered in hybrid form. This is because EU emissions regulations are demanding that any smaller models offered by manufacturers feature expensive emissions-cutting technologies.
Unfortunately, as a result, this forced Suzuki to withdraw the Jimny from sale ensuring it had one of the shortest and strangest lifespans ever seen: launched in 2018 to great applause, Suzuki could not keep up with demand and at one point the waiting list for the mini 4×4 was up to 18 months… only for the model to be withdrawn altogether from the UK market in 2020.
Just FYI, Hippo Leasing are one of the lucky few to have a used model in stock and for sale…