I was trying to work out a pun about modifying or ‘Tailoring’ Suzuki’s small car so I could work in a Taylor Swift gag, but it’s just not going to work. I’m actually sorry for bringing it up, to be honest…

Anyway – the Suzuki Swift. I have to be frank, I’d not driven a modern Suzuki before, just some of their small, ridiculously capable 4WD models of older vintages, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Enter the small yet (surprisingly) capable Swift, with its 1.2 litre, three-cylinder hybrid engine. With less than 80 bhp and a 0-60 time of 12.5 seconds, I wasn’t expecting lots of guts to it.

A nippy and eager little hatchback

What I found, though, was an incredibly nippy and (for want of a better word) eager little hatchback. The engine sounds very much like the three-cylinder offering it is, but coupled with the five-speed manual gearbox, it’s easy to drive, and impressed more than the stats would suggest.

Essentially, this is an ideal first car. With the demise of the trusty Fiesta, I think this is a very strong contender for an 18-year-old looking for a good deal on a new car. Although it does cost £20k, the entry level option is a smidge over £18k, and that could be an issue. Looking at the cheaper new cars on the market, this is placing the Swift optimistically above (by some margin) the likes of the Fiat 500 Hybrid, Toyota’s Aygo X and a Citroen C3. That’s a gutsy price point in my head at least.

But onto the car. As I say, it drives well and the gearbox/ engine combo works well. It’s not going to win races (and neither should it encourage the attempt), but it’s nimble and easy to park, and was incredibly well specced. My review car had keyless entry and start, heated seats, a rear view camera and Apple CarPlay. I remember being happy with central locking and a CD player when I had my first car – and I had to put the CD player in myself!

The Swift wins on practicality

So, why buy the Swift as a first car over some of the cheaper rivals? Without the spec sheets in front of me, I couldn’t be certain, but I think this is probably better specced than some. The boot is definitely significantly bigger than the Toyota and Fiat offerings, which would be the standout competition for me, so the Swift wins on practicality. It’s also a five door, so beats the 500 on that score without question.

A congested area of the market

It has to be said, this is a congested area of the market. A quick search came up with a list of 10 cars under the £20k benchmark, and there’s really something for everyone. So for me, what is the winning message about the Swift? I think it comes down to three things.

Firstly the spec, secondly the practicality – it really is a small car with a big boot and five doors – and thirdly (very closely related) is that it doesn’t feel like a small car. This is something that will probably make newer drivers feel safer and less anxious while they build experience.