By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
By this century's third decade, Suzuki was, literally, on a charge. Not only had it electrified its entire range, but it had also expanded it, albeit with more than a little help from its technical collaborator, Toyota. In this, the second model of that partnership, the curiously-named Swace borrowed the design of the familiar, respected Toyota Corolla Sports Tourer estate to give the Suzuki brand an entrant into the lucrative C-segment compact estate segment. Here, we check the original version out as a used buy.
History
When is a Suzuki not quite a Suzuki? For mainstream visitors to the brand, the answer to that question back in 2020 was when it was a Swace, the company's version of the Toyota Corolla Sports Tourer estate.
With most shared product designs, the manufacturers involved take quite a lot of trouble to change the bits you can see to further the pretence that the products concerned are actually different. This wasn't one of those designs. At the end of this century's second decade, Suzuki needed a quick fix to reduce its average CO2 output in Europe and avoid punitive fines from Brussels. So they turned to Toyota, with whom the brand has a long-standing history of business partnerships - and this was the result.
With this Swace, virtually no attempt at differentiation from the donor car was made, apart from a subtly different nose design and different badges on the wheels and, inside, on the steering wheel. At least you know what you're getting. And what you're getting is the estate version of a car we've previously recommended, the Toyota Corolla, one of the very few family hatchbacks available with a self-charging full-Hybrid engine.
The Swace brought Suzuki back into a market sector it had been absent from since it offered the Baleno estate at the turn of the century - but that car never sold very strongly. Suzuki hoped that with the added draw of electrified technology, it would be a different story for the company in this segment. The Swace sold in its original form until early 2023 when it was significantly updated. It's the earlier 2020-2022-era model we look at here.
What You Get
Much like the Across SUV, the Swace almost exactly mirrors its Toyota cousin in design, save for a unique front face with LED headlamps and a prominent Suzuki badge. Even the Hybrid badges on the front wings are Toyota stock items. Unlike its Corolla cousin, the Swace was only available as an estate. Like that donor model, it's quite a sharp-looking car - and a far cry from Suzuki's turn-of-the-century Baleno estate, the brand's last offering in this class.
Moving inside, the Swace once again offers few differences over its Corolla cousin, though you get Suzuki branding on both the instrument screen and the centre screen at start-up. Helping with the overall feeling of sophistication is the view you get through the three-spoke leather-stitched wheel - that of a smart instrument binnacle presented with a combination of digital and analogue design.
Anything it can't tell you will probably be covered off by this 8-inch 'Toyota Touch 2' centre-dash display that deals with the usual DAB audio, Bluetooth, navigation and online connectivity options. The rear bench is a little tight by class standards, both in terms of leg and headroom, restrictions rather emphasised by the way the curved roof lining slopes down ahead and to the side of you. The footwells are also pretty tight and cramming three adult folk in the back is going to be something of a squash. Out back, there's a class-competitive 596-litre boot. The luggage compartment can be easily expanded into a fully flat space by using sidewall catches to fold down the second-row seats, which creates a total loading space of up to 1,606-litres.
What to Look For
There aren't too many issues with this Swace. Toyota (who built it in Derbyshire) did have to issue a recall early on in production for issues with the CVT auto gearbox (there were fears that there was an issue that could lead to torque converter failure, which would result in a loss of power to the wheels). A check light might sometimes appear on, illuminating on the dash. This is due to the car's EVAP system; the only solution for this issue is to check the condition of the EVAP system. In the unlikely event that you're looking at a Swace that's done over 50,000 miles, you can expect it to drink a little more oil. Otherwise, it's just the usual things; check the interior for child damage; and the exterior for parking scrapes and alloy wheel scuffs. And of course insist on a fully stamped-out service history.
Replacement Parts
(approx - based on a 2021 Swace ex VAT) An air filter is priced in the £16 bracket. An oil filter costs in the £5 to £9 bracket. On to brakes. A set of front brake pads tend to retail in the £62 bracket. A front brake disc is around £110; think in the £54 bracket for rears. A set of wiper blades are om the £7-£24 bracket. A pollen filter is in the £15-£48 bracket. A headlamp will cost in the £452-£477 bracket (halogen) and around £893 (LED).
On the Road
The Swace combines a 1.8-litre, 102bhp engine with a 53kW electric motor and delivers drive through a CVT gearbox. Whilst not scintillating, performance is acceptable with a 0-62mph time of 11.1 seconds, whilst top speed is pegged at 111mph. Combined, the engine and electric motor offer a relatively seamless driving experience, where three driving modes can be selected - 'Normal', 'Eco' or 'Sport'.
The driver can also select a fully electric 'EV mode' for those times when completely silent, or emission-free, running is preferred, such as for inner city work, or even early morning starts. In this mode, the car has the potential to cover a mile or so on pure battery power. 'EV mode' can be used for driving short distances without having to worry about noise or emissions, especially in residential areas early in the morning and late at night, or in garages and indoor parking lots.
Combining both engine and electricity, however, can still reap the environmental rewards depending on what you select. 'Normal' mode will give the driver the optimal balance between fuel economy and performance, whereas 'Eco' will enhance the fuel economy through throttle response and even go as far as limiting the air-conditioning. 'Sport' will provide a quicker throttle response to emphasise acceleration when needed.
Overall
It might seem odd that Suzuki, often previously such an innovative manufacturer, would merely re-badge a Toyota to widen its electrified model offering. This technology though, demands years of experience and huge investment. Should Suzuki have made its customers wait for full-Hybrid tech - then charge them richly for it? Or should it, as here, use proven tech from an established partner, allowing them to bring this engineering quickly to market at a (relatively) affordable price?
You can see why the second approach makes more sense and this Swace model fully embraces it. For the money you'd spend to get mild hybrid tech that makes hardly any difference to running costs on comparable estate versions of the Golf, the Focus, the Leon and the Octavia, here you get a full-Hybrid powertrain that can, in contrast, run at times exclusively on full-electric power, so delivering significantly lower running costs. If that makes sense to you, this car might too.
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