Verdict
If you distill the rationale of any modern SUV, most of us would need nothing more than the Suzuki Swift Allgrip. This charming supermini comes with an efficient hybrid petrol engine, spacious interior and all the tech you could reasonably want, with the added capability of a capable all-wheel-drive system that’ll laugh in the face of wind, rain and snow. It’s not flash, but to many that’ll be part of its appeal.
Suzuki has a habit of cutting through the fluff in offering customers the sort of car they need, not what they think they need. The Swift Allgrip is a case in point, because while superminis from across the spectrum are being dressed up to resemble an SUV, or just turned into them wholesale, Suzuki is doing the exact opposite with its all-wheel-drive Swift, which wears its supermini clothes as a secret disguise.
Under the Allgrip’s cute bodywork, which is identical to the standard front-wheel-drive car, is a full-time all-wheel-drive system and extra ground clearance. It’s powered by the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a small hybrid drive unit, here matched to a five-speed manual; the 2WD’s optional CVT is not available here.
Peak power is rated at a very sensible 81bhp, and there’s just 112Nm of torque at a relatively lofty 4,500rpm, but then at just 1,047kg there’s little mass to move, so its 13.6-second 0-62mph time isn’t too off the pace.
