The new Suzuki Swift, officially launched in South Africa this week, is a little car with big shoes to fill.

The third-generation hatchback that it replaces took the Swift nameplate from the sidelines to the big league, becoming one of the country’s most popular passenger cars. Of the more than 86,000 Swifts sold in Mzansi since the original appeared in 2008, 66,437 of these are third-gen models, first introduced in 2018 and notching up average monthly sales of 917 units.

But that’s enough history for now because there’s a new, fourth-generation Swift in town, and we got to spend some time with it at its media launch in the Western Cape this week.

Not everyone is fan of the new design, with perhaps a bit too much grille and plastic adorning the front end, but the new hatch does stay true to its heritage. Love it or not, it is quite cheeky in its appearance.

The interior has a more modern appearance, with the new dashboard resembling the latest Baleno and Fronx models, complete with an infotainment screen towering over the top. The midrange GL+ has a 7.0-inch screen, which looks a little lost in its much larger plastic housing, while the GLX flagship appears more cohesive with its 9.0-inch unit.

A separate digital climate control set-up is housed lower on the dash and is standard across the range.

Although some of the plastic surfaces are on the hard and shiny side, they’re completely acceptable by budget car standards. For a small hatch the Swift is also quite spacious in the back and I was able to slot behind my driving position with some room to stretch.

Boot space doesn’t disappoint either, with the Swift swallowing 265 litres with all seats in place.

The Swift is built on an updated version of the familiar Heartect platform, and although it has put on some weight, with the new model tipping the scales between 908kg and 945kg, that’s not an entirely bad thing.

The new model has a more solid feel to it, like there’s some weight in the doors and structure now, which should better protect you in an accident. It also feels more planted on the road and less prone to crosswinds.

The downside of a heavier car is, of course, is that it goes slower and drinks more fuel, but Suzuki has mitigated the latter by fitting a brand new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, codenamed Z12E. Despite losing a whole cylinder, it only has 1kW and 1Nm less output than before, with the new motor producing 60kW at 5,700rpm and 112Nm from 4,300 revs.

Suzuki claims an 11% improvement in fuel economy, with the official combined figure being an impressive 4.4 litres per 100km. We averaged a shade under six litres per hundred, but that included some full throttle mountain pass driving and so we’ll reserve any judgement until we’ve tested the vehicle in everyday conditions.

Performance was mostly adequate on our coastal launch route, and the new engine does produce more torque lower in the rev range, which makes it feel sprightly in urban settings. Its off-beat three-cylinder rumble is music to the ears too.

But it did feel a bit harder to maintain momentum above 120km/h, for what it worth, and overtaking required patience at times. As with the economy aspect we’d like to test it at Gauteng altitudes before delivering a final verdict.

The Swift is fitted with either a slick-shifting five-speed manual gerabox or a new CVT (continuously variable) gearbox, which is optional the GL+ and GLX variants, replacing the not-so-nice AMT (automated manual) option offered previously.

As with many CVT-equipped cars, it offers a smooth and agreeable driving experience if you’ve taken your ‘chill pill’ and you drive in a normal and relaxed manner. But if you drive it hard it does become quite noisy and droney. Dare we suggest Suzuki would do well to offer the larger K15B 1.5-litre petrol engine as an option in the Swift for those who do more long-distance driving. That said, the Baleno could do fine for those folk too.

Although it could do with a little more power, we did enjoy our time behind the wheel of the new Swift. It’s easy to drive, rides comfortably and feels more stable on the road than its predecessor. In fact, you can have some fun pushing it through tight bends.

The Swift is also well appointed and very competitively priced, significantly undercutting rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Kia Picanto.

What features does the new Swift come with?

The range kicks off the 1.2 GL at R219,900, which comes with 14-inch covered steel wheels, digitally controlled air conditioning, height adjustable driver’s seat, electrically adjustable and fold-in mirrors, six airbags, ESP stability control and Hill Hold Control.

The Swift GL+, which costs R239,900 in manual form and R259,900 as a CVT, puts you on 15-inch alloy wheels and gives you a seven-speed touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and it’s got a reverse camera.

The 1.2 GLX tops the range at R264,900 (manual) and R284,900 (CVT) and enhances your ownership experience with 15-inch ‘diamond cut’ alloys, LED projector headlights, a 9.0-inch touchscreen, 4.2-inch driver information display, auto climate controls, cruise control, keyless entry with push-button start, leather-covered steering wheel and shift paddles for the CVT version.

Suzuki has made a really good value case for itself with the new Swift and don’t be surprised if it continues to be a top performer on the sales charts.

The Suzuki Swift is sold with a two-year or 30,000km service plan and five-year/200,000km Promotional warranty.