TMW - The Suzuki Swift is one of those cars thats just brilliant at everything it does.

The Suzuki Swift, can be summed up in one word - AWESOME - this car, the 1.0 litre 3 cylinder automatic has so much runt that you would be forgiven for thinking that the car had a far bigger engine. 

The car is an all new version, taking the brand into the future, along with the Ignis and Baleno, the brand has a reputation for beng the best small car maker in the world, and with its current range of cars, you can easily understand why it has this rep, the Swift, just oozes quality and safety, becasue this car is so full of safety features it would put a far more expensive car to shame.

The 1.0 litre boosterjet auto comes in at £16,334, which includes the beautiful Burning Red Metallic paint, from the outside, there are hints of previous Swifts, as they dont want to move it too far away from the car that preceded it, but they wanted it to be a model on it's own, the lines of the car flow nicely from the front to the back, with the "hidden" door handles in the back doors, you feel like you are in a coupe rather than a five door hatchback.

The lines continue to flow around the back, including the rear lights, the car from the outside looks to be compact and small, but like other Suzuki's the interior of the car belies the fact it is a compact car, you have loads of room inside.

The seats are very supportive and comfortable, and the touchscreen and all the buttons, dials and switchgear are all close at hand and you never feel as though you have to stretch or spend too much time looking away from the road to press a button etc.

Once you have managed to get the steering wheel and seats into position, you amazingly find yourself with quite a bit of space in the rear for passengers, i would say that you can get five adults in this car, because you can, but you probably wouldn't want to go to far fully loaded two adults in the back would be a better bet, they would have sufficient room, and be comfortable.

This car comes with a raft of safety equipment, the main one being the cruise control, which is adaptive, this means that the car will detect a car ahead and automatically slow down to match the flow of traffic, and in the case of an emergency, the car will brake to a stop, even in heavy traffic, the car will alert you if you are too close to the one in front, with either an audible warning or if set, it slows/stops its self.

the car is so easy to drive with very light power steering, just put it into drive and off you go, no hassles, no worries, the touchscreen is basic, and follows the same system as found in other Suzuki's, the sat nav is easy to operate and is very quick and accurate, unlike some i have had, which seems to run about half a mile behind the car, Suzuki has it just right.

You get few creature comforts inside the car, i felt that it could have done with an arm rest, but thats just a personal choice, and does not detract from an ideal car, the rest of the interior has plenty of storage pockets etc, to keep all your bits and pieces in, from a dent sized bottle of drink to the cup holders that will take a small bottle or cup.

The fuel consumption for the Swift as per the brand's numbers are :-

• Urban - 44.1mpg
• Extra Urban - 65.7mpg
• Combined - 56.5mpg

I managed to get in combined driving situations about 49 mpg, according to the display in front of you, and i do believe that this is achievable, it is very "swift" in getting to the speed limits your require, and sometimes it can be too quick getting there, thats how brilliant the engine/auto box work together, the car has a 114g/km rating, not the best especially for a small car, but it does beat a lot of other cars, especially as the top speed is 118mph, i dont think i would be happy doing this speed in this car, without the assistance of Adaptive cruise control, and brake assistance.

The car comes with loads of extra kit for the asking price, these include :-

• ABS with EBD & Brake Assist
• ESP
• Six Airbags
• Seatbelt Pretensioners
• ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorages
• Childproof Rear Door Locks
• Tyre Pressure Monitor
• High Beam Assist
• Remote Central Locking
• Push Button Start/Stop
• 4.2" Touchscreen
• Electric Windows All Round
• Power Steering
• Tilt & Telescopic Adjustable Steering Wheel
• Gear Shift Indicator
• Auto Air Conditioning
• 16" Alloys
• Tinted Rear Windows
• Navigation System

The Swift will follow the Baleno and Ignis and become a really popular car, the swift has been a big hit in the UK throughout its many body styles, and this new one deserves to be an even bigger hit with UK Buyers, than ever before.

CONCLUSION

Would i have one, if I were in the position of wanting a small car with lots of safety and oodles of interior room, then yes, this car ticks all the boxes and many more too, the pricing at £16k is not the cheapest, but you do get an awful lot for that money, and for that reason alone i would have one, unfortunately i have just purchase a new car, so i am not looking, but if i were, this would be within the list of cars to consider, and you should consider it too, you would be daft to ignore this car.

The PSA Group 1.2 litre Puretech takes Engine Of The Year for the third year running.

During the 18th International Engine of the Year Awards held in Stuttgart, an international jury of journalists awarded the prize of ‘2017 Engine of the Year’ to the PureTech 1.2L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine in the 1L to 1.4L category.

An industrial and commercial success

For the third year in the row, the ‘2017 Engine of the Year’ prize confirms the commercial success of this accomplished petrol engine, which is available in 110 and 130hp (PureTech 110 S&S and PureTech 130 S&S). 

The facts:

• With over 850,000 units already produced in the industrial facilities of the Française de Mécanique manufacturing site in Douvrin (France) and in Xiang Yang (China) since its launch in 2014, this engine will also be manufactured at the Trémery plant (France) at the end of 2017 in order to meet the increase of the demand and double the production capacity for this engine in France. Annual production will exceed 1 million units by 2019.
• The PureTech 1.2-litre engine, in 110 and 130hp versions is fully deployed on over 90 vehicles applications in 70 countries. In 2017, it contributed to the commercial success of PSA group’s new products that included the all-new Peugeot 3008 SUV – European Car of the Year 2017 and the new Citroën C3.
• On the European market, the PureTech 1.2L 3-cylinder modular family represents a third of PSA Group’s total petrol and Diesel engines.

A greater performance and environmentally-friendly power unit

Recognised for its all-round driving performance, even at the lowest rpm, the PureTech 1.2L 3-cylinder turbo continues to evolve and will benefit from significant improvements before the end of 2017, with enhancements in efficiency, performance and fuel consumption (up to 4%):

• introduction of a petrol particulate filter to reduce emissions particles by more than 75% in anticipation of future 2020 regulation standards in Europe and China;
• optimisation of efficiency, due to the combustion cycle evolution and a 250bar fuel injection pressure;
• reduction in mechanical friction and introduction of a new turbocharger;
• making the engine more compact to optimise body aerodynamics (SCx gains).

Commenting on the award, Christian Chapelle, Vice-President, Powertrain and Chassis Engineering, PSA Group, said: "Receiving this award confirms the exceptional quality and performance of our petrol engines. We are continuing to optimise our internal combustion engines to make them more efficient and ever more environmentally friendly, thereby better addressing the challenges of energy transition."

MINI Announces pricing and specification for the Countryman Plug In Hybrid.

• MINI’s first plug-in hybrid model will launch in the UK on 24^th June 2017
• Prices start from £31,585 OTR
• High-quality BMW Group eDrive components developed specifically for MINI Countryman
• 3-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor combine to produce a total system output of 224 hp
• 0-62 mph in 6.8 seconds
• CO2 emissions of 49 g/km and average fuel consumption of 134.5 mpg
• Electric driving at speeds of up to 78 mph with a range of up to 25 miles
• MINI Satellite Navigation System, Bluetooth, Cruise Control, Emergency E-call, Active Guard and 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission all as standard

The MINI brand’s first plug-in hybrid model will hit British roads in 2017 – the new all-rounder for town and country now offers the option of purely electric driving with zero tailpipe emissions.

Available to order from today, the new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 will launch on 24^th June 2017 and is priced from £31,585 OTR. On the road pricing does not include the government plug-in car grant.

The first plug-in hybrid model in the MINI product range offers sporty agility on the road as well as competency beyond the asphalt thanks to its intelligent all-wheel drive system. 

The MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 hybrid system is made up of a 3-cylinder petrol engine with MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology and a synchronous electric motor. Together they generate a system output of 165 kW/224 hp enabling the car to sprint from standing to 62mph in 6.8 seconds.

The power of the combustion engine is transmitted to the front wheels via a 6-speed Steptronic transmission, while the electric motor powers the rear wheels. The intelligently controlled interaction between the two power units creates an all-wheel drive system that optimises agility and stability on the road as well as providing supreme traction over snow and unsurfaced terrain.

In everyday traffic the intelligent drive control of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 makes for an intense hybrid driving experience. When setting off, only the electric motor is initially active meaning a virtually noiseless start. 

As is typical of electric motors, the entire torque is available from standing. Once a driving speed of 50mph is reached, the combustion engine is gently activated. The eDRIVE toggle switch enables the driver to continue to drive with only the electric engine beyond this point if preferred: in MAX eDRIVE mode the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 runs at up to 78mph free of local emissions. The electric range of the first MINI plug-in hybrid model is 25 miles.

The energy required for this is stored in a high-voltage lithium-ion battery. It can be charged at a conventional household socket or, for increased power input and reduced waiting times, at a wallbox or public charging station. Charging takes between 2:15 and 3:15 hours.

The efficiency and pulling power of the electric motor, its cleverly controlled interaction with the combustion engine and the premium quality and reliability of all components of the hybrid system is the result of the BMW Group’s eDrive technology. The high-voltage battery comes with a warranty which lasts for six years or 60,000 miles.

The MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 combines its progressive drive system with the versatile space concept and hallmark brand style of the latest MINI model range. The battery is housed underneath the rear seat and flat load boot floor, minimising drawbacks to boot space and leg room. The luggage compartment volume of the hybrid model is 405 litres, which can be extended to as much as 1 275 litres with the rear backrests folded down.

The new MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 comes with a range of high quality standard equipment. This includes the MINI’s acclaimed Satellite Navigation System, Bluetooth, Cruise Control, Emergency E-call and Active Guard among other features. 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, the MINI Driving Modes and three spoke sports steering wheel are also offered as standard.

In addition to model-specific design elements such as the “E” emblem on the radiator grille and side scuttles as well as door sill finishers with a yellow “S” logo, the 17-inch light alloy wheels in Light Spoke design are another distinguishing feature exclusive to the model. Inside, hybrid-specific displays and the eDRIVE toggle switch indicate the distinctive character of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4.

GENEVA - Skoda to launch updated and new trim levels on most of its range.

• World premiere for ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 and ŠKODA OCTAVIA SCOUT
• Debut for ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT and ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE
• Upgraded ŠKODA models RAPID, RAPID SPACEBACK and ŠKODA CITIGO on show for the first time
• Premiere for ŠKODA FABIA with new three-cylinder 1.0-TSI engine
• ŠKODA presence at the exhibition on a stand area of 2 039 m2 in Hall 2

ŠKODA’s presence at the Geneva International Motor Show (7 - 19 March 2017) will include numerous world and exhibition premieres. 

Two variants of the bestselling ŠKODA OCTAVIA model range will take centre stage at the stand in Hall 2: the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 with a power output of 245 PS and the revised ŠKODA OCTAVIA SCOUT. The ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT and the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE will also be unveiled at the Palexpo in Geneva. 

Furthermore, the revised ŠKODA RAPID and the ŠKODA RAPID SPACEBACK will celebrate their debuts as well as the modified ŠKODA CITIGO. Last but not least, the ŠKODA FABIA will be presented with its new 1.0 TSI engine.

World premiere for the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 and ŠKODA OCTAVIA SCOUT

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA RS 245 – with its powerful engine and modern chassis technology including electronically regulated VAQ limited-slip differential – promises the ultimate driving experience. The compact athlete, with an increased power output of 245 PS, is available as a hatchback and an Estate. 

The performance data is impressive: from a standing start, it takes only 6.6 seconds to reach 62 mph, the top speed is limited to 155 mph and maximum torque of 370 Nm is achieved between 1,600 and 4,300 rpm. Compared to the ‘standard’ models in the series, the sports chassis lowers the body by 15 mm; its rear track is 30 mm wider than that of its predecessor. The standard, burnished gloss-black alloy wheels are 19 inches in diameter. The ESC stability system with Sport mode and the electronically regulated VAQ limited-slip differential emphasise the car’s dynamic character, as do the progressive steering and the optional adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC).

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA SCOUT comes with distinctive characteristics: a robust design in an off-road look, a wide variety of uses, powerful, yet efficient engines and all-wheel drive as standard. Its discrete, robust appearance is characterised by special features such as moulding on the bumpers, wheel arches and door sills, silver-coloured underbody protection at the front and rear, 17-inch alloy wheels, as well as a wider rear track. The standard equipment also includes the Rough-Road package, LED daytime running lights and the C-shaped LED tail lights.

World premiere for ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT and ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE

ŠKODA’s large SUV is a further highlight on the exhibition stand in Hall 2. The spotlight will be on two variants in particular. The ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT and the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE will be celebrating their world premiere. The Czech car manufacturer is continuing its campaign in the SUV segment with the new ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT model variant. The ŠKODA KODIAQ SCOUT comes equipped with all-wheel drive as standard and emphasises its off-road capabilities both visually and through its technological features. For fans of a sporty appearance, the Czech car manufacturer has designed the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE as an elegant and dynamic SUV variant. The exterior and interior are both characterised by specially designed features. There is a choice of four engine versions available for the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE: two TSI petrol engines and two TDI diesel engines ranging from 150 PS to 190 PS.

Premiere for the upgraded ŠKODA RAPID and ŠKODA RAPID SPACEBACK

The ŠKODA RAPID sets the benchmark for spaciousness amongst its direct competitors. Design and equipment have now been upgraded further. In Geneva, the ŠKODA RAPID SPACEBACK is on show in the sporty Monte Carlo trim. Numerous black design elements identify the 4,303-mm-long compact car as an athlete at first glance. Looking at the car’s rear, the longer rear window is most eye-catching. Visually, it merges seamlessly into the large tailgate’s upper edge, which is also black.

Premiere for the upgraded ŠKODA CITIGO

The ŠKODA CITIGO and the ŠKODA CITIGO MONTE CARLO are presented in Geneva with a completely redesigned front section and an upgraded interior. The city runabout, available with three or five doors, impresses with a generous amount of space, an excellent layout, a high level of safety, good handling, new, particularly efficient MPI petrol engines and the traditionally attractive value for money.

Premiere for the ŠKODA FABIA with new three-cylinder 1.0-TSI engine

The third generation of the ŠKODA FABIA impresses with a dynamic and emotive design, a large amount of interior space, innovative safety, comfort and infotainment systems‚ and numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features. A new three-cylinder-engine is available with two different power outputs. Its aluminium pistons and the connecting rods are so well balanced that the engine runs almost friction-free, quietly and smoothly. Thanks to an increase in injection pressure to 250 bar, both power variants of the new 1.0-litre engine achieve good driving performance and reduction in fuel consumption of up to six per cent.

TMW - One of the rare cars that brings a smile to your face, and enjoy driving, that will be the Suzuki Baleno SZ5.

It is not very often that a car brings a smile to my face, and that I just get up and go out in it for a run, for the fun of it, I can count the number of cars that, this has happened too on one hand, and it is one of these cars that I have been testing this week, the Suzuki Baleno, an old name plate on a new car, one of a range of new cars that is using old name plates, Ignis is another that’s returning early next year, and I look forward to testing that shortly after its launch.

But the Baleno is a far better car than its predecessor, in all ways, it looks better, performs better, more economical, and is a great car to fly about in, the Boosterjet engine runs a 1.0 litre, 3-Cylinder, turbocharged engine, and it is so quick, that you would think that this car is a running a bigger engine, a 1.6 litre for instance, but the 1.0 litre not only has the get up and go of a bigger car, it has great fuel consumption, the manufacturers claimed is :-

• ·         Urban 52.3mpg
• ·         Extra Urban 70.6mpg
• ·         Combined 62.7mpg

Although I never managed to get near to the Extra urban, or the combined, come to that, I was not far adrift of the Urban figure, this was mainly down to the fact that this car seems to like being driven with verve and in return you get a great peppy engine that has a tone to it, that sounds very sporty, and that makes you drive a little harder than you would normally drive.

The car has the speed, and it has the brakes to stop it too, with Radar Brake Support to warn you of impending doom, you never get yourself into any trouble, the variable cruise control is also a great addition to the range, and with Sat Nav, Bluetooth and Air Conditioning fitted to all models as standard, the kit list is left not wanting, the Radar brake Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control are standard on the SZ5 level.

CO2 levels of 105 on our test car and 94 for the lowest model give the car a £20 a year taxation after the first year, 124mph top speed seems a little high, but at a push and a back wind, the car will get there, but at speed you will notice a lot more noise, from both the engine and road/wind. To give you a car in the price range, £13,999, there has to be some corner cutting, and insulation is one that has been limited, personally, I would rather have a couple of options removed to the cost list, and put the money towards more insulation to give you a more quite experience behind the wheel.

But don’t think this is a bad thing, to a degree, the engine noise is part of the fun for this low cost car, and it did bring a smile to my face every time I drove the car, also when you see what you are getting for your money, it makes you wonder how they have managed to do it, the SZ5 model, has, as standard:-

• ·         Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• ·         Immobiliser
• ·         Deadlocks
• ·         Adaptive Cruise Control
• ·         Radar brake Support with Brake Assist Function
• ·         Keyless Entry with Engine Start Button
• ·         Electric Front and Rear Windows
• ·         Drivers Foot Rest
• ·         4.2 Inch Colour LCD Display
• ·         Leather Steering Wheel with audio and Cruise Buttons
• ·         Tachometer
• ·         Digital Clock
• ·         Automatic Air Conditioning
• ·         Pollen Filter
• ·         Guide Me Home Lights
• ·         Front Fog Lights
• ·         Privacy Glass
• ·         Navigation System
• ·         DAB Digital Radio
• ·         16” Alloy Wheels
• ·         Chrome Accents
• ·         Roof Spoiler
• ·         Six Airbags

And there are many more on top of this lot, so how have they done it, no idea, but you are getting a great car for little money, and these days, that’s all that matters, getting more car for your pound.

Suzuki are planning on selling 3,500 Baleno’s this year and on first impressions, this should be an easy task, the car is a really good looking model, has some style, stands out from other less pretty cars in the same class, and has the added benefit of being a car that can perform too, on the road the Baleno grips to the road very well, you don’t get any under or over steer in normal driving, but a small amount of torque steer is evident when you pull away with a lot more effort.

Corners are not a problem either, you just point the car where you want it to go and it does it with no fuss or issues, and like I have mentioned above the brakes are very good too, when you need them in an emergency.

Inside the car is a real surprise, I expect to see Peter Capaldi in there, it seems to have more room on the inside than you imagine possible from the looks outside, getting comfortable is easy too, with multiple positions for the seat and steering wheel, all tastes should be covered, the passenger also has loads of space, with a large open central area, where others usually put large cumbersome central boxes built around the gear change, the openness here, makes it more airy and roomy.

With the Seats in the correct position, there is a lot of space in the back for the rear passengers, with the driver’s seat in my position, there is acres of space in the rear, and loads of leg room which you will find a lot of cars in the class wanting, you can fit three adults in the back, but I probably would not want to do a too long a journey like this, but for a family car, this will be about the best you can get.

Boot space is also quite large, yes there is a lip that you will have to lift your luggage/shopping up and over, but the space makes up for this, you can easily lose a full weekly shopping in there with space left over, large luggage would be a little tight, but smaller cases/weekend bags will be swallowed up with ease.

The flowing lines of the car can be followed from the front lights right to the back, the entire car gels very well, nothing seems like a stuck on extra, like you can see on other cars, it is a pretty car, that offers lots of space, can keep up with the motorway traffic with ease, as well as coping around town equally with ease, so, if you are cost conscious, like a car to have a look that’s not, out there, but different, cheap to run, cheap to buy and with an ease of driving, you can do no better than this, the Baleno, really is “that” car to put your money into.

INFORMATION

The Baleno was launched In India in October 2015, and has so far sold in excess of 40,000 units by April 2016, the model will eventually be sold in more than 100 countries, With Japan and Europe that latest countries to accept the car, it fits within Suzuki’s range between the Swift and the S-Cross, it offers more room than the Swift, but not the practicality of a crossover.

The brand is growing year after year with the two Indian plants alone producing 1.3 million cars in 2015, with the Baleno boosting that further, the range currently uses six colours, Two engine sizes both of which run manual and Automatics, the range starts at £12,999 and tops out at £15,349 for the 1.2 litre Auto model.

Unfortunately the only models that have the now standard option on most other brands, Hill Hold Control are the Automatic versions, this I feel should be available on all models, regardless of gearbox type, and the Auto version employs the paddle gear shifter to give a more sporty style of driving.

The 4.2 Inch high definition colour LCD Screen produces a full range of info for the driver, as well as Sat Nav, Radio and the usual array of available info, you can get from the display between the dials, Torque and power read outs, fuel consumption, Average speed, acceleration and braking forces, and a G-Force tracking system which you would normally find on cars that cost upwards of ten times the price.

The Baleno needs to be serviced every 9,000 miles for the 1.0 litre or 12,500 miles for the 1.2 Litre, at 9,000 it seems very low, but at least the car will be at its optimum performance for longer, and when you are giving it beans, like the car wants you to treat it, then you need to keep it in perfect condition.

As mentioned above the car can top out at 124mph with a 0-62 in 11.4 seconds, all its engines are Euro 6 compliant and our models insurance rating was 11E, so quite low, but not the lowest, but then the lowest is not necessarily the best, and that’s the case here, the Baleno has everything it needs to succeed, and that’s the point, give the car everything it needs and at a price point that beats the competition, and it should sell itself.

The Motoring World Blog

Jon Mower.