‘Smaller, fewer, lighter, shorter, magnificence’ is a Suzuki company philosophy that pertains to the corporate’s compact automobiles, just like the new-generation Swift that I not too long ago drove.
Clearly they are saying it in Japanese (‘sho-sho-kei-tan-bi’), however the mindset interprets to the Swift being 3.8 metres lengthy, so shorter than most superminis, and weighing lower than a tonne, so lighter than most by a margin too.
“We’re good at making small automobiles,” notes Dale Wyatt, director of Suzuki Automobiles UK. But when there’s a sense that the model flies below the radar in Europe, the place it’s a comparatively area of interest participant and the Vitara SUV tends to be its best-seller, it isn’t as understated elsewhere.
Suzuki sells extra automobiles in Japan’s kei small automobile section than anybody, at greater than 400,000 per 12 months, whereas its Maruti Suzuki subsidiary is by far the most important automobile maker in India, the place it sometimes has six or seven of the highest 10 best-selling automobiles, together with all the high 4 in 2023 (each the Swift and the Wagon R promote greater than 200,000 per 12 months there).
I’ve been occupied with little automobiles quite a bit since driving the Swift and, the week earlier than that, the Silence S04 electrical quadricycle, which is even smaller (measuring 1.29m large by 2.28m lengthy) and lighter (weighing simply 450kg).
I’ve been questioning, partly in response to a letter from reader Clive Acaster in regards to the Renault Twizy and Citroën Ami being ‘not sufficient automobile’: simply how massive is ‘sufficient’ and what does ‘sufficient automobile’ seem like?
Might or not it’s the S04? It has two seats, a neat boot, correct doorways, movable seats, a heater, air-con, loudspeakers and electrical home windows, it will possibly do greater than 50mph and it may be recharged as shortly as you possibly can pull out its two batteries and slide in new ones – as quick as filling a gasoline tank.
That must be sufficient, however it isn’t. In fact, its narrowness confers few on-road benefits. Romans constructed roads in order that two animal-drawn carts might go one another, at round six metres large, and we haven’t moved removed from the concept since.
So not like a motorbike, which might break up lanes, the two-person-wide S04 received’t get you locations any faster than some other automobile.
And whereas I loved it vastly, it isn’t sufficient like a standard supermini, such because the Swift, on all roads. For me, ‘sufficient automobile’ must deal with any sort of UK highway and cruise fortunately, reasonably than high out at, the pace restrict. So ‘sufficient’ is as a lot about efficiency as dimension.
A Caterham Seven 170 could be ‘sufficient’ automobile for me 90% of the time. It will be a bind when it’s moist and chilly. However regardless of that, I feel the Seven can also be some of the fascinating automobiles on sale. On the whole, I discover the concept of ‘sufficient automobile’ provides actual satisfaction and pleasure.
