2013 Suzuki Swift 1.4 Test Drive Review

A surprise came to my senses after I returned from a training seminar - bear in mind that there was no access to technology for a week. I opened my usual car news websites to catch up on what I missed out on in the car world while I was away.

Surprise surprise, the new Suzuki Swift (third gen) has been launched! 

The second gen Suzuki Swift is extremely popular despite only having the M15A 1.5 litre engine option. 

A considerable premium is needed on top of the 1.5 variant, for those who wanted the world renown Swift Sport 1.6 litre naturally engine (acclaimed impressive by Jeremy Clarkson).

It is obvious that the new Swift greets us with a larger smile and fatter ‘cheeks’ - referring to the more prominent fenders. The headlights are a bit too big if you ask me, making it challenging for racer boys to customise their Swifts to try and make it look aggressive.

I have always been fond of the Swift for simply showing other Eastern manufacturers that hot hatches don’t have to be dull. After the success of the Swift, a plethora of handsome hatches were launched by other Japanese/Korean manufacturers. Looking back at the Concept S2 in 2003, it looks similar to what you see on the roads today. Did Suzuki launch a concept car for the masses? Kudos!

OK, back to the new Swift - upon entering, I was well impressed by the built quality of the cockpit being simple but not dull, especially through the addition of the silver detail which runs across the dashboard and into the doors. However the clothed materials on the seat seems flimsy as it seems loose rather than staying fit to the cushion.

Entering the test drive unit, I started the car via a start stop button located on the right size of the steering wheel (right hand drive). Funny thought - if the start stop button is placed on the left side of the steering wheel (RHD car), would a disgruntled person be able to press it and cause the car to dangerously stop whilst moving? 

The ride - wouldn’t compare it to a luxury german saloon but I came to a conclusion that it is pretty comfy especially after deliberately running over the uneven road surfaces and potholes. The cabin noise is nothing to boast about since the noise outside is clear but adequate enough to have a conversation with the sales guy. It started to rain and it became clear that you would need to raise your voice to speak to others in the car. Fret not cause aftermarket soundproofing will fix it! 

I’ve always loved gadgets especially in cars - I just love buttons floating around with unfamilar symbols. The Swift however isnt a car that will satisfy my need to oogle at command buttons and it hasn’t been splashed with numerous buttons. The Swift comes with radio with a CD player as standard (what car doesn’t these days) and it does play music from USB. However, it does not have bluetooth handsfree connectivity - which is one of my most used feature as it is easy to speak to someone while driving. The stock speakers are pretty decent as it comes with a 6 unit as standard BUT never ever ever ever... turn on the automatic volume adjust feature. It will attempt to poorly raise the volume when the revs are high and at higher speed; but it just doesn't work well and furthermore, annoying!

You must be wondering why am I only starting to write about the engine performance now - should be up there ^. Despite being powered by the K14B 1.4 producing 95PS and 130NM, the power difference on paper is minimal according to the previous 1.5 model which produces 101PS and 133NM. I wouldn’t boast about the power but it is definitely responsive and the difference is hardly noticeable. Nothing to complain about in this department as I expected less from this 1.4 mill. 

Handling wise - due to the rain, I didn’t manage to approach corners at high speeds but from what I have felt the third gen feels a wee bit wallopy and soft compared to the previous generation which felt sturdy and held together. That said, it is more comfortable than the previous gen - sacrificing handling for comfort? - I would say so. 

Some shortfalls that I can recall is the lack of bluetooth connectivity, the loose cloth on the seats, and a small boot (oh well it is a hatch). In conclusion, I admire the new Swift in terms of its style and the substance it provides. It is a more than reasonable means of transport within the city being nimble and compact for the bachelors or the small families out there. 

Soundproofing The Perodua Viva

As much as my cheap and cheerful Perodua Viva excites me with its quirks, it has many flaws! One of it being excessive cabin noise. The presence of road and wind noise, especially at higher speeds, can be stressful for long distance journeys, traveling on bumpy roads, running into the odd pothole, and on rainy days.



Referred by a family member, I have opted a local brand of soundproofing material called Mohawk (MD Full Kit) after being convinced it has the quality comparable to that of Dynamat but retailed at a cheaper price.



Priced at RM480 per box of 10 sheets, I bought two boxes. Each box weighs approximately 18kg.



The day started off by stripping the inside door panels to have access to the inside skin of the door.



The plastic protecting the electronics from rainwater were stripped off, while the speakers and power window instruments were disconnected from its wires.



Small strips of the material were inserted separately due to the limited access into the door caused by the power window mechanism. Removing the complicated mechanism seems risky, thus avoided.



To reduce vibration between the plastic and metal parts of the door, small strips of soundproofing material were placed at areas where contact is most possible (highest points). The same was done on all four doors and the boot. This dampened the vibration on the doors significantly, eliminated the 'tin kosong' noise, and reduced the panel vibration emitted from the speakers.



Done with the doors, the rear section of the cabin was stripped with ease.



Being a cheap and cheerful auto, Perodua had not bothered to stick any sound dampening material to the bare metal.



With an abundant of material left, we decided to Mohawk the whole rear part of the cabin. As a result, road noise from the rear end was significantly reduced.



The mid rear to front of the cabin is covered with a thick carpet as stock, which helps dampen road noise.



However this along with the placement of stock sound deadening materials (light grey) on some parts of the metal is insufficient.



The material was applied to the bare parts of the floor. It is important to cover the holes to avoid noise from entering the cabin. Precautions were made during application to ensure wires do not end up being buried underneath the material.



The car feels significantly quieter after having applied sound deadening materials on all four doors, the inside cabin, and the boot of the car. The experience of being in the car is quieter, therefore much more comfortable and feels comparable to the cabin of an imported car. My 'normal' volume for the radio is tuned down several notches and a conversation between passengers is possible without the need to raise one's voice while travelling at higher speed.

I would like to thank my father who led and suggested this 'summer project', furthermore for having sacrificed blood and sweat into making my car much quieter. Overall, I am satisfied with the results brought by the materials applied and therefore would recommend it to the owners of Perodua Vivas out there.

A Way of Spending Some Free Time

So there was some free time on my hands, and I've decided to broaden my photography skills as well as to brush up on my 'rusty' Photoshopping skills. The day started off by a drivearound search for a location with a suitable background. All in all, it ended up being on the top floor of an student apartment car park where only a few cars were present.




After uploading the photos, I've decided to use this image revealing the car's rear-side angle. The presence of a parked car on the right can disturb the overall result but worry not, the magical powers of photoshop is available at hand.



The result of some 'shopping includes a lowered stance that I can only dream of (Malaysian roads are horrible), a more 'stand out' effect on the subject, and lastly there is only one car in that photo as there were two in the raw photo.



A snap showing front of the car plus a hint of the side profile was chosen this time. Being overshadowed with imperfect light (it was hitting dawn) I was naturally unhappy with the photo.



The result after some 'shopping this time is not very prominent to the naked eye but the aim was to give a 'clean' look to the car.



I've always been intrigued by white cars sporting some red rims.

That's it for now!

The First Note

This blog exists as a car enthusiast's mode of expression to the world of his views on various bits regarding the vast automotive world. This blog should have existed a while back, but due to other priorities it couldn't have.

I hope this blog will be of reference to other enthusiasts out there, as it serves to be beneficial.

Enjoy!