- Name and Surname
Barend Bekker
- Date of birth
1984
- What model is your Swift? (incl. year)
2015 1.4 GLS
- What is the mileage on your Swift?
223 000
- Does your Swift have a name?
Nope, the plan was to never keep it for this long.
- How long have you owned your Swift, and what has your experience been like?
It is 10 Years old now. And I had it from brand new. It has been the best car I have ever owned, there was a short stint where I did not have it for 10 months while a new engine was being birthed under warranty
- What cars have you previously owned?
Only a few, Nissan v6 Hardbody, Toyota Carolla, Nissan Almera, Ford Fiesta (it helped me on my feet.. I walked allot – worst car ever), Nissan Tiida
- What made you choose the Suzuki Swift? And What other cars did you consider?
Was looking to buy a Jimny, and at that point in time a Jimny would not have worked for the amount of mileage so at number 99% of signing off on the deal I bought my swift without even test-driving one. I only sat in it for 5min at a dealership waiting for my mom to make up her mind to what she wanted. Especially because the plan was not to keep the Swift for to long.. well, that failed…
- What do you love most about your Swift?
Everything… It still drives as smoothly as the day I bought it. And the Handling, none of my other cars had the handling characteristics as the Swift.. And compared to other cars it has been really hard to get something of the same quality and features. It is now a very dated car.. I only need to update the entertainment system at most.
- If you could describe your Swift in three words, what would they be?
Absolutely Fantastic
Performance & Driving Experience
- How does your Swift handle sharp corners, winding roads, and straight lines?
Winding roads and Sharp corners are where the Swift shines because it was developed for just that kind of driving on the rally stages of wrc. Straight lines it is very slow, but that is boring any case.
- What modifications have you made to your Swift? How have these mods affected the driving experience?
Car is all OEM accept for the Wheels. I have not done any performance mods accept for better brake pads . Only oem body addons.
- Have you taken your Swift to a track or motorsports event? If so, how did it perform?
Yes, plenty almost from the 1st month I started driving around with it. it is a 1.4 so you need to really learn how to drive a slow car fast…
- What’s one feature of the Swift that surprised you the most?
To this day, how smooth it drives.
- How does your Swift compare to other cars you’ve driven?
It has this “I am excited and in a hurry” characteristic to it, that I don’t find in any other car. (but that is in all swifts in general not just mine from the 1st to the latest 4th gen)
- If you could improve one aspect of your Swift, what would it be?
Give it a turbo.
- Would you recommend the Swift for someone who enjoys spirited driving? Why or why not?
Yes, it is very forgiving when you do make a mistake.
- What’s the best road trip or journey you’ve taken with your Swift?
All of them. It is always a blast to drive anywhere with it.
- What’s the most fun or exciting experience you’ve had with your Swift?
The years when Michelin cup was still around as well as the Gymkhana competitions.
The Swift Speed Club
- What made you decide to join a car club, and why did you choose Swift Speed?
I was looking for people to share my passion for this car with.
- How did you find out about the Swift Speed Club?
It was a long time ago. Probably via a smoke signal or something.
- How long have you been a VIP member of Swift Speed?
Since it started.
- What’s the best memory or event you’ve experienced with Swift Speed so far?
Suzuki Weekend Away that is for sure.
- How has being part of a Swift Speed enhanced your experience as a Suzuki Swift owner?
That is difficult to answer.. But it has been my gateway “drug” into the Suzuki Auto’s in general.
- Do you feel that being in Swift Speed has helped you learn more about your car? If so, in what ways?
Yes, because it is a very active community where people share their expertise and experiences that they have with these cars.
- Have the friendships you’ve made within Swift Speed grown beyond just car meets, leading to socializing outside of the club? If so, how has this bond impacted your experience as a member?
Yes, because you share 1 similar passion usually there are one or 2 more things that you and another person share.
- What advice would you give to someone considering joining a car club for the first time?
Join in on the events, Partake, come up with event ideas, organize events or help out, don’t always sit and wait for someone else to do something.
Future Plans & Improvements
- Are there any future upgrades or modifications you’d like to make?
Turbo charge my little 1.4 as most of the development of the kit has already been done on the 4th gen Jimny.
- If Suzuki were to improve the Swift, what features or changes would you like to see?
With today’s technology a good hybrid system would be fantastic. The rest of the package is already good don’t change it.
- Would you consider buying another Swift in the future?
When I sell this one one day I am probably going to regret it and want to get another one. So Most definitely yes, but then I will go for a swift sport.
- What advice would you give to someone considering a Swift as their next car?
Buy the highest spec model. And don’t think you are only going to drive it for 2 years then trade it in again.. it is going to be with you for a very long time.
