1. Name and Surname
Gavin le Roux
2. Date of birth
12/01/1997
3. What model is your Swift? (incl. year)
2010 Suzuki Swift Sport ZC31
4. What is the mileage on your Swift?
+/- 205 000 km
5. Does your Swift have a name?
Nope
6. How long have you owned your Swift, and what has your experience been like?
5 Years, brilliant experience with almost no issues, easy to maintain and such a fun drive. First car that I didn’t start shopping for something else after a year or two. Perfect all-rounder.
7. What cars have you previously owned?
1992 Opel Calibra, 2004 BMW 318i touring, 2003 Ford Ikon 1.6, 2004 Proton Savvy, 1997 Toyota Corolla 1.3
8. What made you choose the Suzuki Swift? And what other cars did you consider?
Wrote off my corolla and needed a cheap run-around, economical and reliable daily. Started shopping around for a ZC21 and accidentally found 1 sport for sale just outside of my budget. Could luckily make a plan and make it work. Didn’t really shop around too much, was the only car I actually went and looked at in person that I saw for sale online and after driving it my mind was set.
9. What do you love most about your Swift?
Great all-rounder light enough on fuel to be a great daily driver, super reliable and very fun to drive. The experiences I’ve had with the car make me love it even more, I have put 80 000km on it since I’ve bought it, from track days to driving to the eastern cape and just the daily commute.
The confused stares I get after I overtake some cars and they hear the exhaust noise and notice it comes from a swift is hilarious. For the price I still don’t think you can get a car that is this fun, reliable and with daily drivability
10. If you could describe your Swift in three words, what would they be?
Performance & Driving Experience
11. How does your Swift handle sharp corners, winding roads, and straight lines?
Corners are brilliant, handles like a go-kart and managed to get it onto 3 wheels a few times. Winding roads are always a joy as I know I can send it a bit and I’ll never be in danger. Straight lines it’s quick enough and I’ve surprised a few cars that, on-paper, should be faster. It’s not a drag monster but it’s quick enough to be a blast.
12. What modifications have you made to your Swift? How have these mods affected the driving experience?
Bought the car with a decatted exhaust and since then I’ve added a Greddy intake and carbon fibre bonnet. I also suspect that the previous owner might have had software done in order to manage the exhaust seeing how well it immediately took to the intake and I’ve seen online some people have issues with it not having software done after an exhaust and intake. Sounded great with just the exhaust with a “tinny” sound but the induction noise from the intake is great, sounds like a much bigger car than just a 1.6. Definite acceleration gain with the intake and better throttle response. Carbon bonnet is basically just for looks, slightly lighter than standard bonnet but other than that nothing really. All in makes the drive more engaging and feels like something that is faster than it is.
13. Have you taken your Swift to a track or motorsports event? If so, how did it perform?
Some gymkhana events and a handful of trackdays. Gymkhanas are great fun and the size and sharp handling helps a lot, power steering sometimes didn’t like the quick sharp changes of direction and felt a little delayed (might be driver ability lacking too though). Track days are a blast, it is very capable on track especially tracks with shorter straights and more corners as a lot of cars pull a big gap on the straight that I manage to close quite quickly in the corners.
14. What’s one feature of the Swift that surprised you the most?
Overall probably the handling surprised me the most, before buying the car I didn’t know much about them. But the little 1.6 motor is very impressive and revvy and the handling is great. By far best handling car I’ve owned and one of the best I’ve driven. As far as other features everything else is quite standard, but perfect for a daily.
15. How does your Swift compare to other cars you’ve driven?
Limited experience with new cars or some of it’s competitors, but from what I have driven it’s the best all rounder by far. Practical daily that is fuel efficient that you can take to a track and not feel out of place.
16. If you could improve one aspect of your Swift, what would it be?
Suspension on daily driving, you feel every bump and rock on the road, but that is what you give up for track stability, and a 6th gear for the highway which has obviously been added in the following generations.
17. Would you recommend the Swift for someone who enjoys spirited driving? Why or why not?
Yes, I always do, best bang for your buck allrounder there is. Obviously not as fast as some of the other cars on the market but it is way cheaper and way more reliable, also always fun to overtake someone in a faster car in a swift, just because it makes everything so easy.
18. What’s the best road trip or journey you’ve taken with your Swift?
Went on holiday to the Eastern Cape (Jeffreys bay) Stopped over in Bloemfontein and drove through the following day. Handled the long road with ease and never felt like I needed anything else. Found some fun twisty mountain routes there and it was the perfect car for it. Took along 2 peoples luggage and a full size spare wheel with a cooler box for snacks and had more than enough space.
19. What’s the most fun or exciting experience you’ve had with your Swift
Definitely the track days, can use the car to it’s full potential safely and see where you can improve to push it further to it’s limits.
The Swift Speed Club
20. What made you decide to join a car club, and why did you choose Swift Speed?
Almost immediately after buying it. I was part of the Opel club while owning my Calibra and it was the perfect place or parts, advice and knowledge on the car, I knew about Swift Speed even before joining and knew it was the perfect place.
21. How did you find out about the Swift Speed Club?
Stickers on Sports that I’ve seen from back in the day.
22. How long have you been a VIP member of Swift Speed?
5 Years
23. What’s the best memory or event you’ve experienced with Swift Speed so far?
Once again the track days, but there are so many great events to join. Charity drives were also always a great way to do good and make it fun with like-minded people.
24. How has being part of Swift Speed enhanced your experience as a Suzuki Swift owner?
Great community, making new friends and learning everything there is to know about my car. All the swift related events and merchandise that comes along with being a VIP member is a massive plus. Every car club can learning something from how Chelsy runs it.
25. Do you feel that being in Swift Speed has helped you learn more about your car? If so, in what ways?
Definitely, you learn about common issues about the car or if you have to do something to yours there’s always someone that has had a similar experience that can give advice on parts an what to look out for.
26. Have the friendships you’ve made within Swift Speed grown beyond just car meets, leading to socialising outside of the club? If so, how has this bond impacted your experience as a member?
Yup, didn’t expect to make lasting friendships out of it as I haven’t in car clubs in the past, but I have made some great friends along the way and it has given me some great tips for track driving some fun friendly rivalry and some fun debates and discussions on the current state of cars and the “car scene”. Anyone I meet with a swift I always recommend joining the group
27. What advice would you give to someone considering joining a car club for the first time?
Just do it. Join events and get to know the people.
Future Plans & Improvements
28. Are there any future upgrades or modifications you’d like to make?
Possibly sway bars and/or strutbraces (dependent on budget) and definitely some track brake pads.
29. If Suzuki were to improve the Swift, what features or changes would you like to see?
Would have loved to see the ZC33 with a 1.6 Turbo instead of the 1.4 just to have a bigger base of competitors as it sort of feels like it is in a class of it’s own now instead of in competition with the Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS like it was in the past. But everything has trade-offs and I like the fact that it has stuck to it’s routes and gotten lighter and remained largely very similar every year. As Mazda did with the MX5. I have driven the ZC33 before and the driving experience feels familiar and very much the same to my car even though being 10 years apart.
30. Would you consider buying another Swift in the future?
Definitely
31. What advice would you give to someone considering a Swift as their next car?
DO IT. Can’t go wrong and with the way the market is shifting, resale value will stay strong, even if it isn’t a sport it is a great daily. I have convinced my mom and friends that have both switched over to GL swifts.
