For the past two months, I’ve been behind the wheel of a lovely red Suzuki Swift.
It may also be the smallest car I have ever driven, which is saying something because I once owned a Daihatsu Charade.
At a little under six foot tall, I wondered whether I was going to spend my time with my knees somewhere near my ears.
Let me just say I was presently surprised.
For a small car, it is remarkably spacious inside.
There is plenty of leg room, it feels open rather than cramped and you quickly forget how compact it is until you pull into a parking space.
But what has surprised me most has nothing to do with its size.
The Suzuki Swift makes you learn to drive again.
Modern cars have made it very easy to forget some of that.
We have become so accustomed to cars doing everything for us that sometimes I wonder whether we are actually driving anymore or simply supervising a computer.
The Swift has the basics, including a reversing camera and lane assist warnings, but behind the wheel you still feel like you are in control.
I still have my driving instructor’s voice in my head from all those years ago on my Ls.
Check your mirrors.
Look over your shoulder.
Check the blind spot.
Know what is around you before you move.
You actually have to check your blind spots, look over your shoulder and judge the space around you rather than waiting for sensors to make the decision.
And strangely, I have loved that.
Then there is the fuel economy.
With the cost of fuel, one of the most impressive things about this little hybrid pocket rocket is that I’m getting around 20 kilometres per litre.
That alone is impressive.
It is light, easy to manoeuvre and ideal for everyday Newcastle driving, where parking spaces seem to be getting smaller while cars keep getting bigger.
After two months in the Swift, I have been reminded that sometimes simple motoring can be the most enjoyable.
And yes, it may even have knocked the old Daihatsu Charade off the smallest-car-I’ve-ever-driven podium, but the red Swift has certainly proved that small can still be spacious, economical and genuinely fun to drive.
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