“FLAMIN’ ‘ECK, that’s alright innit?”

My dad, bless him, can always be relied on for an appropriate Alf Stewart coloured comment, and for a true-blue Aussie who lives for his Falcons, that outburst is truly saying something.

Still, if my old man likes it, what hope does the Swift have with the rest of us? Apparently a fair one; the look of the latest iteration of Suzuki’s well-known hatch is proving popular on both sides of the sexual divide. For a carmaker, that’s a licence to print sales contracts.

Now, to celebrate the company’s 100th birthday, Suzuki has launched a limited edition version: The Suzuki Swift LE.

Styling

With this latest generation, the fifth in the Swift family tree (you might know some of the previous generations as the Ignis), Suzuki has moved away from the ‘low-cost alternative’ image of earlier models, dramatically transforming it into a sportier, more desirable hatch.

According to my dad, the heads at Suzuki have pulled it off, and the young couple next door seems to agree.

Three doors or four, the Swift is a good looking hatch. It shouldn’t be, but it is.

I mean, look at that long flat roof and the slab-sided doors and guards. What’s good looking about that? It’s even got a big arse. Not Megane big, of course, but it’s… well… bulbous.

It looks frightfully tall too, with those tiny wheel arches so distant from the character line running along the top of the doors.

The more I look at it, the more I want to slip my foot in through the roof and go roller skating. (Bugger, now where’s the other foot go?)

But none of that seems to matter. Bring together those elements, individually awkward, and combine them with the long curve of the bonnet, the sloping windscreen and its wrap-around look reaching back to the D-pillar, and you’ve got a very appealing car.

While our Swift LE (Limited Edition) test car had a swish chrome-trimmed grille, the regular model features a sporty mesh grill, and that contributes nicely to the Swift’s appeal.

The side mirror-mounted indicators are a classy touch as well, unique to the Swift LE.

The Interior

Despite its sporty pretensions, at least in external style, most about the interior of the Swift leans to the utilitarian - but with some youthful zest thrown in.

The dash is a fairly straightforward affair, the only real visual highlight being the stylish brushed-steel-looking panel surrounding the display and CD slot of the stereo, while a glossy black curved panel - existing in some contrast to the square-ended metal-look stereo panel - is home to the Swift LE’s climate control.

It’s a style built around function rather than what is often an overly complex approach preferred by other manufacturers. It’s utilitarian, yes, but in the best sense of the word. It has a job to do, and it goes about it with the minimum in unnecessary adornment. Who needs it?

Fit and finish inside is good, while the materials are robust and everything feels ‘in its place’.

One major plus to the Swift’s dash is the great placement of the controls, along with the large speedo dominating the instrument cluster.

Despite the generous headroom, the Swift is more comfortable for those of average height, with restricted seat movement and no reach adjustment for the steering. Taller drivers may not fall head over heels with the interior space.

For comfort, the Swift is a bit of a mixed bag. Under your backside - at least a healthy backside - the front seats feel small, barely adequate and a little bench-like, robbing the driver and front passenger of the body-hugging seats they might have expected when looking over the sporty exterior.

The backrest, in contrast, is well-formed and supportive, providing markedly better support and feel for the upper body.

The story is much the same in the back, but while leg space is a little more restrictive, it’s not an uncomfortable place to spend a not-too-long trip.

Storage in the Swift is woeful with the back seats in the upright position, but drop them forward and a world of space opens up in the back. If you’ve got more than the groceries to carry (a small load), don’t plan on more than one passenger.