Estates are the best. No, seriously, they are - roomy, practical, better to drive and more efficient than their SUV and crossover cousins. If we all bought estates instead of 4x4s, the world's environment would be in considerably better shape than it is...
Corolla copy
Suzuki Ireland will certainly be hoping that at least a few Irish buyers feel as we do, as it has just launched the Swace hybrid estate on the Irish market. If you're looking at the Swace - which has been on sale in the UK for over a year now - and thinking 'that looks awfully like a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports' well, you're right. It IS a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but with Suzuki badges.
There are some very, very, verrrrrry small styling differences between the Swace and the Corolla. Mostly, to be honest, those differences are limited to the badges, and the fact that the Suzuki 'S' sits on the edge of the bonnet, rather than set on a small plinth within the grille as is the Corolla's Toyota badge. The shape of the front air intake is slightly different, too. That's about it though, and Suzuki makes no bones about the car being a copy of the Corolla. It's part of a long-standing agreement between the two companies to share technology and platforms.
Standard equipment
The €30,995 price tag means that the Swace is ever so slightly more expensive than the most basic Corolla Touring Sports in Luna spec, which starts at €29,025. Standard equipment is generous, though - the Swace comes with seven airbags, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, seven-inch LCD colour information screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto device connectivity, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, heated front screen, eight-inch centre dash touchscreen, rear parking camera and dynamic radar cruise control. That gives it a very slight equipment advantage over the Corolla (you'd have to trade-up in the Toyota lineup to get the heated seats and steering wheel).
For now, the Swace will come in one specification - SZ-T - and with one engine option, which is the same 122hp 1.8-litre hybrid petrol unit as used by the Corolla. For now, the Corolla's optional 2.0-litre unit isn't available. Performance and emissions figures are more or less identical to those of the Corolla - 103g/km, 4.4 litres per 100km fuel economy, and €190 a year for motor tax.
Big boot
Inside, the Swace and the Corolla Touring Sports both sit on a slightly longer wheelbase than that used by the Corolla hatchback, so rear seat room is considerably better. Behind those seats, there's a vast 596-litre boot, which expands to 1,606 litres when you fold those self-same back seats.
On the safety front, as standard, the Swace comes with a pre-collision camera system which, according to Suzuki: "helps prevent collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists by monitoring the road ahead with a millimetre-wave radar and monocular camera to apply braking assist and automatic braking if needed."
You'll be able to choose from seven colour options - White Pearl Crystal Shine, Super White, Precious Silver, Black Mica, Dark Blue Mica, Phantom Brown Metallic and Oxide Bronze Metallic - and order books are open now.