Suzuki Splash 1.0 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £9,190 – on the road
Insurance Group: 3 [est]
Emissions: 120g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 14.7s / max speed 99mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 47.9mpg / (extra urban) 64.2mpg / (combined) 56.5mpg
Safety: ABS, EBD, BA, ESP, six airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 3730/1680/1590 WHO TO SEE:

WHY SPLASH THE CASH?

Our Rating: 7.4 / 10

Suzuki’s 1.0-litre Splash aims to tap into the trend for saving money on motoring. Steve Walker reports.

Ever since the motorcar itself was invented it’s been possible to enter bar rooms up and down the land and hear men boasting about the one they own. In the past, the angle of attack would have been to compare horsepower figures, engine capacity or acceleration but today the pub bore has a new weapon in his arsenal. It’s a sign of the times that fuel economy and CO2 emissions have become as worthy a subject for showing off as your vehicle’s fastest Nurburgring lap time. Suzuki’s 1.0-litre Splash might well take an age to complete a hot circuit of the Nordschleife but you could stride into the Red Lion confident of victory in a battle for running costs bragging rights if you had one outside in the car park.

Fuel economy and emissions of planet warming gasses have never been bigger issues for motorists than they are today. Rather than lusting after bigger and more potent engines, large sections of the public have turned their attention in the opposite direction and are more interested in extracting the maximum mileage from each tank of fuel they pump. This trend is good for the environment, good for our pockets and, if they can successfully tap into the demand for more frugal vehicles, it can be good for the manufacturers too. Suzuki is one brand which is aiming to attract cost conscious buyers and the 1.0-litre Splash mini MPV will have an important role to play.

The Splash originally made do with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.3-litre diesel. Now there’s a 1.0-litre petrol to consider as well. It’s aimed at customers who care substantially more about keeping money in their pockets than the performance of their vehicle because priced at just £500 below the 1.2-litre engine, it gives away 18bhp and 2.4s on the 0-60mph sprint to that unit. Of course, if your everyday driving consists of battles to and from work through the rush hour traffic or rarely takes you out of the confines of urban streets, you’ll scarcely notice the difference in pace between the two units. The 1.3-litre diesel engine’s torque would be more of a miss. It produces 190Nm at 1,750rpm where our little petrol can only manage 89Nm at 4,800rpm but you’ll need £2,000 more to step from the 68bhp 1.0-litre into one of those.

The Splash rides of the same chassis as Suzuki’s lively Swift hatchback and despite its taller shape and accompanying higher centre of gravity, it handles with a similar verve. This is ideal when you’ve got tight urban streets to negotiate, as is the elevated driving position of the Splash and its good all-round visibility. There’s very little rear overhang and the flat back end of the car makes reverse parking a cinch. If you had to pick fault it would be with the ride which can be over firm on poorly surfaced roads but it’s a small price to pay for the nimbleness of the Splash. On the open road, it’s likely that the 1.0-litre engine will be found out a little with its sluggish 14.7s 0-60mph time and 99mph top speed but Splash target customers are unlikely to venture too far from home on a regular basis.

A diminutive five-door supermini-MPV in the mould of Renault’s Modus and Peugeot’s 1007, the Splash was the fourth model to be created under Suzuki’s "Way of Life!" design philosophy. Following on from the Swift, Grand Vitara and SX4, the aim was for it to excite customers with a youthful vibrancy that previous small Suzukis had sorely lacked. The car also needed to retain the spaciousness, high seating position and good all-round visibility that a supermini-MPV needs and that the Splash’s Wagon R predecessor actually did rather well. The Splash has a 30mm shorter wheelbase than the Swift supermini and is just 3.72m long overall. Despite this, space inside is quite generous with the mass of headroom adding to the roomy feel. The boot is pokey but when the rear seats are unoccupied, you can fold them down to make room for the shopping.

The exterior styling owes much to the Project Splash concept car that had the covers whipped from it at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Once again, the European connection is strong with Suzuki sending a team of engineers to Europe on what sounds like the mother of all expense account jolly-ups as far back as 2004. Apparently, the ten-st