THE Suzuki Swace is a five-door petrol hybrid estate car that offers space, lots of equipment and fine economy.

That makes it appealing to both private and business owners as it is also well priced.

It looks very similar to the Toyota Corolla and that is because it is the result of a collaboration between the two manufacturers.

There are some styling changes but the Swace is pretty much the same car and as a result has gained all the Corolla's recent improvements.

Now available in two trims the Motion costs £28,999 while the Ultra model I have been sampling costs £30,799.

The upgraded hybrid system boosts the torque level to 185Nm.

This means the Swace has a 32 per cent increase in power making it good for 102ps fromits 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

As a result it now reaches 62mph in 9.4 seconds - two seconds quicker than the old model - and the top speed is 112mph.

The Swace is still not sporty even with the extra power but it does have enough grunt to overtake and it is well balanced with a smooth ride and good grip.

It corners nicely on the twisty stuff and cruises quietly at motorway speeds and there is a choice of three drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport that change the handling characteristics very slightly.

The CVT box is very smooth and there is also an EV button which allows you to travel on electric only power when the battery pack is up to it.

With its estate car lines the Swace looks good on the road and it has some Suzuki-specific touches like its grille and light designs as well as badging.

It also boasts privacy glass, nice alloy wheels, roof rails and a spoiler.

Inside the cabin is practical and built to last with very comfortable cloth seats. Creature comforts include heated seats and steering wheel.

An eight-inch touchscreen controls the infotainment system and other functions including Apple Car-Play and Android Auto connectivity.

You also get a new seven-inch dash cluster which has three display modes, a DAB radio, Bluetooth connection and a rear parking camera.

The Swace offers lots of space for five to travel in comfort and the large 596 litre boot has a reversible covering, coated on one side so that it can be wiped clean if you have to carry muddy wellies.

If you fold the rear seat the capacity goes up to 1,232 litres.

As you would expect from Suzuki the Swace has all the latest safety equipment and some nice updates including a blind spot monitor that prevents you from opening doors when a cyclist or other vehicle is approaching.

The Swace is also very economical to run and the manufacturer claims a combined figure of 62.7 mpg and on a longer run I touched 70mpg.

An added bonus is that if you service the car at Suzuki workshops the standard three-year 60,000 mile warranty is extended to cover you to 100,000 miles and seven years free of charge.