2026 Dongfeng Box vs Suzuki Swift GLZ Review

Small cars might not be as popular in the new car market as they once were, but there is still life in the segment. Here we compare a stalwart with a newcomer, to see if the disruptor is worthy.  

Every year there are fewer small cars on the market and more higher-riding compact SUVs. Yet there is still life in this shrinking segment. One of the best sellers is still the Suzuki Swift, still making the top ten list, but only just. Its combination of cheeky styling, value, economy and snazzy driving dynamics make it a thoroughly decent prospect. And Suzuki has recently added a new GLZ variant to the line up with spec and safety updates. 

New entrants into the small car zone are a rarity but with the influx of Chinese brands, there are a few new battery-powered options to consider. Geely is pondering the EX2, the Atto 1 is now here, and there’s the recently arrived Dongfeng Box. It has landed with the usual value pricing, putting this pure electric on par with ICE machines. So if you’re looking at something like Swift, is the electric Box worth considering?

A word on safety first  

Neither of these two are top rated safety picks, but that hasn’t stopped the Swift from selling well. Suzuki NZ says that the GLZ has a European specification with added safety features, moving the model to a three-star ANCAP rating. The Box on the other hand is ‘unrated’. The NZ-spec car differs from the Euro model, which was awarded a three-star Euro NCAP rating. Our Box has but two air bags in total, which is unacceptable in 2026. While it has a range of active safety features, the rating, or lack thereof, may rule it out for some, especially for those with OSH requirements. Hopefully Dongfeng is working feverishly to source a model that’s more appropriate for a market such as New Zealand. If you have occupant safety at the top of your list, well, you’ll probably rule both of these ones out and go for something bigger.  

Where’s the value at?  

Neither will break the bank with sub-$30k pricing. The GLZ slots in at $28,500, adding a few features missing from the GLS while being slightly cheaper than the RSC. The Box is $32,990 though lands with promotional pricing of $29,990, a price point the brand will likely be forced to hold considering the safety rating and pressure from the Atto 1. 

Small cars are no longer stripped econo-boxes. The Swift comes complete with an easy-to-use infotainment system with sat nav, AA and CarPlay and USB C ports. There’s smart key entry, the fabric clad seats are heated, there are LED auto-dimming headlights and active cruise comes with a stop and go function.  

Of course, the Box adds the extras like electric seat adjustment and ventilation, faux leather, a 360-degree parking camera, auto parking, charge pad and ambient lighting. 

Quaint versus quirky  

The Swift is conventional in layout and operation, even with a manual handbrake still and analogue dials. The touchscreen it’s a simple affair, and apart from its lethargy when switching functions, works fine. It doesn’t dominate your attention as Swift uses buttons for the ventilation and other key functions.  

It has a decent driving position, good adjustment at both the wheel and seat (comfy yet supportive too), and is easy enough to get in and out of.  

Cup holders function as you’d hope, though the lack of an armrest/centre bin is a bit disappointing, making storage scarce. There is an abundance of hard plastic, but the design and use of colour help lift it a little.  

The Box has a unique style, outside and in. It’s not quite as generic as some of the other Chinese machines. It has some interesting ideas, such as the storage drawer up front (apparently for jewellery and cosmetics), while they have attempted to raise the ambience with lighting and stitched soft touch surfaces. 

The seats have less form but are softer than the Swift’s. A pity the steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach, making it harder to find a good driving position. There’s more storage, with a raised center console that looks the part but wobbles around. The charge pad positioning makes the phone too accessible when driving (too tempting for some) while it doesn’t seem to have enough power to actually juice your phone, rather it maintains the charge. 

The cup holders will be welcomed by those with XL drink bottles, yet they fail to secure a regular sized coffee cup. The window lifts sit proud on the door handle, so it’s easy to bump them as you get in and out, inadvertently lowering the windows. Not good if it’s raining. The screens dazzle at night, even with the brightness dialled to zero. It would therefore be taxing to drive on the open road after dark. The large central screen is home to a napping cat, inspirational quotes and a ‘Girly’ mode. Pity there’s no sat nav or radio reception. And connectivity is via a dongle gadget. 

The Box is that bit bigger than Swift, and so has more room inside. However, Swift is surprisingly practical. It can handle a brace of adults in the rear, with okay headroom though knees are brushing the front seats.  You may be able to squeeze three into the back of the Box, it’s wider and a flat floor aids legroom. There are a pair of Isofix points in each if you need them, but it’d be cramped for car seats. 

It’s the same in the luggage area, the Box with a hold that is wider and longer. The Swift’s is deep enough, but it’s short on length. Both have a folding rear seat, though you don’t get a flat load area. Where the Swift’s rear seat is split 60/40, the Box isn’t. Neither has a spare wheel while the Suzuki is rated to tow up to 650kg, believe it or not! 

How’d they go?  

Small cars aren’t renowned for their ride quality, and so neither really excels in this regard. The Swift is a tad firmer in its damping, but is also better controlled, and soaks bumps more effectively. The Box is softly sprung, great on bump free roads but it can jiggle about on mild undulations, while crashing into the big lumps. They are easy to manoeuvre about, with tight turning circles and good vision. The Box’s steering is super light, too disconnected for us, while the Swift has a better feel.  

Swift has blind spot monitoring, missing on the Box, while each has a lane keeping function, the Dongfeng’s more likely to intervene, while the Swift gives a gentle buzz alert. Apart from leaving too large a gap in traffic, the Box’s cruise is okay, but not its Intelligent mode, which weaves about in the lane. 

Being electric, Box is on and ready to go once you’re seated, and we liked the convenience of the column mounted shifter. The front mounted motor offers 70kW and 160Nm, the 43kWh battery giving over 320km of range.  

Swift uses a 1.2L triple with mild hybrid assistance, a full tank offering 620km of touring. Its 60kW/108Nm output might sound meek, but this actually goes well, processed ably by the CVT. The mild hybrid set up gives Swift a little bit more enthusiasm off the mark, the triple pulls well, even with the family on board. The idle stop system works near seamlessly too. 

While the Box has a little more power, it’s lugging more weight too. The go pedal needs a decent push to actually get going, and while it gets up to 70km/h okay, it then quickly runs out of steam. It took 14 seconds to hit 100, while the 80-120km/h overtake required 15, and over 450m of road. So it’s really an urban car, where its efficiency is noteworthy. This was consuming around 13kWh/100km according to the trip computer anyway. 

Expect the Swift to drink around 6L/100km in town rambling, while motorway miles will that reduce to five point something. The one downer is its 95 octane requirement, though there are no RUCs to pay, unlike with the EV.  

The Box is noisy on the highway, the Swift less rowdy. The Dongfeng has zero steering feedback; there’s no feel for what the front is doing. While it grips ok on a dry day, this runs out quickly when it’s raining, and the ESP wasn’t really concerned about trying to correct the understeer. Throw the Swift at a bend, the front end bites well and the steering lets you know what’s happening. It’s an agile, lively machine yet it’s not bounced about by the bumps. Even the CVT works okay, once you hit the Sport mode button to shorten up the ratio and improve the response.  

So Swift then?  

Yes. The Box has a few too many idiosyncrasies, the safety spec needs addressing and we just prefer cars that are sorted dynamically. The Swift is the better all-rounder for New Zealand, working well both in and out of urban confines. Its dynamics are sound, it’s economical and well-priced. Still a good pick in the small car realm.