Car Reviews > Suzuki > Swift Sport > Suzuki Swift Sport Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £14,000 (estimated)
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power/torque: 134 bhp/ 160 Nm
0-62 mph: 8.7 seconds
Top Speed: 121 miles per hour
Economy: 44.1 miles per gallon
Emissions: 147g per kilometre
Equipment: 17-inch alloys, USB, air conditioning, MP3, sports seats, Bluetooth, keyless entry, electric windows, ESP, cruise control, leather multifunction steering wheel
On Sale: January 2012

The new Suzuki Swift Sport is both more efficient and powerful than its predecessor – but is it still as good to actually drive

The Suzuki Swift Sport is definitely one of the best hot hatches around, and now the new version has finally arrived. The new model was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, and is set to become available to buy in the United Kingdom from the beginning of next year, with the sporty 3-door model planning to build on the cult success that was achieved by its predecessor.

Certainly, the new model has evolved in leaps and bounds in terms of design, and the Sport is now considerably easier to differentiate from the standard version. While the finished model is perhaps not quite as extravagant as the Concept model that was displayed seven months ago at Geneva in March, but a large majority of buyers will probably rather appreciate the more subtle approach that has been given to performance styling.

The tinted rear windows and 3-door shape give the car a considerably more aggressive and compact stance, as does the deep honeycomb grille, the rear roof spoiler, and the standard 17-inch alloy wheels. The wider and lower front bumper is accentuated by both the darker headlights and the fin-like fog light clusters and it totally fits the image of the perfect pocket hot hatchback.

On the mechanical front, Suzuki has not differed too much from the original formula for the new model, and so the Sport continues to obtain its power from a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine. The power output has been slightly increased to a bhp rating of 134, while the torque has likewise risen, with as much as 160 Nm now being available even from lower down the rev range. While those figures may not sound particularly impressive immediately, when you remember that this is a vehicle that actually weighs a little more than a ton, it certainly never remotely feels as though it is in any way underpowered.

There is a new 6-speed manual gearbox that comes with a canny new synchromesh in the first couple of gears in order to have faster and easier changes, and it helps the Swift to feel as though it is very quick off the line. Shift action is both light and accurate, and when the revs start to get over 4500 revs per minute, the engine really begins to make its presence felt, with the twin exhausts delivering a frantic soundtrack as you head towards the red line.

The Sport also comes with a thoroughly bespoke steering and suspension setup, which has been carefully tuned in order to be able to provide both increased stiffness and a high-speed stability in comparison to the standard vehicle. The alterations include higher spring rates at both the front and the rear in order to give a more planted feel, as well as stiffer suspension bushes.

While the character of the Swift is not completely transformed by these tweaks by any means, it continues to ride very nicely indeed for such a small vehicle, with beautifully judged steering and not even a hint of body roll

by Autoweb