Suzuki

Swift Sport

With its bold, athletic styling and wealth of on-board technology, the all-new third generation Swift Sport offers all the thrills and spills of a hot hatch. It is a little more mature and responsible than its predecessor but still scores highly on the fun-factor scale.

Test Drive

Suzuki Swift Sport 1.4 Boosterjet (2020)

IF ever inspiration were needed to shed some pounds then look no further than the stunning Suzuki Swift Sport because the latest slimmed down version looks fabulous and still packs a mighty punch.

In fact, the all-new third generation car now weighs in at just 975kgs – some 80kgs lighter than the outgoing model – and that results in razor sharp handling along with driving dynamics guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The Swift Sport is available in just one trim level and it is a case of what you see is what you get, so there will be no unexpected additional costs when signing on the dotted line. Admittedly, it’s not that cheap anymore costing £19,249, but the Swift Sport has always been regarded as the flashier and upmarket version of the Swift model, and it comes fully loaded with top notch tech and on-board kit.

Powering the car is a four-cylinder 140PS 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo petrol engine which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. It can sprint to 62mph from a standstill in 8.1 seconds, maxes out at 130mph and, according to official figures, can deliver combined fuel economy of 47.1mpg under stricter WLTP testing with carbon emissions of 125g/km.

There’s no denying the fact the five-door Suzuki Swift is a great looking model with dynamic styling and a nice wide planted stance. It boasts a honeycomb-patterned grille, dual exhaust system, black A and B pillars, a floating roof, rear spoiler, carbon fibre-effect trim, integrated rear door handles, privacy glass and 17-inch alloys to complete the look.

Customers can choose from six colours and our test car certainly looked the business in a bright Speedy Blue Metallic shade that perfectly suited its character.

The interior is ultra-modern in its design and layout with a three-spoke leather covered flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport exclusive seat upholstery, flashes of red trim to accentuate the car’s dynamic nature and even readouts that display information about the G-force tracking as well as power, torque, brake and acceleration information. There are, of course, the traditional panels and readouts too.

The semi bucket-design sports seats are embossed with the Sport logo and there are lots of creature comforts to be explored within the driver-focused cockpit. These include full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Bluetooth, a six-speaker DAB radio, a sat nav system, adaptive cruise control, automatic air conditioning, a rear parking camera and lots more.

Through its generations, the Swift Sport has always had a well-renowned reputation when it comes to delivering great driving dynamics and the latest model carries on the tradition with sharp acceleration through the gears and all the power needed for rapid bursts of pace to overtake.

The road holding is super-grippy meaning bends can be attacked with confidence and there is minimal body sway even at higher speeds. The downside of the weight loss is that I noticed the car was buffeted a little by stronger crosswinds when driving on a motorway, but that was my only slight gripe.

The agile handling in busier city centres was impressive as was the ease in which the Swift Sport could manoeuvre its way into very tight parking spaces without any fuss.

Comfort levels are good and there is room for a couple of youngsters in the back. The boot has a capacity ranging from 265 litres to 579 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat, and there is also a glovebox, cup holders, a pocket in the back of the passenger seat, door bins and a central cubby box to store items.

The Swift Sport features high standards of safety kit and the car carries the same four-star Euro NCAP rating awarded to its sibling, the Swift. Features include lane departure warning, electronic stability programme, high beam assist, hill hold control, a high mounted stop lamp and numerous airbags.

All in all, the latest Swift Sport is a perfect option for anyone looking to buy in the hot-hatch sector without blowing too much cash. It delivers engaging and spirited handling, boasts bags of technology and has the dynamic styling to turn heads along the way.

Test Drive

Suzuki Swift Sport (2018) – first drive

It seems everywhere you turn these days there’s an advertising campaign about new fad diets – some work, some don’t but still they keep on coming. And now the latest Suzuki Swift Sport has climbed on that bandwagon – it’s shed the pounds and that has led to some very healthy results indeed.

Weighing in at just 975kg, the all-new third generation model has dropped 80kg and when those figures are factored into a hot hatch the result is well worth all the hard work and discipline.

Since it first debuted back in 2006, the Swift Sport has always been viewed as the high adrenaline, pumped-up version of the Swift that delivered hot hatch handling matched to a reasonable budget.

And the latest model is no different. Yes, the price has crept up to just shy of £18k, which is pretty steep, but Suzuki has cleverly conjured up an excellent PCP deal that offers zero deposit and monthly payments of £249. And it’s those enticing figures that make the company confident it will hit its 12-month UK sales target of 1,500 units.

When it comes to styling, the Swift Sport looks dynamic from any angle with stand-out cues such as a wider body, sporty honeycomb-patterned grille, smart 17-inch alloy wheels, a dual exhaust system, carbon fibre-effect trim, a floating roof, reduced height, signature lights, a rear spoiler, tinted rear windows, integrated rear door handles and strong fender lines. The car is available in six colours with no extra charge for metallic paint.

Step inside and the sporty theme is just as apparent thanks to a driver-orientated cockpit with red instrument readouts and a 4.2-inch display between them that shows all sorts of information about power, torque, acceleration and brake operation as well as G-force tracking. There is lots of red trim to accentuate the car’s sporty character with flashes of colour on the door panels and dashboard as well as some neat red contrast stitching.

The semi-bucket design sports seats are embossed with the ‘Sport’ logo and elsewhere there are alloy pedals and a sporty multi-function three-spoke steering wheel. On board techno treats include full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Bluetooth, a navigation system, a colour touchscreen, DAB digital radio, automatic air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, a rear parking camera and lots more besides.

There is only one Swift Sport trim level and everything is included in the asking price so what you see is what you get without any unexpected additional costs.

The new model is powered by a punchy four cylinder, 140PS 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo petrol engine mated to a slick six-speed manual gearbox. It can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 8.1 seconds and maxes out at 130mph. According to official figures, it can deliver a combined 50.4mpg with carbon emissions of 125g/km.

Up front the car is very spacious and the sports seats are nice and supportive. As is the norm in hot hatch designed cars, back seat passengers do not fare quite so well and have relatively limited leg room.

The boot can accommodate 265 litres of luggage, but this capacity increases to 579 litres when the split-folding rear seats are dropped flat. In addition, throughout the cabin you will find a number of handy compartments, including a glovebox, door bins, a central box, three cup holders and a pocket in the back of the front passenger’s seat.

One of the main appeals of the Swift Sport has always been its driving performance with all the thrills of a hot hatch. And whilst the latest version seems a little more grown up and matured, it still delivers on all counts. It powered up some of the steepest and most twisting roads in southern Spain with a constant stream of power on tap that helped make very light work of the climbs. The road roading was ultra grippy and the steering nice and precise with plenty of driver feedback.

And, of course, what goes up, must come down! Once again the Swift Sport proved a very competent and able performer as it blasted down the mountain side. The hairpin bends could be tackled with a degree of confidence and there was that instant burst of acceleration at your disposal when overtaking was called for.

Then out on the fast-moving motorways, the car easily kept pace with outside lane traffic and the cabin remained well insulated against any noise intrusion at higher speeds.

The Swift Sport carries the same four-star Euro NCAP safety rating as the latest Swift model and is packed with safety features – again all included in the asking price. There is lane departure warning, high beam assist, hill hold control, electronic stability programme, a high mounted stop lamp, numerous airbags and plenty more.

All in all, the latest Swift Sport is a fabulous piece of kit that looks bold and athletic. It is generously equipped with all the latest connectivity systems and delivers a thrilling driving experience. Hopefully, the money men haven’t priced the car out of reach of potential buyers despite the very attractive PCP deals.