Lighter on your wallet than the competitors. And lighter, in general.
Suzuki’s well-received Swift Sport hatch has finally arrived on our shores, priced competitively against its rivals. The turbocharged Swift Sport is in dealerships now, with a $25,490 price tag (excluding ORCs). The light, lithe little hot-hatch promises to provide fun and giggles by the bucketload, even if it’s seemingly down on power.
Don’t get us wrong, the Swift Sport is far from slow. The 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-pot up front puts out 103kW and 230Nm, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission (or a six-speed automatic for an additional $2000). While competitors like the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208GTi have more power, the Swift is much, much lighter, weighing in at under a tonne. That’s remarkable no matter how you cut it, given that the Swift Sport is now a bit wider than the outgoing car, and yet is somehow 80kg lighter. Witchcraft.
40% weight reduction was made from the body, whereas doors, seats, engine, and garnishing are all lighter than before too. Visual cues unique to the Swift Sport come in the form of a more aggressive fascia, twin tailpipes (!) at the back, and snazzy alloys. Inside, the Swift Sport gains a unique driver-information display replete with a boost gauge, housed in a sportier metre cluster. Bucket seats, flat bottomed steering wheel, and metallic-finished pedals all make the standard kit list, too.
Actually, the kit list is pretty generous on the Swift Sport. All cars get a touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, LED headlights with daytime running lights and high-beam assist, intelligent cruise control with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, keyless entry and go, climate control, and even tinted rear windows.
The Swift Sport rides on rather simplistic MacPherson struts behind the snout and a torsion beam at the back, replete with shock absorbers from Monroe. Even the brakes are a little old-hat, with the front units being ventilated but using solid discs at the back. The Swift Sport’s hero colour is Champion yellow, though this retina-searing hue is only one of 5 colours, with the other four comprising of pearl white, pearl black, metallic blue, or metallic grey.
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