On paper, Suzuki’s Swift Sport seems to missing a few things compared to most of its rivals. A turbocharger for one, not to mention a good few horsepower. 0-60 takes nearly nine seconds. NINE! But forget the obsession with big numbers for a moment. How does it drive?
Tech
The 1.6 litre M16A mill develops 136bhp at 6900rpm, an increase of around 10bhp over the previous Sport achieved by increased valve lift amongst other changes. Yes,increased valve lift, proper mechanical stuff, not tweaking the ECU with a laptop and turning up the boost. Suspension follows supermini convention of MacPherson struts on the front end and a torsion beam bringing up the rear. Spring rates have been increased front and rear for this iteration of the Sport and Monroe dampers keep things under control. Ride height is lowered by 10mm compared to cooking Swifts.
Style
We don’t normally get over-excited about mirrors, but the Suzuki’s are magnificent, offering a wide deep square of rear vision. There is decent room for passengers, helped by the option of five doors. The boot is a bit small compared to that of the admittedly slightly larger Fiesta and Polo, and the seats don’t fold flat, leaving a substantial step in the boot floor.
The Swift lacks niceties like a soft-touch dashboard top but the interior mirrors the rest of the car’s simplicity and honesty coupled with a sporty, go for it kind of ambiance with cowled dials and a nice layout. It’s all pretty solid, too. The three rocker switches (fog lights, traction control and, um, something else) under the start button add an indefinable sense of Made in Japan.
The driving position is a little on the high side of sporty but good supportive seats give you a big hug on climbing in and keep you there. Hot hatch essentials such as stainless steel pedals, red stitching around the gearlever gaiter and red Sport seat logos are all checked. The seat back’s lever adjustment isn’t as precise as using a wheel, but this 5’8” tester found a good driving position easily enough. The infotainment centre worked fine, although it felt a little basic, and the heating and ventilation system is simple, effective and powerful. Twin exhausts poking through the diffuser-style rear valance, a roof spoiler and 17” alloys tick the exterior style boxes.
Drive
The test route was a mix of motorway, fast A-roads, urban decay and a swoopy bit of B-road, more of which in a minute. But let’s get the mundane stuff out of the way first. The Swift is a decent motorway cruiser, the tall sixth gear keeping the engine below a slightly boomy phase in the mid-range although top gear acceleration is consequently fairly leisurely. Road and wind noise are never intrusive. The Sport’s ride on its 17” Continentals is firm but in a way that is well-controlled rather than uncomfortable. There’s great traction off the line, too, even in the wet, possibly partly due to the lack of turbocharged torque.
But competent though it is at all the real-life business, that’s not the reason you will be buying a Swift Sport. You’ll get a Hyundai if that’s what you want. The little Suzuki, you see, is slightly mental. We’re not talking about the concussion-inducing acceleration and jet-fighter top speeds that come with 500-plus bhp. No, the Sport is just playful, friendly and always eager to go a little bit faster.
This is clear even from the first few yards. The steering feels absolutely planted and offers some feel beyond mere weight, the firm suspension hints at well-damped control and the gearbox slickly slots through its ratios. The engine, meanwhile, is offering a passable imitation of a four-cylinder bike power plant, which is perhaps no surprise given Suzuki’s heritage.
The elasticity of that naturally aspirated power delivery – with 6, 000 rpm to play with – offers flexible, amenable pull off tickover, a slightly gravelly midrange around 3-4000 rpm – where the engine feels a bit unhappy, like a recalcitrant teenager (and it’s not especially strong here; it took at least 4, 000 rpm to see off a mercilessly driven Micra on a stretch of dual carriageway) – before it smooths out and the tacho needle kicks towards the 7, 250 rpm red line. If you’re in the right mood and on the right road, there is not much to touch this car.
The right road is the B1217 from Towton, a few miles of undulations and bends, starting off smooth, fast and open before turning bumpy, hedge-lined and claustrophobic as you dart under the A1M. The Swift is just brilliant here. The steering is quick, precise and faithful without any nervousness, the suspension comes good on its earlier promises of disciplined damping, and the engine delivers just about the perfect amount of power for the circumstances as it fizzes up and down its wide rev range. The great joy of the Swift is that it doesn’t have to be driven at absurd speeds to be fabulous fun. Like small-capacity motorbikes, you can have some fairly outlandish drives without even breaking the speed limit. It is simply a wonderful car.
Verdict
One of the best cars currently on the market in terms of pure fun, the Swift Sport is also surprising in its all-round usability when commuting and shopping – docile, quiet and reasonably roomy, it’s also cheap, well-built and generously equipped. That on-paper power deficit translates to a real-world advantage. It has the feel of some of the eighties greats – 205 and Golf GTIs, to name but two – but built to 21st century levels of sophistication and safety. And that means more than an extra fifty horsepower ever will.
Data
O-60 mph: 8.7 seconds (claimed)
Maximum speed: 120 mph (claimed)
Combined economy: 44.1 mpg
CO2 emissions: 147 g/km
Length: 3890 mm
Boot: 211 litres seats up, 512 seats down
Fuel tank: 42 litres
NCAP: 5 star
OTR price: £13, 999 (3 dr) £14, 499 (5 dr)
With many thanks to Luscombe Suzuki (Leeds) for their help and assistance in lending the test car.