I have always had a soft spot for the Suzuki Swift Sport, so when they slapped a Turbo badge on its bum accompanied, of course, with a zippy little turbo unit under the bonnet, I knew I’d like it even more. The new generation of Swift Sport was launched mid-2019 and I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of it. Here are my five highlights of the Suzuki Swift Sport.
It’s really fun to drive
Suzuki previously made use of a naturally aspirated engine, but this is 2020 and now there is a 1.4-litre turbocharged BoosterJet lump of awesomenes under the bonnet. There was always a risk that purists would deem it unacceptable to have swapped naturally aspirated for a blown engine. Well, I am no purist. I honestly just enjoy a fun little car and I am not picky about how that fun is delivered.
The unit in question here has outputs of 103kW at 5,500rpm and 230Nm between 2,500rpm and 3,500rpm. Suzuki claims a 0-100kph time of 8 seconds. I didn’t test it, but I can say for sure that the car felt quick and I loved driving it around town. The six-speed manual transmission is smooth and slick and allowed for quick changing of gears when I wanted to use more of the rev range to get moving. I enjoyed tackling twisty tarmac with this little thing – it felt planted and the handling, thanks to tweaks to the chassis and suspension, was a ton of fun.
It absolutely looks the part
The new Swift Sport is lower and wider and has a longer wheelbase than the model it replaces. It boasts a faux carbon fibre front splitter and matching rear items for better aero and sits on 16-inch alloy hoops shod with performance rubber. There is also a roof spoiler and a honeycomb grille. This car might be little in stature, but it sure makes a big impact on the road where it turns heads of those who know what it’s capable of.
It’s packed with all the niceties you want in a contemporary sports car
Inside the Swift Sport, you will find the requisite racing bucket seats, but also nice-to-haves suh as cruise control, automatic climate control, six airbags, traction control and ESP. For entertainment, there is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a reverse camera will guide you into your parking bay. There is also ABS braking with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assistance (EBD). Should the little tot want a jaunt in the Swift Sport, it comes fitted with anchored ISOFIX mounting points for infant and child seats.
A Swift conclusion…
The Swift Sport is as fun and enjoyable as it’s ever been. Would I get one? Definitely, if I had the cash for it. And that’s pretty much all you need to know, right?
