The previous Suzuki Swift Sport was always one of the best value junior hot hatches on the market. Guess what? The new one is going to be just as good value, if not better. Hurrah!
Hitting the streets with a price tag of just £13,500, the new Suzuki Swift Sport offers more performance and more standard kit than before. At that price it’s got very little competition, never mind the fact that it comes with auto climate control, HID headlights, fog lights, keyless entry and push button start, cruise control, Bluetooth, seven airbags and ESP as standard. Yes, standard, there’s precious little you’ll need to add from the options list.
Even metallic paint is included in the price. The Swift Sport is available in any of five metallic or pearlescent paints – Silky Silver, Kashmir Blue Pearl, Cosmic Black Pearl, Cool White Pearl or Ablaze Red Pearl.
Performance figures have also been confirmed. The 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine is a modified version of that fitted to the original, now delivering 136bhp (up from 123bhp) and more torque (118lb/ft) slightly lower down the rev range. It will take 8.7 seconds to reach 62mph from a standstill and the top speed is a respectable 121mph. The secret to the lively performance is a relatively low (by modern standards) kerb weight of 1,045kg, giving a power to weight ratio of 130bhp per ton.
Despite the increase in performance the engine is greener, meeting the latest Euro5 regulations and cutting CO2 emissions down to 147g/km. Fuel economy is rated at 44.1mpg on the official EU test.
While the Suzuki Swift might not be in the premier league for outright performance, it’s way up near the top of the table in terms of performance per pound.
Suzuki Swift Sport Specifications
| Engine | 1,586cc petrol |
| Power | 136 bhp @ 7,000rpm |
| Torque | 118 lb/ft @ 4,400rpm |
| 0-62 mph | 8.7 secs |
| Top Speed | 121 mph |
| Kerb Weight | 1,045 kg |
| Power/Weight | 130 bhp/ton |
| Economy | 44.1 mpg |
| CO2 Emissions | 147 g/km |
| VED Band | F |
| Price | £13,500 |
