Test drive: Suzuki Swift Sport 2018, sporty fun for every budget

Lighter and with a turbo engine, the new Suzuki Swift Sport is not only sportier to look at, it also feels sportier to drive. A pocket-sized GTI that combines practicality with driving fun.

The new Suzuki Swift Sport is one of the few city cars on the market that deliver the genuine sensations of a GTI without compromising everyday usability… and for an investment that doesn’t reach 20,000 euros. Well done Suzuki.

In fact, in its early days, the sportiest version of the Swift carried the badge GTI instead of the Sport name. I still remember the early-1990s Swift GTI, with which I took my first steps at linking corners. Its naturally aspirated 1.3 16V engine, producing barely 100 CV, moved the less than 800 kg of that little “rocket” with ease, provided you could keep it spinning around 5,000 rpm, where its peak torque arrived, and above. Together with its lightness, a very precise gearbox and a remarkably quick steering, which worked through 175/60 tyres on 14-inch rims, gave it astonishing agility.

The Suzuki Swift Sport inside and out

The new Suzuki Swift Sport reminds me a lot of that Swift GTI in the sensations it conveys when driven sportily. Although the real reference here should be the Swift Sport of the previous generation. We are looking at a completely new car, whose exterior design is already a clear statement of intent. It keeps the length of 3.89 metres, but its bodywork is 40 mm wider and 15 mm lower. In addition, the wheelbase increases by 20 mm, and the track widths grow by 40 mm.

Especially in the eye-catching launch colour yellow – there are six other options, blue, red, white, black and two shades of grey – with bodywork elements such as the sills and lower rear section in carbon-fibre-look finish and that twin exhaust outlet, together with the polished 17-inch alloy wheels, the Swift has the look of a very serious car. And it is.

The interior keeps a design that conveys sportiness. But what really matters is that it has everything you would expect from a car that boasts “Sport” in its name. I really liked the driving position: the feel of the steering wheel and gearshift, as well as the position of the pedals. But also for its complete and legible instrumentation, with a 4.2-inch digital central screen that offers additional information about the engine and driving, such as turbo boost pressure.

But above all, for its magnificent seats, which hold the body perfectly. Much better than those of some sports cars I have driven recently that cost two and even three times what this Swift does. And for everyday use, compared with the previous Swift Sport, the new one even improves rear-seat space, now homologated for five occupants instead of four.

On the road with the Swift Sport: agile and fun!

Light weight and a new turbo engine, two factors that have a lot to say when it’s time to get into action. The new Swift Sport sheds 80 kg from the previous generation, to come in below 1,000 kg. To be exact, 975. For reference, two of its closest rivals, which we will discuss later, do not drop below 1,150 kg, one of them with a 3-cylinder engine.

Of course, the new bodywork is not only lighter, it has also gained rigidity. The suspensions – MacPherson at the front, torsion beam at the rear – have been revised with larger bearings, thicker anti-roll bars and new dampers.

Under the bonnet, the previous naturally aspirated Swift engine gives way to the 1.4 Turbo direct-injection unit that the S version of the Suzuki Vitara also uses. It produces 140 CV, 4 CV more than before. But what really matters is the torque curve, how the engine delivers that power. Where the previous engine offered 160 Nm at 4,400 rpm, the new one reaches 230 Nm, available between 2,500 and 3,500 rpm.

Don’t jump to conclusions, because without driving it you’d be mistaken. Yes, the new Swift Sport has a stiffer chassis and firmer suspension, but it is not a board. It improves precision and agility when linking corners, without losing the comfort needed to use the car daily or even on motorway trips. And yes, thanks to its turbo character, you no longer need to make heavy use of the gearbox – have I mentioned that the precision and guidance of the gear lever have improved even further, and you can feel it? – since there is strength from low revs even in long gears. But it doesn’t lack character when you take the rev counter needle close to the red zone. Even the exhaust note complements it.

Another surprise from the Suzuki Swift during this first test has been its consumption. At a relaxed pace, like almost all small-capacity petrol turbo engines, it manages to use surprisingly little, around 6.5 l/100 km on average. This figure is very close to the 6 l/100 km homologated under the new WLTP driving cycle (somewhat further from the 5.6 it quotes under the old NEDC cycle). If you take the Sport badge seriously, consumption does not skyrocket as it does with other engines of this type even with smaller capacity, and staying around 8.5 l/100 km is not difficult. Range is therefore more limited by a small fuel tank, just 37 litres, than by high consumption.

Suzuki Swift Sport video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oYPce8vlQo

Equipment and price of the Suzuki Swift Sport

With the 2,000-euro discount included in the promotional campaign, the 21,370-euro list price of the Suzuki Swift Sport drops to 19,370 euros, including metallic paint at no extra cost.

Another of the Swift Sport’s strong points is its standard equipment, fully fixed with no options, yet the most complete in its class at this price. Among the highlights, it comes with polished 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a multifunction steering wheel, air conditioning, adaptive cruise control… It even has heated seats as standard.

Driving assistance and safety systems are grouped under the so-called DSBS (Dual Sensor Brake Support), which uses a camera and radar. It includes fatigue alert, automatic high beams, lane-change warning and assist – the latter new, acting on the steering to keep the car in its lane – and predictive emergency braking. The Swift Sport is also well served in terms of connectivity. The multimedia system includes a touchscreen with rear camera, digital radio, Bluetooth and navigation, with maximum connectivity: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus MirrorLink.

Rivals of the Suzuki Swift Sport

Among its main rivals, the Swift Sport competes with the ST Line version of the new Ford Fiesta, also with 140 CV and a slightly lower price: 17,295 euros, with the 2,500-euro discount. The 1.0 Ecoboost engine is not as “feisty” as the Swift’s 1.4, and it does not reach its equipment level either. But the Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost ST Line does not disappoint as an all-purpose city car, allowing you to let loose now and then on a winding road.

Somewhat more powerful – but not much faster – and also closer to the Swift in sporty feel is the Seat Ibiza 1.5 TSI FR, with 150 CV and a magnificent chassis. It has an almost equivalent price to the Swift’s, 19,520 euros with the current 1,600-euro discount. And although it is less equipped, what the Ibiza lacks compared with the Swift’s standard equipment, the most interesting items are the rear-view camera and keyless start (plus the heated seats), which at a given moment may be dispensable.

Image gallery: Suzuki Swift Sport 2018

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSuzuki Swift6 versions · from 20,905 €