Suzuki Swift Sport gains ESP

Jumping on the ESP bandwagon is becoming a bit of a habit, with Ford (more here) and now Suzuki announcing that an electronic stability program ('ESP') would be fitted as standard to sporting models within the respective ranges.

In the case of Suzuki, the company's Swift Sport has been revised and the addition of ESP to the car's standard specification is just one element of that upgrade, but probably the most significant.

The upgrade, which comprises a minor facelift and subtle interior changes, comes at no extra cost.

A restyled grille, revised bumpers front and rear, a new design of alloy wheel and two new colours -- Ocean Blue and Nocturne Blue -- are the major changes to the car's exterior.

Inside, the rear seat has been re-designed and is now a one-piece folding type seat in place of the 60:40 split-fold seat of the superseded car. The upside of this change is the new seat features a portable luggage board for a flat floor with the seat folded.

ESP is a development stemming from anti-lock braking systems ('ABS'). The system, which in the Swift monitors each wheel every 25 milliseconds, will apply differing levels of brake pressure if lateral movement of the car and the steering wheel angle don't match.

Suzuki's system also reduces engine power, so between the reduced power and the independent braking effort (which occurs irrespective of whether the driver is applying brake pedal pressure at the time), the car's course can be corrected.

This is a major advantage in the event of the driver taking evasive action to avoid a sudden danger ahead.

Frequently, evasive action will lead a car to exhibit its worst handling traits at the time the driver would most prefer it just steer straight and true around the obstacle. ESP will correct understeer or oversteer. The latter has been declared responsible for 30 per cent of serious crashes, according to Victoria Police figures (more here).

Pricing for the updated Swift range starts from $15,990 for the entry-level model with manual transmission. Automatic is a $2000 option. The Swift S is $2000 over the base Swift and the Swift Sport (manual only) is priced at $23,9990.

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