Suzuki Swift Sport 2012 Review

Australia is the first country in the world to offer an automatic gearbox option, and Suzuki boss Tony Devers says auto Swift Sport will account for about 70 per cent of sales. Is auto, is good.

Together with an eye-catching exterior upgrade -- 17-inch alloy wheels and HID projector beam headlights a couple of highlights -- the flagship Suzuki Swift also gets a more upmarket interior fit out, one that works the sporty angle quite well.

The guiding ethos behind the Suzuki Swift Sport was "High emotion, low emission," and as clichéd as that sounds, the Japanese company has delivered the goods. Simply put, this car is fun to drive, looks good while doing it, and has heaps of features to boot.

What do you get for your $24K? Ample standard features, starting with Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connectivity, bolstered front sports seats, leather steering wheel and gear shifter, the latter three featuring overt red stitching. Keyless entry and push-button engine start are there, while a six-speaker stereo features a USB port for full iPod integration if you can't work the Bluetooth angle.

Cruise control, digital climate control and stainless steel foot pedals are also standard.

Take a quick walk around the car and you'll notice several features that regular Suzuki Swift cars don’t get, for example 17-inch alloy wheels with low profile tyres, a more aggressive front grille with triple strakes leading into the fog lights, plus a lower body kit -- side skirts and rear bumper. Step to the back of the car and the Swift Sport communicates its performance intent via twin exhaust pipes integrated into a contrasting diffuser, updated brake light design and a roof spoiler.

In Australia the Suzuki Swift Sport is available as a five-door vehicle only, and sales predictions of 200 cars per month seem achievable. The five-door Sport sold in Oz is built in Japan whereas the Europe-only three-door Hungarian-made model doesn't get the option of an auto gearbox.

Coupled with a new six-speed manual (replacing the previous five-speed cog swapper), the M16A engine consumes 6.5L/100km which is a big reduction compared to the 7.3L/100km of its predecessor. And the CVT automatic uses even less juice at 6.1L/100km. The fuel savings come not just from the engine and gearbox updates, but also the car's lowered kerb mass. On a diet of lightweight metals and plastics, the Swift weighs 1060kg, a good 30kg less that its precursor. The savings come from a lighter body shell, new alloy wheels and the omission of a spare wheel. An inflation kit replaces the fifth wheel.

The high-revving petrol engine cranks out 100kW at 6900rpm and torque of 160Nm at 4400rpm, which combined with the lower kerb weight gives the hot hatch the best power-to-weight ratio of any Swift, even the GTi.

Suzuki says the Swift Sport will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds (manual version) and it certainly feels a lot quicker than its forebear. It motivates well from rest but really hits its stride at about 5000rpm, and is very satisfying when exploring up to its 7000rpm rev limit. The 1.6-litre four-pot mill also has a half-decent acoustic when revved hard, and never becomes raspy or breathless either.

Chassis tweaks have delivered gains in handling dynamics and reduced body roll when compared with standard models, with a recalibrated steering rack, the addition of Monroe shock absorbers, and firmer springs front (by 15 per cent) and  rear (by 30 per cent) among the changes. The brakes have larger pads too.

There's a practical side to the Swift Sport too, taking all the good things from the garden-variety Suzuki Swift such as 60:40 split fold rear seats making for 210 litre cargo capacity that rises to 900 litres with rear seats down.

Storage solutions are ample, with beverage holders galore: four bottle holders, three cup holders, glove box, coin holders, and even a space for your mobile phone and MP3 player -- conveniently located near the USB socket. Space for front seat occupants is sufficient, with good head and leg room, but I did lament the lack of a centre arm rest. I like to slouch...
The only downside to the interior -- perhaps the whole car for that matter -- is the cheap dash plastics and slightly flimsy feel. The doors feel a bit thin and tinny and you can flex the dash plastics on the passenger side with a finger if you so chose. It's not a deal breaker in my book, but a little more attention to detail like the Kia Rio SLS would have made this car even harder to fault.

SAFETY

COMPETITORS

For mine however the closest rival would be the Kia Rio SLS three-door hatch, a $19,990 proposition that doesn't quite have the handling or bravado to match the Suzuki, but would be a worthy rival in terms of standard equipment, engine power with its 103kW direct-injected 1.6-litre four-banger.

The first part of the national media launch took us through some tight and winding passes, uphill and down dale, and it was on the tighter, trickier corners that the Suzuki Swift Sport really excelled. Its short footprint and capable chassis combine with a good steering rack to deliver crisp turn-in and the engine has enough herbs to ensure an up-tempo experience.

On faster and more flowing corners the Swift Sport wasn't quite as composed, exhibiting increasing body roll as more force loaded up the front outside wheel. But even when cranking through a faster sweeping bend the Suzuki felt at least controllable, ably soaking up bumps mid-corner.

Indeed, I thought the rapid Japanese hot hatch's suspension would be stiffer than it was, but the upshot of this is that driving it every day (and in less exhilarating scenarios) is not a painful chore.

On the road, the Swift Sport handles very nicely, and though it could do with a little more tyre width, it's a lot of fun to drive. It's alarmingly frugal too. We saw figures of 6.3L/100km after two hours of driving, varying from 80km/h B-road cruising to flat-knacker thrashing. With a 42-litre fuel tank you could travel a fair distance.

When speed limits and traffic are not a concern, such as on a race track, the Swift Sport really shows its pedigree and though this four-pot screamer is not as rock solid as the Renault Clio RS200, it doesn't cost $40k either -- it costs $24k.

Turn-in is crisp and despite some understeer when approaching corners from triple digit speeds the car steers well. The torsion beam rear end follows the car's front wheels faithfully and sometimes get a little loose mid corner if you ease off the throttle. But even when the car begins to shoot wide or tightens up with lift-off oversteer it does so progressively, which makes the driving experience very satisfying.

The tyres were up to the task of being right-royally flogged by the nation's motoring media and the electronic stability control created a nice buffer zone between the driver and oblivion, without getting too invasive. The brakes also worked well, with strong initial bite and good feel. On the race track they stood up to two hours of almost-constant abuse and didn't develop any major signs of fade, suggesting the upgraded pads do a good job.

Fitted with a new six-speed manual gearbox, the flagship Suzuki Swift moves with a purpose and the middle ratios are close, which aids acceleration in second, third, and fourth gears. Overall it's a good little unit, with a light clutch and a decisive feel when rowing through the gears.

The only downside to our first taste of the Swift Sport in Australia was that automatic models were not on the menu. In fact they were still on the boat... But stay tuned for a seven-day road test on the CVT auto soon.

If you're looking for an affordable hot hatch, the Suzuki Swift should be on your short list. It's a tenacious hot hatch that makes up for its lack of straight-line speed with cornering aptitude. It may not have the torquey punch of a turbo hatch, but in terms of bang for your buck you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal.