Although I didn't have the time to drive the Suzuki Swift Sport as much as I would have liked, I did get enough on the road experience to figure it out as a very nice car indeed, writes Brian Byrne.
The Swift is arguably the standard bearer of the brand, even if we tend to see more of Suzuki's SUVs on the road. As a supermini it has been somewhat bigger than the segment average, and to some is as good as many compact family hatches.
The exterior is pleasing, a continuation of the style cues of a car that once took the Irish Car of the Year accolade. Styling which is standing well over time. For the Sport variant, there's a more pushy front end treatment, and a 'floating' roof theme made visually possible by blacking out the pillars. The car is also lower than its predecessor. Larger alloys complete the special picture.
This Sport version ups the ante, without breaking the bank. OK, maybe it won't break any speed records either, but the acceleration potential to 100km/h of a tad over eight seconds is enough poke to feel different. The petrol power is a 1.4 petrol with 140hp on tap, and an agreeable level of torque comes in at a sweet spot of 2500rpm, which gives it a response deserving of the 'Sport' badge.
For me the basic Swift always had sweet handling, and they haven't upset that with the extra power. None of this sacrificing of comfort which some competitors seem to think is mandatory for sporty feel. If a suspension is designed correctly for higher power needs, it doesn't have to be thumping the road. The Sport uses Monroe high performance shocks all round and has a special rear suspension design to suit the car's purpose.
I intend at some stage to take this one out again, so I can take it far far away and truly enjoy the experience. Which is as good a judgement as you're likely to get.
PRICE: €22,995.
