Suzuki Swift Sport – a fun car that offers real economy.
By Eye Magazine published 6 February, 2012 No Comments
If you are the sort of car buyer who wants the thrills of a hot hatchback without the large bills, there is certainly space in the market for a car like Suzuki’s Swift Sport. This is the second generation of the model, with a series of improvements over the first since it was launched in 2006.
The first Swift Sport won plenty of support, but wasn’t perfect and the new model has addressed and overcome previous problems. A six-speed manual gearbox and a higher top gear ratio help to keep cruising engine revs down, improving fuel efficiency considerably. And despite the wheelbase being lengthened in the new model it is still a fairly short car, ensuring a fantastic sense of space and agility, especially at higher speeds on winding roads. That also makes parking both simple and convenient . The 1.6-litre petrol engine is lightweight, helping to give the front wheels good response, but it can struggle to get up to licence-losing speeds no matter how hard it’s worked. For some, of course, that represents an appealing aspect.
The quality of the interior has been raised since the first model, and the standard equipment list goes far beyond what is normal for a car of this type. While it’s not exactly luxurious, it is nevertheless stylish and the seats are surprisingly comfortable.
Verdict : Where the Swift Sport has always excelled as a weekend car that offers lots of fun, the new version has more power, uses less fuel than before, is cheaper to tax because of low CO2 emissions and is therefore more likely to attract and satisfy a wider range of user.
As a small car it has limited interior space but rear legroom has been improved. There is a five-door model available. Twin exhausts give it a distinctive, powerful look and the instrument cluster looks great, with big dials and just enough stylistic touches to make it stand out. A central digital screen offers multiple trip computer readouts including fuel consumption figures and an odometer. The plastics for the centre console dials are not the most reassuring in terms of quality, but they are functional and easy to use, and should last without any problems.
The All New Suzuki Swift* has been rated as one of Europes safest cars, achieving a maximum 5 star rating in the 2010 test by Euro NCAP.
Like its predecessor, this generation of the Swift Sport features keyless entry. It’s a very useful feature and makes access easy when you’re struggling with shopping, for example. An electronic immobiliser is also standard.
In all, then, the new Suzuki Swift Sport is a really fine car, lots of fun to drive and deserves to be considered when you’re next in the market for a new or used car!
To find out more about the Swift visit the Suzuki website www.suzuki4.co.uk
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