Suzuki is quite a bit of a rallying prodigy in the junior levels (not to mention a goliath when it comes to Pikes Peak) so you’d think the Japanese small car expert should know a thing or two about chassis set-ups.
Well it does, and the proof has always been the brilliant little Swift with dynamics as tight as the US cash stash. Unfortunately in our region we’ve never had the Swift Sport available, but at least there’s hope for a brighter future with the new version heading to Frankfurt next month for its world debut.
The new Swift Sport is basically an evolution of the old 2006 model, with slightly updated looks adding more aggression to the front fascia. The simple cabin is driver-focused (i.e. sparse in equipment) featuring sporty seats and a three-spoke steering wheels.
Driving the front wheels is a six-speed manual transmission mated to Suzuki’s all-alloy free-revving 1.6-litre M16A engine, which in the Swift Sport develops 134bhp. That’s hardly hot-hatch territory, but considering the car’s low one-tonne weight and the fact that it’s 13bhp stronger than before, it will make for a classic case of “driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow”.
