What's the news?
The old Suzuki Swift Sport was a fun little thing; one of the last bastions of the naturally-aspirated hot hatch formula. With the recent launch of the new Swift, it was only a matter of time before we got a hotted-up version, and Suzuki has revealed full details of its new flyer.
Exterior
Once you've finished being dazzled by the bright, 'Champion Yellow' of the car in the press photos, you'll see a similar design theme to the outgoing model. The de rigeur lips, skirts and spoilers are all present, and give the Sport a welcome visual lift over the standard version. Other colours are available of course, including something called 'Speedy Blue'. Hmmm.
Interior
More cues from the 'Hot Hatch Handbook' feature inside, like sports seats, red detailing and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Of more interest is the fact that the funny little stick between the seats now seems to have six available forward positions as opposed to the standard car's five, more of which in a moment...
Mechanicals
Arguably the biggest change is the fitment of Suzuki's 1.4-litre turbocharged 'Boosterjet' engine, something which fans of the revvy old naturally-aspirated unit will lament. However, torque is substantially improved (now up to 230Nm), while the aforementioned six-speed manual gearbox will help you to utilise every one of the 140 available horses.
The car is also a commendable 80kg lighter than the previous model, something which has negated the need for big suspension alterations apart from uprated shocks and heavier-duty wheel bearings. At 970kg, it's redolent of hot hatches of old, and with the surfeit of turbocharged torque to hoof it along, should be a hoot on a twisty road. We can't wait to try it.