Suzuki Swift Sport 2018 Review

History repeats
The sporty Swift has an indelible history in Australia. From the moment the Swift GTi landed in 1989, the budget hot hatch world was forever turned on its head.

There’d never been a car as potent and as cheap as the Swift GTi, and it’s fair to say in-the-know Aussie buyers took the model to heart.

The 73kW 1.3-litre DOHC four-cylinder, 13-inch wheels and rear disc brakes were a revelation in the light performance segment and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward 30 years and the all-new Swift Sport landed with a thud.

Powered by a 103kW/230Nm direct-injected and turbocharged BOOSTERJET 1.4-litre petrol four, it promised gains of 3kW/70Nm over the predecessor’s 1.6-litre atmo unit, shaving 1.5sec from the 0-100km/h dash (now 7.2sec).

Weight reductions of approximately 80kg (970kg manual, 990kg auto, kerb) claim to liven the Swift Sport’s handling, Suzuki focussing heavily on the model’s ‘weight-to-torque’ ratio (4.2kg/Nm) – a selling point it says will set it apart.

But with the 162kW/280Nm Renault Clio RS here now and Volkswagen’s new 147kW/320Nm Polo GTI just a few months away (Ford’s Fiesta ST is in run-out and its replacement is not confirmed for Australia), we think it’s the price point and not torque alone that will be the Swift Sport’s saving grace.

Plenty of bang for your buck
Priced from $25,490 for the six-speed manual and $27,490 for the six-speed automatic, the Swift Sport is something of a bargain – even if it is $1000 dearer than the outgoing model.

It’s also better equipped than ever before, offering connectivity and safety technologies Swift GTi owners could have only dreamed about.

Inside, the Swift Sport includes adaptive cruise control, climate control, keyless entry and ignition, and power mirrors and windows.

The six-speaker audio system offers a 7.0-inch colour display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony, satellite navigation, reversing camera, 3.5mm and USB inputs, and a 12-volt power outlet.

The fabric seats are mechanically regulated – but sit too high for proper heel-toe driving – while the D-shaped leather-bound steering wheel offers tilt and reach adjustment.

The twin-dial instrument panel glows a sporty shade of red, while storage cubbies and cup-holders are much the same as those of the regular Swift – as is the 60:40 split-fold rear seat, two ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat anchor points. The boot measures 265 litres (+55 litres).

Safety kit extends to six airbags, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, autonomous emergency braking, daytime running lights, high-beam assist, lane departure and weaving alert (60-160km/h), tyre pressure monitoring, and stability control.

External goodies include thin-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels shod in 195/45 series rubber (repair kit spare), automatic LED headlights, front fog lights, dual exhaust outlets, privacy glass and a mild body kit comprising front, side and rear spoilers.

The nitty gritty on the itty bitty
Measuring just 3890mm (+40mm) in length, the Swift Sport rides on a 2450mm (+20mm) wheelbase, is 1735mm (+40mm) wide and just 1495mm (-15mm) tall.

The track sits at 1510mm across the front axle and is 1515mm at the rear (both +40mm), Suzuki’s new, more-rigid HEARTECH platform offering a stable base for the tauter Monroe-damped strut front/torsion beam rear suspension.

Suzuki says the intercooled 1.4 BOOSTERJET engine provides 103kW at 5500rpm and 230Nm over 2500-3500rpm.

Fuel economy is claimed at 6.1L/100km (-0.4L) for both transmissions (and 141g/km of CO2, -12g/km), while stopping power comes from four-wheel discs (406/381mm) with dual-piston callipers. The steering is electrically-assisted.

The six-speed manual transmission is carried over from the outgoing Swift Sport, but is revised to offer improved shift feel and increased driver feedback, says Suzuki.

The predecessor’s continuously variable transmission has been ditched in favour of a traditional six-speed automatic – a point Suzuki largely let slide at the press conference, but one we think is a very smart move.

The Swift Sport is differentiated visually by a staggered, honeycomb grille design with carbon-fibre-style embossing (which is repeated on the front lip spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser), and model-specific bumper covers.

The blacked-out A-pillars and vertically-stacked front and rear tail-lights are carried over from the standard range.

The Swift Sport is offered in five paint colours, with metallic hues attracting a $500 premium.

Suzuki continues to offer a three-year warranty. However, this is extendable to five years with the continuation of the included capped-price servicing arrangement.

More playful than potent
It’s fitting that Suzuki should host the Australian launch of its Swift Sport at Victoria’s State Motorcycle Sport Complex outside Broadford. The venue not only ties-in nicely with Suzuki’s two-wheel heritage, but provides a technical and challenging circuit on which to test the hot hatch’s claims.

The BOOSTERJET engine comes of strong with plenty of accessible torque from low in the rev range.

It’s great for not only cracking up to speed in a hurry, but also in driving from the corners – though much of that energy is wasted in spinning up the inside wheel, the Swift Sport without both electronic torque vectoring or a mechanical diff.

Balance the juice with your right foot and the Swift Sport is playful. It balances happily between under and oversteer at the will of the driver, a handy tool in setting the car up for quick corner exits.

If there’s a downside it’s that the Swift Sport reaches redline very quickly – and runs out of puff just as fast. Trust your ears and you’ll soon hit the rev limiter.

The turbocharged mill sounds like it could rev for days, but just north of 6000rpm the fuel is cut and you’re grappling that short-throw shifter for the next cog.

We think it’s an issue that could be solved with the addition of a shift lift or buzzer – or you could opt for the far-improved automatic.

Left to its own devices the six-speed self-shifter is smart enough, and will gear down under brakes to help set up for the next corner. It’s better again with the paddles, and will happily hold gears until redline.

However, we found downshifts very restrictive, the transmission waiting until the brakes had washed off speed before permitting a cog swap.

The lightweight Swift Sport doesn’t want for brakes, and held up well to a few hard laps of the Broadford circuit.

We did, however, find the manual model less ‘nosey’ than the automatic, that extra 20kg seeming to hang in front of the axle, causing additional understeer on corners that the manual had flicked though with barely a squeal.

Our brief stint at the track gave no chance to sample the Swift Sport on a highway run, or in stop-start city traffic. But if our quick spin at the track is anything to go by, this could well be the best sporty Swift yet.

2018 Suzuki Swift Sport pricing and specifications:
Price: $25,490 manual, $27,490 auto (plus ORCs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 103kW/230Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 141g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2018)