2012 Suzuki Swift Reviews

Suzuki Swift Sport is a genuine sporty model. Now, given its name, this may seem to be a blindingly obvious statement. But in these times when marketing people persuade designers to tack on a few extra bits of plastic and some fancy badges - but do nothing to actually improve the car - the name ‘sport’ has often been seriously diluted.Not so in the Suzuki Swift Sport, this little Japanese machine has been significantly improved in important areas to appeal to those who like to put serious effort into their driving. Even better news is that you don’t need big money to go the full-on high-performance route.This swift Swift from Suzuki comes into the market at an extraordinary low starting price of just $23,990. You get a lot of driving pleasure for a very modest outlay.By way of comparison, the all-new Swift Sport costs a thousand dollars less than the outgoing model did when it hit the hot-hatch scene in 2005.The Swift has always had a shape that responds well to add-ons. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels of a special lightweight design are the key to the good looks of the sporting Swift.These are complemented by a new under bumper panel carrying foglights in triple-fin bezels. The grille takes a Euro look in its hexagonal mesh design.Side skirts connect the front and rear arches and give the Sport a lower appearance without the need to drag to body down to unreasonable levels. The rear features a larger roof spoiler and a diffuser look giving the Suzuki a race-car style.Though it’s not immediately obvious, the headlight are bi-xenon items as used in quite a few upmarket European cars. While you won’t be routinely cruising at 130 km/h at night as they do in Europe, the added clarity of the lights will nevertheless be appreciated in Australia.Inside, there are leather sports seats while the instrument console features a new design with silver rings about the gauges. There’s a sports steering wheel that not only feels good while you’re driving, but also adds plenty of class to the appearance.New Suzuki Swift Sport is powered by a 100 kW version of the standard Swift 1.6-litre engine. While this doesn’t seem like a huge number, keep in mind that it weighs just 1050 kg, so the power to weight ratio is impressive for an affordable sports hatch.Acceleration from rest to 100 km/h takes place in around eight seconds. Not bitumen burning, but quick enough to put a smile on the face of anyone who likes sitting behind the wheel of a car with zing.In a true sports engine manner, the engine revs all the way to 7000 rpm and is happy to sit at the top end of the tacho, it’s almost like an Italian engine in its willingness to rev and the way it sings to the ears. We loved it. Down low, modern electronics mean it’s happy enough to pull the Swift along in a workmanlike way.Our vehicle of choice is the Swift Sport with a slick little manual gearbox, but, for the first time in this model, an automatic transmission is also on offer. A continuously variable unit it has seven paddle-operated preset ratios within the continuous range should you wish to have more control over the engine output.Cornering power and precision are the biggest features of the Swift Sport. We were fortunate in being able to spend time at the race track at Broadford where we could appreciate the Suzuki in controlled conditions. There we loved the levels of grip, the nippy handling offered by this lightweight machine and the pure enjoyment if offered.Not only has the suspension been firmed up by the use of sports components, it also has the benefit of a body that has been stiffened in important areas to give the suspension a stable platform with which to work.Brakes were more than up to the task of hauling the Suzuki Sport back to reality at the end of the long straights at Broadford. Suzuki Swift Sport is a brilliant piece of automotive engineering. For a most modest price you get a lot of driving pleasure, either at a track if you want to take that route, or simply on your favourite stretch of driving road on a quiet Sunday morning.

Starting an argument about what were the pioneering hot hatches is easy - get Peugeot, VW Golf, Renault and a few other fans of the breed and see if anyone remembers the Swift GTi, which popped up in 1986, a year before the Pug 205 GTi. Some will argue the Golf is a size up, others won't rate the little cars and while Suzuki's honest little performer has lost the GTi/GTI tag, the Japanese car maker's new Swift Sport is aiming to maintain the bloodline.New Suzuki Australia boss Mac Kato, a 30 year veteran of the Suzuki brand, has aims of taking Suzuki into the top 10 and sees the Sport as a hero car to help achieve that. "It's one of my favourite cars and after talking to the engineering team, I'm confident that we will be able to continue the Suzuki tradition of building a great hot hatch," he says.VALUEThe Swift flagship has an upgraded features list and a downgraded price - it's dropped by $1000 to $23,990. That's despite an equipment list that includes climate control, a sound system with Bluetooth and USB, cruise control, 17in wheels, bi-xenon headlights, a six-speed manual (up from five cogs) or the option of a continuously-variable transmission (with a seven-speed "manual'' change mode and an electronic lock-up clutch for improved performance).The price cut and the CVT are expected to put the Sport volumes around 200 per month, with as much as 70 per cent opting for the $2000 CVT. The sports steering wheel has also grown audio, cruise and phone controls, and the features list also includes fog lamps, keyless entry and ignition.TECHNOLOGYThe 1.6-litre engine has been given a tweak to increase power by 8kW to 100kW and torque has risen from 148 to 160Nm, thanks to a new intake manifold, smoother intake ports and variable valve timing. When under medium load, a valve in the intake is closed, opening when required at high and low engine loads - shortening the intake path and improving the spread of available torque.The extra urge has not been accompanied by growing thirst - the Sport model still prefers 95RON PULP (it can cope with 91RON) but the number has dropped from 7.3 to 6.5 for the manual - or the optional CVT claims 6.1 litres per 100km. There's also 30kg less to haul, as the new Sport tips the scales at 1060kg, thanks to a 10kg lighter bodyshell and the lightweight 17in alloy wheels rolled thinner during a new manufacturing process.DESIGNThe little five-door sports hatch gets dual exhausts and a low-key sports body kit (including roof lip spoiler) that gives the evolutionary design of the normal Swift a lift. It sits on a wider track and its length has grown by 120 mm over old Sport and its 40mm longer than current Swift model, thanks to different bumpers.There's an extra 50mm in the wheelbase that Suzuki says improves rear space. The cabin has sports seats (with contrasting red stitching, also on the steering wheel and gearshifter) and pedals.SAFETYThe Sport has inherited the cooking model's five-star NCAP rating with a safety features list that includes seven airbags (the new car has a driver's knee airbag), as well as stability and traction control, as well as front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. The Sport model has also been endowed with slightly beefier brakes than the outgoing Sport and the current Swift.DRIVINGThe first few hundred metres in the new Swift Sport hints that the little Suzuki is not trying to be something other than what you see -- a small, perky little hot hatch that is an honest machine.The seats are comfortable and with adequate lateral support and a good range of adjustment, the sports steering wheel can adjust for reach and rake to get a decent driving position and the six-speed manual is a light and direct shift (there were no CVTs on hand to sample).Rear space is reasonable given the size of the car, even allowing for my 191cm frame behind the wheel and a similarly-sized person able to sit behind without too much compromise from the driver -- head room is less of an issue than leg room, which is at a premium.Country back roads with lumps and bumps showed the Sport's ride quality was passable for something that is biased towards handling, although country bumps did make it through a little more than is ideal.The cabin wasn't invaded horribly by road or engine noise, with little on the way of droning at cruising speed; work it harder and the driver is aware of the powerplant but it's not harsh in its soundtrack. A brief stint on the racetrack showed the little Japanese hatch has decent amounts of grip  as was experienced on the road drive  and feels like it could cope with more from the powerplant.The track allowed enough pace to be carried to push the nose wide but the stability control was not pessimistic.VERDICTSuzuki Swift SportPrice: from $23,990Warranty: 3-years/100,000kmResale: N/A% (est.) Source: Glass's GuideService Interval: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5-star NCAPEngine: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl petrol, 100kW/160NmBody: 5-door hatchWeight: 1060kgTransmission: 6-speed manual or 7-speed CVT auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 6.5L/100km (6.1 CVT), 95RON, CO2 155g/km (CVT 145g/km)'