The Revenge of the Swift

Suzuki was on to a winner when they released the second gen Swift. The chic styling combined with great dynamics won favor with many. The Swift Sport of the same took the baton further by cementing the Suzuki brand as a key player in the hot hatch market. Now on its fourth generation, the new Swift Sport is making waves once again. 

The recipe for the Swift Sport was simple, rev happy 1600cc engine sending power to the front wheels, disc brakes all round, slick manual box, beefed up suspension, chunkier looks and some tasty Recaros.

It's simplicity is was what made it so lovable. It was a no nonsense hot hatch. Yes the high revving engine may have only produced 120hp but with its high lift cams, forged pistons and strengthened valve springs the way it delivered that horsepower was very refreshing. 

Things have changed with their latest incarnation of the Swift.

 Suzuki has sent their new Swift on a strict diet and made it lose 200 kg ! 

The high revving naturally aspirated motor has been replaced with a 1400cc turbo charged four cylinder now pushing out 138bhp and 230nm of torque. 

You can either opt for a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed auto, the latter is an improvement on the previous CVT gearbox which is present on the car featured here. 

What about the handling? The same characterful handling is still present and the new Swift Sport aims to please any budding driver. The electronically operated steering does lack feel compared to previous models but this can be said about most modern cars! 

To many the Sport was easily distinguishable by puffed up body alterations. The current one may not have the wide body fenders that the first gen had but there are some key changes that point to this Swift's sporty intentions. But it must be noted, the designs have been slowly progressing towards a more Euro chic look rather than the usual Japanese rebellious creative expressionism. Take the hidden rear door handles for example, that's very Italian! 

Except those quite enormous exhaust cut outs! And that's a real dual exhaust, unlike the new trend where the tips are a mere cosmetic add on and in most cases aren't even connected to the actual exhaust. The faux carbon body kit is not to my taste sadly, what about you guys? 

Another European influence are the wheels, with their complex design and dual tone color scheme!

And surprise surprise, they were wrapped in European rubber too !

The interior is pretty standard fare, not much is different compared to the lower trim level the RS. Flat bottom steering wheels seem to be a real fad in modern cars, another trend which I cant seem to like.

And no you dont get Recaro seats anymore, sadly even after reading a couple of brochures they dont even seem to be an optional extra. Its not all bad news, as these bucket seats are both comfortable and snug when you thrash around corners. You just dont get those bragging rights as you did before....

The center display on the instrument panel shows a plethora of information and also includes an all important G meter!

The rest of the controls are the same as what you would find on well spec'd Swift, which are both ergonomic and well designed. The build quality has also improved by leaps and bounds compared to the previous models. 

The red trim which is standard on the Swift Sport is another case of the 'Mar-mite' syndrome. You either like it or you dont, Black or silver would have been better in my opinion.

As a complete package, the new Swift Sport is a definite improvement over the previous generation in terms of design and build quality. Yes I wish the steering had more feel, and I wish they stuck some Recaros in it (The Alto Works has them why not this?), and that they didn't downsize on engine capacity. I feel it has gotten a little softer over the years and that original back to basics appeal has been diluted slightly especially in this generation with the addition of a turbo charger. 

It does have its good points, and still retains some of that original Swift Sport charm. Thanks to the current tax structure and a result of our exchange rate, this might be the only Swift Sport that you would see on our roads. God bless us Petrol heads of Sri Lanka....

A special Thank you to the owner

Charith Kulasiri