Photo: Suzuki
As far as subcompact-sized hot hatchbacks are concerned, the Ford Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS are up there at the top of the food chain. The Swift Sport, meanwhile, doesn’t mean to challenge the status quo. And that’s perfectly fine.
What Suzuki is trying to do with the all-new Swift in Sport attire isn’t to bring the hot hatchback wars to the establishment, but to better its previous effort in this segment. One way the Japanese automaker will better itself is through turbocharging, with the newcomer packing a 1.4-liter Boosterjet four-pot.
Yet to be detailed by Suzuki, the turbocharged engine can also be found in the Vitara S sport utility vehicle. In the latter application, it’s good for 140 metric horsepower (103 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 220 Nm (162 pound-feet) of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. That’s sensibly more than the free-breathing 1.6-liter in the old Swift Sport, especially in terms of torque.
From the official photos released by Suzuki prior to the all-new Swift Sport’s debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the rev counter features a redline that begins at 5,500 rpm, which is 500 revolutions per minute short from what the Vitara S prides itself on. To the Sport’s defense, the new model will reportedly weigh less than 900 kilograms, probably as little as 870 kilos (1,918 pounds) as per the most optimistic reports.
Combined with the 1.4-liter turbo powerplant, the lightness makes the Swift Sport an enticing proposition in a segment where the Clio RS tips the scales at 1,204 kilograms (2,654 pounds). Speaking of the French yardstick, bear in mind the Swift Sport is equipped with a short-throw manual instead of a dry-clutch EDC transmission. And that, for what it’s worth, signals Suzuki’s intent to offer a genuine driver’s car instead of just another hot hatch.
If Suzuki manages to price its newcomer realistically and broadly in line with the old generation, you can bet the Swift Sport will be a hit with European customers in the market from something different from the norm.
Yet to be detailed by Suzuki, the turbocharged engine can also be found in the Vitara S sport utility vehicle. In the latter application, it’s good for 140 metric horsepower (103 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 220 Nm (162 pound-feet) of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. That’s sensibly more than the free-breathing 1.6-liter in the old Swift Sport, especially in terms of torque.
From the official photos released by Suzuki prior to the all-new Swift Sport’s debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the rev counter features a redline that begins at 5,500 rpm, which is 500 revolutions per minute short from what the Vitara S prides itself on. To the Sport’s defense, the new model will reportedly weigh less than 900 kilograms, probably as little as 870 kilos (1,918 pounds) as per the most optimistic reports.
Combined with the 1.4-liter turbo powerplant, the lightness makes the Swift Sport an enticing proposition in a segment where the Clio RS tips the scales at 1,204 kilograms (2,654 pounds). Speaking of the French yardstick, bear in mind the Swift Sport is equipped with a short-throw manual instead of a dry-clutch EDC transmission. And that, for what it’s worth, signals Suzuki’s intent to offer a genuine driver’s car instead of just another hot hatch.
If Suzuki manages to price its newcomer realistically and broadly in line with the old generation, you can bet the Swift Sport will be a hit with European customers in the market from something different from the norm.
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