Suzuki is specialized in both motorcycles and automobiles, and the Swift Sport Katana combines the two domains rather nicely. Limited to 30 examples of the breed in The Netherlands, the special edition takes its name from the Katana series of motorcycles from 1981.
This tie-up isn’t a coincidence considering the Katana came back for 2019 as a special edition. Available in Premium Silver Metallic and Super Black Pearl, the motorcycle’s colors are also featured on the Swift Sport. The stripe on the hood, decals on the doors, and Katana symbols on the front doors are a handful of other touches worth highlighting.
As far as the interior is concerned, KATANA lettering on the steering wheel and seat bolsters will have to suffice along with the car’s number on the seatbacks. Red contrast stitching, Alcantara, and leather on the steering wheel are also featured, but we’re not impressed by the piano-black trim.
A good ol’ manual transmission and aluminum pedals are present, but what did you expect from the hottest Swift that Suzuki offers? Adjustable suspension and a strut bar, sports exhaust system, and black wheels round off the list of upgrades, and the Japanese automaker wants an eye-popping €28,999 for the limited-edition hot hatchback.
That’s in the ballpark of €4,000 more compared to the bone-stock Swift Sport, and that’s a lot considering the B-segment competition such as the Clio RS from Renault and Fiesta ST from Ford. Because it’s smaller than the two rivals mentioned beforehand, the Swift Sport also happens to be lighter than both of them at 1,045 kilograms (2,304 pounds).
Under the hood, you’ll find the 1.4-liter BoosterJet four-cylinder turbo with 140 PS (138 horsepower) and 230 Nm (170 pound-feet) of torque. These figures are nothing to write home about, but do remember the Swift Sport Katana is light on its feet. Given these circumstances, carving corners is the main attribute of the Japanese interloper.
Elsewhere in the range, the Swift can be had with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine or a 1.2 with or without mild-hybrid assistance. In some markets, all-wheel drive is also available.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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