As a company that makes almost exclusively tiny cars with tiny engines, Suzuki should have been safe from the European Union's emissions crackdown. However, the relatively small Japanese shop has been hit pretty hard and needed to adapt almost every engine and model to be hybrid or retire them like in the case of the Jimny.
Today, news of change for the sportiest of its cars came via the UK branch, which announced two big and quite annoying changes to the Swift Sport for the new model year.
It's still powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. However, the unit has been adapted to a 48-volt mild-hybrid architecture. This consists of a belt-driven starter generator that can provide a tiny bit of extra torque. However, its main role is to recover some energy when the Swift Sport is coasting with the engine shut off, storing it in the battery located under one of the front seats.
That's the part we hate the most. In a car like this, you're supposed to torture the engine in second gear while cruising at 50mph, not have it shut off and silent. In addition, the supposedly hot hatch has lost some of its performance. Output goes down from 140 to 130 hp (127 bhp) and torque 173 lb-ft (235 Nm) 5 Nm higher because of the electric motor.
The 0 to 100 kph (62mph) sprint now takes 9.1 seconds. The old one isn't listed anywhere, but couldn't be any slower.
We don't want to give Suzuki a hard time; they've always tried to make a good, simple, cheap car. And it shows in the other Swift Sport Hybrid changes, which include a new electric variable valve timing system, new injectors, a larger radiator, and modified exhaust. The six-speed manual is supposed to have 10% shorter ratios, so it should still feel fun.
It's still powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. However, the unit has been adapted to a 48-volt mild-hybrid architecture. This consists of a belt-driven starter generator that can provide a tiny bit of extra torque. However, its main role is to recover some energy when the Swift Sport is coasting with the engine shut off, storing it in the battery located under one of the front seats.
That's the part we hate the most. In a car like this, you're supposed to torture the engine in second gear while cruising at 50mph, not have it shut off and silent. In addition, the supposedly hot hatch has lost some of its performance. Output goes down from 140 to 130 hp (127 bhp) and torque 173 lb-ft (235 Nm) 5 Nm higher because of the electric motor.
The 0 to 100 kph (62mph) sprint now takes 9.1 seconds. The old one isn't listed anywhere, but couldn't be any slower.
We don't want to give Suzuki a hard time; they've always tried to make a good, simple, cheap car. And it shows in the other Swift Sport Hybrid changes, which include a new electric variable valve timing system, new injectors, a larger radiator, and modified exhaust. The six-speed manual is supposed to have 10% shorter ratios, so it should still feel fun.