Suzuki Swift Sport vs. Up! GTI Drag Race Is a Brutal Smashing

"Well, aren't these two direct rivals?" we hear you ask. While they might be cross-shopped, the specs describe two completely different machines, so much so that we've compiled a list of other cars that could have been used in this drag race.

Want to keep the Up! GTI on the track? That's fine. There are a few other low-power hot hatchbacks out there. Brabus, for example, makes a really cool smart fortwo with up to 125 HP. At the same time, VW owners are probably curious to see if the Up! GTI is faster than other cars with the same 1.0 TSI, like a Polo. And what about some older stuff, like a Citroen C2 VTS, a Clio GT 1.6 or even the previous Swift Sport with the 1.6.

An even match for the Swift Sport? That could exist as well. For example, Fiat has a base version of the Abarth 595 - 1.4-liter turbo with about 140 HP, just like the Suzuki. Four-door rivals might include the SEAT Ibiza FR 1.5 TSI. It's slightly heavier but would probably have beaten the Swift with its 0 to 100 km/h time reading 7.9 seconds vs. 8.1s. Is the 140 HP Swift much faster than a 140 HP family hatchback like a Focus or Golf? Nobody knows, and real car nuts, the people who would by something with a GTI or Sport badge, want to know.

We mention all this because Top Gear should have known better. The Swift Sport was always going to smash the baby GTI, which is about 20% cheaper, has one less cylinder and is 25 HP down. The drag race has been done before, so at least they could have tried to line up more cars on the track. Where is the creativity they showed when racing an AMG in reverse against a tiny Renault EV?