Publications
Partners
The latest generation Suzuki Swift Sport is being launched in South Africa and – as fun as the standard Swift may be – everyone loves a little pocket rocket, don’t they?
Image gallery
When Suzuki made its local reappearance back in 2008 the Swift was one of two models at the forefront of the charge. Wheels24 had a long-term unit and we absolutely couldn’t get enough of the cheeky little hatchback.
More recently, though, following the launch of the latest Swift in 2011, the range is being beefed up with the addition of the range-topping Swift Sport, which Suzuki Auto SA says is more “aggressive and refined” (much as we hate the word "aggressive"). We’ll be driving it a little later today, so we’ll be able to give you feedback on that.
HOT HATCH WITH PURPOSE
What we can say from the outset is that the sportier Swift has large fog light bezels, a larger grille, sharp high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, side spoilers and 16” multispoked alloy rims shod with 195/50R16 tyres.
From the rear, the Swift Sport is differentiated by its dual tail pipes, metallic grey rear diffuser and a tailgate spoiler.
Inside the cabin, the Swift Sport’s cabin is finished in chrome or stainless steel with red accents. The front seats have more supportive side bolsters and the “Sport” logo is embroidered on them in red.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, electric power steering, power windows and side mirrors, a six-speaker audio system supporting MP3 use and has a USB port, and keyless entry.
MORE DYNAMIC - EFFICIENT, TOO
For dynamic purposes, the Swift Sport is 10mm lower than before and has a body built using a higher percentage of high tensile steel for better rigidity. The new Swift Sport, however, is 30kg lighter than its predecessor, which should also aid its handling.
The Swift Sport’s four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine now produces 100kW at 6900rpm and peak torque of 160Nm at 4400rpm. It's mated to a specially designed, Suzuki says, six-speed manual transmission.
Other improvements claimed by Suzuki are that the new car’s CO2 emissions have been reduced (from 165 to 153g/km) and the 0-100km/h sprint time has been slashed from 8.9 to 8.7 seconds. The Swift Sport’s top speed is quoted as 195km/h.
It all seems very promising; we’ll let you know how it goes.
The latest Swift Sport costs R213 900, which includes metallic paint and the Suzuki Complete package.
Image gallery
When Suzuki made its local reappearance back in 2008 the Swift was one of two models at the forefront of the charge. Wheels24 had a long-term unit and we absolutely couldn’t get enough of the cheeky little hatchback.
More recently, though, following the launch of the latest Swift in 2011, the range is being beefed up with the addition of the range-topping Swift Sport, which Suzuki Auto SA says is more “aggressive and refined” (much as we hate the word "aggressive"). We’ll be driving it a little later today, so we’ll be able to give you feedback on that.
HOT HATCH WITH PURPOSE
What we can say from the outset is that the sportier Swift has large fog light bezels, a larger grille, sharp high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, side spoilers and 16” multispoked alloy rims shod with 195/50R16 tyres.
From the rear, the Swift Sport is differentiated by its dual tail pipes, metallic grey rear diffuser and a tailgate spoiler.
Inside the cabin, the Swift Sport’s cabin is finished in chrome or stainless steel with red accents. The front seats have more supportive side bolsters and the “Sport” logo is embroidered on them in red.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, electric power steering, power windows and side mirrors, a six-speaker audio system supporting MP3 use and has a USB port, and keyless entry.
MORE DYNAMIC - EFFICIENT, TOO
For dynamic purposes, the Swift Sport is 10mm lower than before and has a body built using a higher percentage of high tensile steel for better rigidity. The new Swift Sport, however, is 30kg lighter than its predecessor, which should also aid its handling.
The Swift Sport’s four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine now produces 100kW at 6900rpm and peak torque of 160Nm at 4400rpm. It's mated to a specially designed, Suzuki says, six-speed manual transmission.
Other improvements claimed by Suzuki are that the new car’s CO2 emissions have been reduced (from 165 to 153g/km) and the 0-100km/h sprint time has been slashed from 8.9 to 8.7 seconds. The Swift Sport’s top speed is quoted as 195km/h.
It all seems very promising; we’ll let you know how it goes.
The latest Swift Sport costs R213 900, which includes metallic paint and the Suzuki Complete package.
