SWIFT BY NAME. (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 95

The Suzuki Swift Sport has long been a car embraced by serious drivers who know a great handling hot hatch when they see it. Though not especially powerful, it's agile, chuckable and brilliant fun for not a lot of money. Few potential buyers know this, so the idea with this third generation post-2011 model was to widen its appeal with a smarter interior, lower running costs, a little more grunt and even sharper handling. For all that, this warm hatch still remained a well-kept secret in this segment, but one loyal buyers will enjoy hugely.

Modelsword count: 6

3dr/5dr hatch (Petrol - 1.6 134PS)

Historyword count: 258

We remember when Hot Hatches weren't all about power. You had a simple, revvy, normally aspirated engine and there was certainly no need to fuss about with extra go-faster gadgetry. Four-wheel drive, trick diffs, double-clutch gearboxes, electronic stability systems - all very nice but all there to add weight and cost to what ought to be a simple, inexpensive formula. You might think that it's too late to turn the clock back in this segment - but Suzuki doesn't and in 2011 proved it by delivering us this car, the MK3 model Swift Sport. This was - and still is - one of the best-kept secrets in GTi motoring, modestly powered perhaps but modestly weighted too, which means it can routinely put the wind up far more exalted machinery. Prior to the launch of this third generation car, over 6,000 Swift Sports already pounded UK roads, almost all owned by people who wouldn't give any thanks at all for an offer of trading their car against an equivalent pokier warmed-up Fiesta, Corsa or any other shopping rocket. Here, we're going to find out why, in analysing this third generation version, more efficient, faster and better equipped than any Swift Sport model before it. If you need convincing that power isn't everything in a performance car, then you need to drive this one. Initially, only the three-door bodystyle was made available, but in 2014, Suzuki offered buyers the option of the five-door Swift bodyshape too. Both variants sold until the launch of a replacement fourth generation model in 2017.

What You Getword count: 421

This car doesn't only show other hot hatches how they should drive. It also for us offers a good template on how they should look. Potently understated. Sure enough, there's nothing showy about this Suzuki, with cosmetic changes over the previous generation model that aren't really cosmetic but instead were aimed at further sharpening the driving experience by controlling the airflow and suppressing lift. Even so, there's a look assertive enough to suggest you might be in for a bit of fun at the wheel. The front end, with its large High-Intensity Discharge headlamps, was styled to give the design a lower visual centre of gravity, finned foglamp bezels sitting just above a deep front spoiler. Move towards the pertly-designed rear of the three-door only bodyshape with its sleeker rear combination lamps and you'll note the way that the car hunkers down over its lovely 17-inch sports alloys. It's an inviting prospect. Inside, it's not quite as smart but appropriately, it is very driver-focused. A trio of overlapping dials in the instrument binnacle sit behind the sports steering wheel, while a tapered centre console draws the eye to the gear lever that marshals the six-speed manual transmission. The sports seats offer plenty of lateral support and the view out of the car is better than in most rivals, thanks to that upright seating position and big glass area. It's true that the fit and finish in the cabin won't have you wondering whether you're in an Audi A1, but it's all of much higher quality than the previous version of this car could manage and more than up to the standard you'd expect for the modest price being asked. We can't see many buyers bothering to use the rear seats very often in the three-door model (a five-door variant was also made available), but if they are called into use, then a couple of adults (or at a pinch three children) will be reasonably comfortable, especially since there are headrests high enough to actually support your head. Far more comfortable, certainly, than they would be in the tiny pews offered by this model's most direct rivals from this era, the Renaultsport Clio, the Fiat 500 Abarth or the MINI Cooper. Out back, there's a 211-litre boot, extendable if you push forward the 60:40-split rear seat to 512-litres, slightly less for some reason than the total on offer from an ordinary 3-door Swift model. But again, both figures are far better than those delivered by obvious and much smaller comparably priced rivals.

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