The Suzuki Swift Sport is back and takes its place at the top of the Suzuki Swift range. And while it stays true to the Swift Sport motto of lightweight and seat-of-your-pants driving, Suzuki says it introduces forced induction and direct injection for increased, and more immediate, power.
The late Colin Chapman was famed for saying that adding power makes you faster in the straights, but subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere. Chapman’s views made his motorsport teams famous and have always been the motto of the Swift Sport engineers.
Since introducing the first Swift Sport in 2005, they have worked hard to reduce weight in all areas of the vehicle, from the design of the sport seats to the forging methods of the alloy wheels.
The 2019 Suzuki Swift Sport weighs in at 970kg, a massive 90kg lighter than its predecessor. With 103kW from the BOOSTERJET engine and a sub-one-tonne weight, it means that the Swift Sport is part of the hallowed group of cars that can claim over 100kW/tonne!
Designed to WOW
The new model is lower, wider and longer than its predecessor and stands out from its lesser siblings thanks to a range of hot hatch inspired additions. The most prominent change to the Suzuki Swift Sport is perhaps the all-new front design. The entire nose has been redesigned and is unique to the Swift Sport. It includes a larger and reverse-slanted front grille with honeycomb pattern, straddled by two large cut-outs with integrated fog lights.
The front lights are LEDs with long light-bar type LED daytime running lights and there is a front splitter with carbon-fiber type patterning to round off the sporty look. On the flanks, the Swift Sport is immediately distinguishable by its 16-inch diamond-cut and polished alloy wheels, which are now shod with 195/50R16 low-profile tyres.
While the darkened front, side and rear under spoilers create a clear visual distinction from the standard Suzuki Swift, it also plays an important aerodynamic role. These spoilers, combined with the redesigned roof spoiler, new flat covers under the engine and main floor and new, larger front strakes, boosts the new Swift Sport’s aerodynamic efficiency by 10% over its predecessor, says Suzuki.
New turbocharged engine
One of the main talking points of the new Suzuki Swift Sport is certainly the 1.4-litre BOOSTERJET engine. This new engine is also available in the new Suzuki Vitara Turbo, but in this configuration, according to Suzuki, it’s been uniquely tuned for more power and more lively power delivery.
The K14C DITC BOOSTERJET four-cylinder engine replaces the previous generation’s 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, and the previous model’s port-injection with direct in-cylinder fuel injection from a new, high-pressure and high-precision seven-nozzle injector system.
The Swift Sport also features a unique air intake system with dual air-intake pressure sensors and two electric fans on the front radiator, leading to 34% better cooling efficiency and 38% greater airflow to the engine, compared with the previous model. The wastegate inside the engine is electronically controlled, and in comparison, with other iterations of the same engine, this model closes quicker for rapid pressure build-up at overtaking speeds.
With all these engineering improvements and a Swift Sport-exclusive engine mapping, the BOOSTERJET delivers 103kW at 5 500rpm (3kW more than its predecessor) and a whopping 230Nm in a linear fashion between 2 500 and 3 500rpm, which is a massive 70Nm more than its predecessor.
The BOOSTERJET engine propels the new lower and lighter Swift Sport to 100km/h from a standing start in just 8 seconds and is rated for a top speed of 205km/h.
The new Swift Sport will be available with the choice of an uprated six-speed manual gearbox and a brand-new six-speed automatic gearbox.
From Suzuki SA
André Venter, divisional manager for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa, says: “The massive weight reduction, a significant boost in power and the very impressive list of specifications and safety features show that we have not compromised on any aspect with the introduction of the Swift Sport.
“We recognise that this vehicle has been eagerly anticipated, and we know that the previous 1.6-litre Swift Sport left deep tracks. We do, however, think that the new Swift Sport is sharper, faster and better in every way and to all our customers on our waiting list, certainly worth the wait!”
Price and warranty
The Suzuki Swift Sport manual retails for R315 900, and the automatic for R335 900.
The Swift Sport will be sold with a four-year / 60 000km service plan, and a five-year / 200 000km vehicle warranty.
