ZC33S, 970kg Hot hatch
Discussion
I thought I would share my Suzuki Swift Sport, the ZC33S, which I bought new at the very start of 2020.
In 2019 it became clear that my MX5 1.5 ND was not going to be a long term practical solution for me and my wife as she could not comfortably drive the MX5 as her legs were too short(!). I got a little Aygo (which I fitted with a Bilstein B12 kit) to tide me over as there was nothing that took my fancy really to replace the MX5. Being a fan of lightweight sporty hatches I was looking at finding a low mileage Swift Sport ZC32S, the 1.6 na one. At this point the ZC33S 1.4 turbo came back onto my radar.
When the ZC33S was announced I remember being a bit put off by the news it would be turbocharged. Some of the initial reviews it received seemed to be on a bit of a downer compared to the previous model. None the less any light weight car will prick my interest so I took a test drive. I liked it and so did the wife, hooray!
I really rate it, for a start it is really lightweight compared to its peers at 970kg. So for reference it is a fairly spacious, well equipped 5 door supermini with a strong rigid shell with extra welds and width over the base models that is lighter than a VW Up GTI, lighter than Clio 172 Cup, an MX5, even lighter than the stripped out Fiat 500 Biposto and a third of a ton lighter than the Fiesta ST or Polo GTI and only 50kg heavier than an ickle 106 GTI!
It's book figure of 140hp and 170 lb/ft is regarded as being very pessimistic, standard examples typically have 150-155 hp. Indeed I remember thinking on my test drive that it felt as fast as my old 172 Cup.
My overall goal with this car is to have a fun daily that fits my definition of a hot hatch. Soon after I got it I changed a couple of things to more my taste. Firstly the exhaust, as standard it makes almost no noise. I went for a HKS Spec-L system which gives a nice sound without any obnoxious volume and saves 6kg. At the same time I fitted a Cusco rear anti roll bar. As standard the Swift handles itself with great composure, it rolls a bit but is well damped which I like, personally I wanted it to feel just that little bit more "alert". The RARB has made turn in a bit sharper and helped quell power understeer.
I am not a huge fan of the standard 17" diamond cut wheels, which unfortunately looked very similar to a neighbours Renault Kadjir wheels. Making use of fabled "over night parts available from Japan" some of which can turn up in as little as 6 weeks
I got some 16" ADVAN RZ's shipped over from Japan. Combined with my chosen tyres these save a useful 14kg. The 17's are now been fitted with winter tyres.
I guess I am basically trying to recreate a modern take on the classic hot hatches of the 80's and 90's, the 205 gti and 106 Rallye being old time favourites of mine. To give the Swift a bit more of the edge is was after I had a torque biasing diff form CTC and powerflex lower engine mount fitted.
The diff is pretty awesome giving an extra layer of feedback and obviously more traction and the engine mount makes the whole drivetrain feel more solid.
I picked up a CTC intercooler as I will probably get an ecu remap next year. The intercooler seemed like a good idea to me as the standard cooler can struggle to keep intake temps down once boost pressure and rev limit are raised. A remap with these supporting mods should put it at 180bhp and 220 lb/ft which will likely be as far as I go. I am not particularly interested in chasing big power. Even with 180bhp it would have 189 bhp/ton, not bad for a supermini.
Further plans include a bit of under chassis bracing on order from Summit and Cusco and when that arrives I want to get it undersealed.
A shortened final drive has recently taken my interest. To be honest this would really be a bit of an unnecessary "luxury" as the 6 sp gear box is already fairly well judged and the turbo torque means in gear acceleration is not lacking but I may find the lure too strong!
The ZC33S seem to have fallen off the radar somewhat, undeservedly so in my opinion. They seem like such a good, very capable platform. Obviously the Japanese are very fond of them and I take quite a lot of inspiration from what they show is capable with them. In my youth I was a big fan of French cars but in recent years have become quite interested in Japanese cars. The MX5 ND, GR Yaris and ZC33S being examples of modern cars that do appeal to me.
Anyway I thought I would put my ZC33S out there.
In 2019 it became clear that my MX5 1.5 ND was not going to be a long term practical solution for me and my wife as she could not comfortably drive the MX5 as her legs were too short(!). I got a little Aygo (which I fitted with a Bilstein B12 kit) to tide me over as there was nothing that took my fancy really to replace the MX5. Being a fan of lightweight sporty hatches I was looking at finding a low mileage Swift Sport ZC32S, the 1.6 na one. At this point the ZC33S 1.4 turbo came back onto my radar.
When the ZC33S was announced I remember being a bit put off by the news it would be turbocharged. Some of the initial reviews it received seemed to be on a bit of a downer compared to the previous model. None the less any light weight car will prick my interest so I took a test drive. I liked it and so did the wife, hooray!
I really rate it, for a start it is really lightweight compared to its peers at 970kg. So for reference it is a fairly spacious, well equipped 5 door supermini with a strong rigid shell with extra welds and width over the base models that is lighter than a VW Up GTI, lighter than Clio 172 Cup, an MX5, even lighter than the stripped out Fiat 500 Biposto and a third of a ton lighter than the Fiesta ST or Polo GTI and only 50kg heavier than an ickle 106 GTI!
It's book figure of 140hp and 170 lb/ft is regarded as being very pessimistic, standard examples typically have 150-155 hp. Indeed I remember thinking on my test drive that it felt as fast as my old 172 Cup.
My overall goal with this car is to have a fun daily that fits my definition of a hot hatch. Soon after I got it I changed a couple of things to more my taste. Firstly the exhaust, as standard it makes almost no noise. I went for a HKS Spec-L system which gives a nice sound without any obnoxious volume and saves 6kg. At the same time I fitted a Cusco rear anti roll bar. As standard the Swift handles itself with great composure, it rolls a bit but is well damped which I like, personally I wanted it to feel just that little bit more "alert". The RARB has made turn in a bit sharper and helped quell power understeer.
I am not a huge fan of the standard 17" diamond cut wheels, which unfortunately looked very similar to a neighbours Renault Kadjir wheels. Making use of fabled "over night parts available from Japan" some of which can turn up in as little as 6 weeks
I got some 16" ADVAN RZ's shipped over from Japan. Combined with my chosen tyres these save a useful 14kg. The 17's are now been fitted with winter tyres.I guess I am basically trying to recreate a modern take on the classic hot hatches of the 80's and 90's, the 205 gti and 106 Rallye being old time favourites of mine. To give the Swift a bit more of the edge is was after I had a torque biasing diff form CTC and powerflex lower engine mount fitted.
The diff is pretty awesome giving an extra layer of feedback and obviously more traction and the engine mount makes the whole drivetrain feel more solid.
I picked up a CTC intercooler as I will probably get an ecu remap next year. The intercooler seemed like a good idea to me as the standard cooler can struggle to keep intake temps down once boost pressure and rev limit are raised. A remap with these supporting mods should put it at 180bhp and 220 lb/ft which will likely be as far as I go. I am not particularly interested in chasing big power. Even with 180bhp it would have 189 bhp/ton, not bad for a supermini.
Further plans include a bit of under chassis bracing on order from Summit and Cusco and when that arrives I want to get it undersealed.
A shortened final drive has recently taken my interest. To be honest this would really be a bit of an unnecessary "luxury" as the 6 sp gear box is already fairly well judged and the turbo torque means in gear acceleration is not lacking but I may find the lure too strong!
The ZC33S seem to have fallen off the radar somewhat, undeservedly so in my opinion. They seem like such a good, very capable platform. Obviously the Japanese are very fond of them and I take quite a lot of inspiration from what they show is capable with them. In my youth I was a big fan of French cars but in recent years have become quite interested in Japanese cars. The MX5 ND, GR Yaris and ZC33S being examples of modern cars that do appeal to me.
Anyway I thought I would put my ZC33S out there.
The Bearded Tit said:
Got any photos of the aygo on the B12 kit? What did it handle and ride like compared to standard?
I don't think I do unfortunately, I will have a look. It sat pretty well to be honest. The wheel arch gap to the tyre was equidistant all round if you know what I mean? It didn't immediately jump out as looking lowered. Once on the B12 kit it got rid of most of the unruly roll and pitching. It did become fairly stiff and a bit crashy at times, but to be fair the Aygo shell and suspension layout is pretty basic. Considering I had it on 165mm Goodyear Vector Allseasons it gripped and went round corners pretty damned fast, on the rural roads I drive it was the straight line hero's often holding it up round the corners. The handling balance remained pretty understeery ultimately. it's not like it ploughed on in a straight line or anything but the front anti roll bar was just too much on those cars. You could give that car an absolute caning though, having to hold on to the steering wheel tight as the seats have no lateral support what so ever.Are you considering it?
MiseryStreak said:
That’s a great, I really like that. I’ll be honest I didn’t realise any modern hot hatches weighed less than a tonne, and certainly not one with five doors.
It’s only 60 kg heavier than a 205 GTi and 10 kg lighter than a Clio Williams!
With 190 bhp/tonne it will be a proper little rocket, you might as well aim for 200 though!
Ha! It would be cool to reach 200bhp/ton! I worked it out that my car would need 193bhp. The limit of the standard turbo is 190-195 I think. To get it over 180 bhp you need to change the cat and downpipe.....It’s only 60 kg heavier than a 205 GTi and 10 kg lighter than a Clio Williams!
With 190 bhp/tonne it will be a proper little rocket, you might as well aim for 200 though!
Pebbles167 said:
Great car! And staggeringly light. How did they get the weight down to that level? The older Swift sports were around 1100kg, hell, even my little 2002 Yaris T sport is only 25kg lighter at 950kg.
Will certainly have my eye on these in the future.
I think compared to the zc32s it uses more high strength steel and the platform design it shares with the current ignis and beleano is well developed. It feels robust and stiff when you are in it. It no doubt has less insulation compared to some other cars, the door frames are quite thin for a modern car but I am fine with things like that. People whose hands have grown soft from stroking soft touch dashboards my not appreciate the reliance on hard plastics.Will certainly have my eye on these in the future.
It is not like they skimped on equipment.
Cambs_Stuart said:
Really interesting to see. i own a clio 172 so I'm a big fan of an old school light hit hatch and this looks great. Any plans to reduce weight further?
Not really to be honest. Although I have saved 20kg so far I guess some of that will be added back on with chassis bracing and undersealing. Neil1323bolts said:
I like it , good colour choice as well . I love a lightweight hot hatch I have one of my own a Yaris grmn , bit heavier than yours but a little more power so probably pretty comparable . 
here it is next to my new toy a vx220 turbo, which is amazing to drive !
The Yaris GRMN do look pretty sharp. I don't think I have seen one on the road yet, where as the GR Yaris are positively ten a penny now! Initially I wanted my Swift in Blue but am now glad I got white. White just seems to suit Japanese cars! here it is next to my new toy a vx220 turbo, which is amazing to drive ! What is the gearing like on the grmn, nice and tightly stacked I imagine?
JohnnyD1999 said:
Really like this, what specs are your Advans, lovely wheel and what tyres are you running? Brand and size?
Really nicely balance mods. Planning anything suspension wise?
The wheels are Advan Racing RZ 16x7 et+45 5x114.3 flow formed 6kg each. I went for Dunlop Sport bluresponse 195/50r16. As I wanted to maximise the unsprung weight savings I went for the Dunlops as they were the lightest tyre I could find in that size and also got a good write up as a sporty road tyre. Keeping the tread width at 195 was also a conscious decision, rather than going for outright grip. It does not lack grip as it is!Really nicely balance mods. Planning anything suspension wise?
I am fairly happy with the suspension now that I fitted the rear anti roll bar. I know it sits pretty high but the roads round here are pretty crap and lowering it or increasing spring rates will likely just compromise it in some situations I think. I am going to wait and see how it feels after the bracing is fitted and see what I think.
I have contemplated further suspension mods so if I do go ahead I would likely go for B12 kit or maybe just standalone B6 dampers (if Bilstein pull their finger out). Just using an uprated damper though would likely increase the ride height even more which probably would look rather odd! Ohlins coilovers look good, as used by the rent4ring swifts, kinda pricey though.
Little update time. Not a massive amount has changed. I have done some chassis bracing starting with a c pillar brace. Being a hatchback the rear is a wide open space and quite flexible. Suzuki put some extra welds in the area to address this and I added a Largus c pillar bar from Japan. The benefit of the Largus bar being it does not impede the use of the parcel shelf and comes in matte black so not as blingy as other options. This made a surprising amount of difference. The rear felt better damped and able to handle jarring road defects better. It also gave a slight hint of understeer feel, presumably because the rear suspension was able to do its job a bit better.
Next I fitted some TRD door stabilisers. On initial impression these have a whiff of bulls
t mod about them, but after quite a bit of research they seemed a sound idea so again got some from Japan.
The idea behind these being that the door hinges are effectively solid with the doors shut but the latches float, the door stabilisers create a wedge at the latch with the door shut so acting as a "brace" along the belt line. I installed one on each of the four doors. Again these gave the car a smoother better damped feeling and the car regained a neutral feeling. It also gives the doors a less tinny feeling when closing.
I then installed the obligatory front upper strut bar from Cusco.
To be honest I did not feel any difference from fitting this. Not being a one piece design it will not be optimal, perhaps the two previous mods had taken up some of the slack already? Does look nice though
Other little things I have done include fitting rigid gearshift cradle and bracket bushes to make the gearshift nice and direct and increase the clicky-clackityness. I changed the gear knob to a more comfortable example from R's Racing Service.
I have undersealed the car twice now using Lanogaurd stuff which seems to work well for the underside but for cavity injection did not seem to apply reliably so I used Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 from there aerosol cans, could not be simpler!
I have succumbed to lowering the car. Generally the suspension is very good but when you are in the mood it can be a little soft. I have chosen to go with Bilstein B6 dampers and Eibach Pro springs. This combination should not lower the car too much but firm it up nicely. I am hoping my chassis bracing efforts will will help the shell not become too crashy with firmer suspension.
To get fitted at the same time are a Cusco mid brace (exhaust tunnel), and Summit S-wave front subframe brace, lower control arm brace and rear axle brace. The subframe and LCA brace should make a decent difference. The rear axle brace less so
I will update again when I get this lot fitted hopefully in a few weeks.
Next I fitted some TRD door stabilisers. On initial impression these have a whiff of bulls
t mod about them, but after quite a bit of research they seemed a sound idea so again got some from Japan. The idea behind these being that the door hinges are effectively solid with the doors shut but the latches float, the door stabilisers create a wedge at the latch with the door shut so acting as a "brace" along the belt line. I installed one on each of the four doors. Again these gave the car a smoother better damped feeling and the car regained a neutral feeling. It also gives the doors a less tinny feeling when closing.
I then installed the obligatory front upper strut bar from Cusco.
To be honest I did not feel any difference from fitting this. Not being a one piece design it will not be optimal, perhaps the two previous mods had taken up some of the slack already? Does look nice though
Other little things I have done include fitting rigid gearshift cradle and bracket bushes to make the gearshift nice and direct and increase the clicky-clackityness. I changed the gear knob to a more comfortable example from R's Racing Service.
I have undersealed the car twice now using Lanogaurd stuff which seems to work well for the underside but for cavity injection did not seem to apply reliably so I used Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 from there aerosol cans, could not be simpler!
I have succumbed to lowering the car. Generally the suspension is very good but when you are in the mood it can be a little soft. I have chosen to go with Bilstein B6 dampers and Eibach Pro springs. This combination should not lower the car too much but firm it up nicely. I am hoping my chassis bracing efforts will will help the shell not become too crashy with firmer suspension.
To get fitted at the same time are a Cusco mid brace (exhaust tunnel), and Summit S-wave front subframe brace, lower control arm brace and rear axle brace. The subframe and LCA brace should make a decent difference. The rear axle brace less so
I will update again when I get this lot fitted hopefully in a few weeks.
Edited by xu5 on Tuesday 29th November 08:46
W00DY said:
Never heard of anything like that door latch mod, but I love it! Little tweaks and small gains suit it well.
They were originally designed as a tuning pat for the ae86, then gt86 by Toyota Racing Developments. Some Lexus have them fitted as standard now I believe. They are actually made by Aisin who make door locks for most Japanese and probably more, cars. So if your locks are made by Aisin the universal door stabilisers will probably fit.It is quite nice noticing the incremental changes which all add up!
Scoobydrew95 said:
Ahh this is an awesome little thread, like the commitment to weight saving. Very jealous with all the bolt-ons you have available for it! Certainly an admirable little car for being under 1000kg.
How are those tyres treating you? Always considered getting different wheels to save weight but never tyres. Which is weird as with mountain biking its a detail i obsess over.
The Dunlop Sport Bluresponses have been pretty good, they have only been used for the summer and may been due a change next year. I have had no complaints about them, good in the dry and wet and wear has been reasonable. Compared to the standard 17's which now have winter tyres the 16's save 4kg a corner and you definitely notice it with less inertia in acceleration and steering input. being perfectly honest though I may slightly prefer the steering feel to the heavier setup, though overall the light weight pairing feels better overall. I may go for a slightly more aggressive tyre like Yokohama Advan v701's and see if I can notice the slight weight increase How are those tyres treating you? Always considered getting different wheels to save weight but never tyres. Which is weird as with mountain biking its a detail i obsess over.
Also how cool will I be with Yoko Advan wheels and tyres There are plenty of bits available for this generation of Swift now. The UK is lucky to have CTC Performance who specialise in Suzuki's and now Hyundai N models. Japan however has raft's of aftermarket parts available as you would expect. Indeed I have sourced a fair few bits from Japan my self but unfortunately shipment costs have rocketed this year. I was looking at getting a carbon bonnet which so far I can only find available from the far east for about £450, plus shipping it is now £1k so that is a no for now
trails said:
Great thread and mods, not sure how I missed it 
My wife had a ZC31S and currently has a ZC32S, we had a ZC33S loaner from Suzuki and it was a cracking little thing. I think I'm going to import one next year as they are also available in silver in Japan.
I was under the impression, probably incorrect, that it is difficult to import a car that is under 10 years old into the UK?My wife had a ZC31S and currently has a ZC32S, we had a ZC33S loaner from Suzuki and it was a cracking little thing. I think I'm going to import one next year as they are also available in silver in Japan.
The JDM ZC33S cars have the gearset from the ZC32S hence close ratio, whereas the Europe ZC33S have the gear set from the Vitara S so are wider spaced. Not such a problem with turbo torque available I guess. Also the the JDM cars are not afflicted with the mild hybrid engine (K14D) that displaced the K14C engine in the UK mid 2020. The non hybrid K14C being lighter and more powerful.
Just remembered, another advantage of getting a JDM car would be that you can opt out of the mostly annoying and useless "safety package", ie lane assist, autonomous braking. Thankfully all assists can be turned of anyway.
Edited by xu5 on Tuesday 29th November 14:51
A couple of other things I have done is fit a Turbosmart/CTC recirculation valve and different clutch pedal stop. The recirculation valve was mostly just something to tick off the list and a bit of piece of mind over the standard plastic item. Does it have faster response? Might do, I can't really tell. I am almost certain that the boost does go a tinsie tiny bit higher on the gauge than before so perhaps it holds better 
There is an option of recirculation, vent to atmosphere or 50/50. I decided to forsake delicious turbo noises and keep it as recirculation as that is what the ecu is calibrated for. When I ordered it from Chris at CTC he said they have only sold about 3 in recirculating configuration, perhaps I should have been less of a tight wad and gone for the blow off option as it can be put into recirc easily. You can still sometimes hear a little "atchooo" which is kind of amusing.
The clutch pedal travels fairly far but actually disengages quite quickly so a nice little change is to swap the standard rubber pedal stop for one from a Suzuki Raptor quad bike (oem+ yo). The standard stop is 2mm high and the Raptor stop 6mm high, doesn't sound much but removes most of the dead travel from the clutch and leg movement making shifts feeling a bit snappier still.
There is an option of recirculation, vent to atmosphere or 50/50. I decided to forsake delicious turbo noises and keep it as recirculation as that is what the ecu is calibrated for. When I ordered it from Chris at CTC he said they have only sold about 3 in recirculating configuration, perhaps I should have been less of a tight wad and gone for the blow off option as it can be put into recirc easily. You can still sometimes hear a little "atchooo" which is kind of amusing. The clutch pedal travels fairly far but actually disengages quite quickly so a nice little change is to swap the standard rubber pedal stop for one from a Suzuki Raptor quad bike (oem+ yo). The standard stop is 2mm high and the Raptor stop 6mm high, doesn't sound much but removes most of the dead travel from the clutch and leg movement making shifts feeling a bit snappier still.
tomglos said:
The smalls details on this car really set it off, especially the advan wheels and other tasteful parts. With the OE diamond cut wheels they look gaudy but you've fixed that! Keen to see more on this car
Thanks, I do enjoy the incremental improvements. This is very much a daily driver doing about 11k a year, now on 33k, so I don't want to do anything to outlandish with it. The OE wheels are on winter duties but despite never being kerbed the standard diamond cut finish is an absolute mess. I was going to claim it on warranty but will prob get them powder coated, or maybe get some rally-esqe 15's for winter. You have to be careful with your choice of 15 inch wheels though to clear the brake caliper. Edited by xu5 on Wednesday 30th November 07:08
WolvesWill said:
What comes as standard kit on this generation Swift Sport? Whats your average fuel economy like?
I have an Octavia VRS245 at the moment on a lease which will go back sometime in 2023, a property purchase is also on the cards, I no longer need such a big car as the Octavia, so am pondering a used Swift Sport as something cheaper to buy, run and insure, that is still a bit of fun on the commute and on country roads.
On the K14C non hybrid engined cars which were up to early/mid 2020, there was only one trim level with no options other than paint colour and decals. As standard they have 4x electric windows, automatic air con, auto lights and wipers, folding heated mirrors, radar cruise control, lane assist, collision avoidance, ESC, LED headlights, start/stop, reverse camera, android auto and I think Apple carplay compatible. Same infotainment system as Alpine A110 don't you know.... where presumably it is also a bit laggy. I have an Octavia VRS245 at the moment on a lease which will go back sometime in 2023, a property purchase is also on the cards, I no longer need such a big car as the Octavia, so am pondering a used Swift Sport as something cheaper to buy, run and insure, that is still a bit of fun on the commute and on country roads.
All driver "assists" can be turned off.
The K14D hybrid from 2020 is pretty much the same but also has rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors (i think) and sign recognition.
Since having my non hybrid I have done 33k miles with zero issues and in that time it has averaged 47 mpg. Typically my driving is on rural roads but it regularly sees wide open throttle once warmed up. They definately run better on 98/99 octane.
Edited by xu5 on Wednesday 30th November 21:09
Edited by xu5 on Thursday 1st December 10:27
Oldybaldy17 said:
Did you have difficulties fitting the cusco front brace? I started fitting mine, but ran out of light, I nearly dropped the rear nut into the engine bay. Seems like you need the hands of a child to reach it.
I do remember it being a pain, getting that rear nut on under the scuttle takes a bit of knack... from what I remember 2 combi spanners are needed. Sorry I can't be more help!trails said:
Cambs_Stuart said:
dapper said:
That's an impressive MPG figure, I'm thinking they could make a good clubsport esque build, especially with some tweaks from CTC.
I was thinking exactly the same. This seems like the spiritual successor a to the old French hot hatches. Edited by xu5 on Friday 2nd December 21:52
tweenster said:
Enjoyed reading this.
I've had my Speedy Blue ZC33S for just under a year now and it's running the CTC Stage 2 kit (so approx 180bhp) on coilovers. It's my weekend car so doesn't do huge mileage but it is certainly a fun little car. The CTC package is brilliant, docile, smooth and economical when required (I have regularly seen journeys in excess of 50mpg when in steady traffic) but brilliant at overtaking. I have a set of Rota alloys and a RARB to go on over the winter.
I also like that almost no-one knows what they are!
Did you make use of the postal service for the remap, or did you get it done in person? A remap is my next step once the suspension is done. I found the RARB made a great difference. I've had my Speedy Blue ZC33S for just under a year now and it's running the CTC Stage 2 kit (so approx 180bhp) on coilovers. It's my weekend car so doesn't do huge mileage but it is certainly a fun little car. The CTC package is brilliant, docile, smooth and economical when required (I have regularly seen journeys in excess of 50mpg when in steady traffic) but brilliant at overtaking. I have a set of Rota alloys and a RARB to go on over the winter.
I also like that almost no-one knows what they are!
Robthevet said:
Hi op, big fan of the car and what you've done with it. I've been looking into getting one of these recently, so this has been really informative. Whilst I'll be using mine to commute (Likely 12-15k a year) so will probably keep it fairly standard, I am intrigued what effect the LSD has had on the handling - is it noticeably improved?
For those of you who have had the CTC remap done, was it worth it? Has it had much impact on the mpg? I've never modified a car previously, what sort of impact does it usually have on insurance?
Sorry for all the questions, I've been lurking on here for years, just never posted!
Hi Rob, thank you for the compliment and sorry for the late reply.For those of you who have had the CTC remap done, was it worth it? Has it had much impact on the mpg? I've never modified a car previously, what sort of impact does it usually have on insurance?
Sorry for all the questions, I've been lurking on here for years, just never posted!
I am going to paste from the owners forum what I thought of it when I had it installed and then add a couple of bits at the end.
.............In the dry you do have to be "on it" some what to get the the diff working to its full potential I would say. I tend not to do emergency starts from 1st gear but even in 2nd gear, wide open throttle, it is unbroken traction. So much so that in tight 2nd gear corners you will have to wind off lock fairly quickly as the front will pull towards the inside of the corner pretty hard. It certainly brings an extra dimension to the the Swifts traits, being able guide the front end with power around a corner if so desired. When driving moderately the front end does feel more connected and it feels like there is more feedback in general. Being able to get the power down around and out of a corner so early makes an appreciable difference on how much further down the road you can be compared to open diff.
In wet and damp conditions the diff really makes its presence felt. In general you can cover ground so much quicker even when not pushing hard. You do have to meter the torque out to not spin the wheels but now you can put down a lot more power before doing so, it can make it feel like it used to pre-diff in the dry. Obviously I try and be mindful to not get myself into a false sense of security.
As far as I am concerned the diff has brought no downsides. Cost is the big one I guess but the ZC33S is going to be with me for quite a while so I was prepared for it. Out of the box the ZC33S did lack a slight edge to it that I was looking for and the diff has certainly given it some bite and extra depth.
One potential downside I was wary about was the Focus RS mk1 effect, the fairly well publicised trait the Focus RS mk1 getting unruly and very snatchy on poor road surfaces widely attributed to the ATB diff. I do most of my driving in rural Scotland so poor road surfaces are aplenty and happily the CTC diff does not make the car unruly. When pushing on you can feel it gain and loose grip over really bad surfaces but not in an unnerving fashion. Unless you are trying to steer with your knee's you should be ok!.........
Being a helical style diff the effect is subtle just pootling about. But when you want to get on the throttle aggressively or earlier in a corner it will not spin up, it will really dig in and pull you forward or round the corner. When I test drove the Swift I felt that some times corner exit felt a bit hampered by power understeer (it was quite wet). If you are really over zealous it will still power understeer but you really have to be taking liberties (in the dry at least).
While still modestly powerful the 1.4 Boosterjet has a pretty big slug of torque from 2k -4k rpm and the diff makes it a lot more entertaining to use. Also although it is fair to say it is not a rev monster of an engine there is a noticeable valve "kick" at 4,000 rpm.
With the resent cold weather here we have had several inches of snow and the diff coupled with winter tyres have been awesome with good traction being found, even pulling off on a hill of compacted snow/ice is not a problem. When safe to do so it is quite fun getting both front wheels spinning. Again being a helical diff it does not 100% lock and if you ask too much in low traction it will revert to one wheel drive. Also something you have to be mindful of is that if you get both wheels spinning and keep them spinning you will head toward the outside fast.
Basically the diff greatly increases traction, and gives you more options to get round a corner! I hope that helps!
Edited by xu5 on Monday 12th December 00:52
Edited by xu5 on Monday 12th December 00:54
Ste372 said:
Very under rated car! Tried desperately to get my missus into one 6 months ago but ended up with a Vitara mild hybrid with the 1.4 boosterjet unit. Plenty of poke for a daily car.
I'm considering selling the a45 and getting one of these with a few tweaks as a 'cheaper' alternative as it's mostly just me in the car. I've had various Ignis sports over the years and even though it was years old, the local dealer was always very interested and very helpful sourcing parts, discounts etc.... Suzuki seems to be one of the last manufactures who seem intent on keeping customers happy these days.
Will go pretty much same route as you. Help it breath better and plenty of bracing. Rear anti roll bar seems to help every generation of Ignis/swift massively
Mention of the A45 reminded me of this comparison with a A45S.I'm considering selling the a45 and getting one of these with a few tweaks as a 'cheaper' alternative as it's mostly just me in the car. I've had various Ignis sports over the years and even though it was years old, the local dealer was always very interested and very helpful sourcing parts, discounts etc.... Suzuki seems to be one of the last manufactures who seem intent on keeping customers happy these days.
Will go pretty much same route as you. Help it breath better and plenty of bracing. Rear anti roll bar seems to help every generation of Ignis/swift massively
I know if the track had longer straights the Swift would be demolished but still pretty good going considering it is about 180hp/ton vs 260 hp/ton.
Edited by xu5 on Friday 16th December 07:49
Before getting my under chassis braces fitted I gave them a couple of coats of stonechip for added protection.
From top to bottom they are front lower tie bar, front subframe brace, Cusco mid rear brace (already sprayed in zinc primer) and the rear axle brace.
The SUMMIT S-wave braces come in a rather jazzy powder coat metallic orange and are forged Aluminium so very light. But for the sake of protection now decidedly less jazzy.
From top to bottom they are front lower tie bar, front subframe brace, Cusco mid rear brace (already sprayed in zinc primer) and the rear axle brace.
The SUMMIT S-wave braces come in a rather jazzy powder coat metallic orange and are forged Aluminium so very light. But for the sake of protection now decidedly less jazzy.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff