RE: Suzuki Swift Sport: Driven
Discussion
Having been a fan of the mk1 and mk2 SSS (and the mk1/mk2 Swift in general), I have to admit to being a little disappointed with this one. The yellow paint job and those wheels don't do anything for me but I actually think the regular version of this car looks decent and is a good value alternative to a Fiesta/Polo.
Having worked with Suzuki before, I quite like the brand. It's unpretentious and the cars are decently engineered and well-specced for the money. They do a one-size fits all spec and normally your only option is the colour. This keeps things simple and the price in check but can sometimes be annoying. For instance, we once looked at a mk1 Swift. My wife wanted a 3 door and air conditioning. The 1.3 GL model we drove looked and drove really well and we probably would have bought one but AC wasn't available. To get AC, you needed to go up to a 1.5 5 door or a Sport and we didn't want to spend that much. We bought a Fiat 500 instead, which to be honest didn't drive as well but 3 door obviously and AC was a modest upgrade price. A good friend has a mk1 SSS and I really like it. In 6 years, reliability has been bombproof and his only complaints are an overly firm ride and it being a little loud on the motorway due to being a 5-speeder. Comparisons with my R56 Cooper are inevitable. He doesn't go in for the "retro" styling of the MINI. The mk1 SSS is a bit like a Japanese MINI Cooper without the "retro". I think that they both handle equally well and ride equally firmly but the Swift probably has the nicer engine and having an extra cog means that mine is a bit more refined on the motorway.
I do however think they've messed up on the price of this. On paper, it's not much more powerful than the old one but about 3k more? If it was still 15k then the extra space/practicality and power over the Up GTi would be more compelling but it's significantly down on power compared to the Fiesta ST and only about 1k less (probably the same when you factor in that you'll probably get a discount on the Fiesta). Yes, the weight is impressive and the Swift is better-equipped than the "base" ST but I think in this market, people care more about handling and bang for buck. I could do without the sat nav, LED headlamp, ACC and lane departure on this kind of car if it was 2-3k cheaper. Others may disagree and if you want those items then I guess that it's reasonable value but personally I would go for the cheaper Up GTi or more powerful Fiesta ST if I was in the warm/hot hatch market right now. There don't seem to be many new warm hatches around the 15k or less mark these days. Out of interest, what are the options? Up GTi, MINI Cooper and lesser Abarth 500s I guess?
That being said, the regular Swift still looks like a pretty decent little car.
Having worked with Suzuki before, I quite like the brand. It's unpretentious and the cars are decently engineered and well-specced for the money. They do a one-size fits all spec and normally your only option is the colour. This keeps things simple and the price in check but can sometimes be annoying. For instance, we once looked at a mk1 Swift. My wife wanted a 3 door and air conditioning. The 1.3 GL model we drove looked and drove really well and we probably would have bought one but AC wasn't available. To get AC, you needed to go up to a 1.5 5 door or a Sport and we didn't want to spend that much. We bought a Fiat 500 instead, which to be honest didn't drive as well but 3 door obviously and AC was a modest upgrade price. A good friend has a mk1 SSS and I really like it. In 6 years, reliability has been bombproof and his only complaints are an overly firm ride and it being a little loud on the motorway due to being a 5-speeder. Comparisons with my R56 Cooper are inevitable. He doesn't go in for the "retro" styling of the MINI. The mk1 SSS is a bit like a Japanese MINI Cooper without the "retro". I think that they both handle equally well and ride equally firmly but the Swift probably has the nicer engine and having an extra cog means that mine is a bit more refined on the motorway.
I do however think they've messed up on the price of this. On paper, it's not much more powerful than the old one but about 3k more? If it was still 15k then the extra space/practicality and power over the Up GTi would be more compelling but it's significantly down on power compared to the Fiesta ST and only about 1k less (probably the same when you factor in that you'll probably get a discount on the Fiesta). Yes, the weight is impressive and the Swift is better-equipped than the "base" ST but I think in this market, people care more about handling and bang for buck. I could do without the sat nav, LED headlamp, ACC and lane departure on this kind of car if it was 2-3k cheaper. Others may disagree and if you want those items then I guess that it's reasonable value but personally I would go for the cheaper Up GTi or more powerful Fiesta ST if I was in the warm/hot hatch market right now. There don't seem to be many new warm hatches around the 15k or less mark these days. Out of interest, what are the options? Up GTi, MINI Cooper and lesser Abarth 500s I guess?
That being said, the regular Swift still looks like a pretty decent little car.
I've recently bought one of these, enjoying the hell out of it. I struggled to decide between it and a Abarth 595 at first, but as this will double up as a family car my mind was made up for me when I experienced the interior space of the two.
The official power and 0-62 is clearly some way off, owners have been reporting 150bhp+ dyno runs from stock cars and magazines have been verifying 0-60 runs in the low to mid 7s.
I had a Clio 172 Cup before and there really is nothing in it for outright pace. Remarkable that it's actually quite a bit lighter too, despite having every possible option from the Suzuki range as standard. Suzuki should be applauded for getting this under 1000kg.
Seats are lovely but driving position is a bit high. Yes there are a few electronic nannies that are on by default but I've not found them intrusive yet (and yet are easily switched off).
As a 'warm' hatch it's spot on, in my opinion, and as a fairly cheap to run daily driver/family bus that's also fun at the weekend it ticks all the boxes.
Hardly any community around these though, not an owners thread on PH and very little discussion on the owners forum. I was amused that the 'Problems' forum was dead apart from a few niggles with Android Auto.
I had a Suzuki Ignis Sport about a decade ago and absolutely adored it, as a few here have mentioned, Suzuki dealers are great to deal with and that was my experience too, certainly helped sway my decision, that and they typically build bomb proof cars.
And yes, I bought yellow! Life is too short for dull colours...
The official power and 0-62 is clearly some way off, owners have been reporting 150bhp+ dyno runs from stock cars and magazines have been verifying 0-60 runs in the low to mid 7s.
I had a Clio 172 Cup before and there really is nothing in it for outright pace. Remarkable that it's actually quite a bit lighter too, despite having every possible option from the Suzuki range as standard. Suzuki should be applauded for getting this under 1000kg.
Seats are lovely but driving position is a bit high. Yes there are a few electronic nannies that are on by default but I've not found them intrusive yet (and yet are easily switched off).
As a 'warm' hatch it's spot on, in my opinion, and as a fairly cheap to run daily driver/family bus that's also fun at the weekend it ticks all the boxes.
Hardly any community around these though, not an owners thread on PH and very little discussion on the owners forum. I was amused that the 'Problems' forum was dead apart from a few niggles with Android Auto.
I had a Suzuki Ignis Sport about a decade ago and absolutely adored it, as a few here have mentioned, Suzuki dealers are great to deal with and that was my experience too, certainly helped sway my decision, that and they typically build bomb proof cars.
And yes, I bought yellow! Life is too short for dull colours...
Edited by ch37 on Saturday 12th March 06:38
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