|
|
|
|
20/08/2011
REVIEW By EWAN KENNEDY
|
|
|
Suzuki’s Swift Sport has been eagerly awaited by lovers of the quickest offerings from the Japanese marque famed for its small car technology.
With 100 kilowatts of power from its 1.6-litre engine, the Swift Sport will have some 35 per cent more grunt than the standard 1.4-litre version. While this may not sound like a huge output it will give the light car plenty of performance.
Top torque is 160 Newton metres, an impressive figure as few engines can manage the magic number of 100 Nm per litre. Just as impressive is that the engine will reach that 160 Nm at 4000 revs – generally rally high-performance units have to be revved to the heavens to get to their peak.
Sitting alongside the engine is a new design of six-speed manual gearbox. Details are yet to be announced, but hopefully it’s a close-ratio unit that will appeal to the sporting driver.
The big grille goes well with the Swift body and allied to a lower body kit and a rear roof spoiler gives the hot little Suzuki a purposeful appearance.
The wheels on the show car illustrated here are 18-inch numbers, but while these look stunning they may demand such low-profile tyres that ride comfort would be compromised. So 17-inch tyres are more likely when the car leaves the showroom. After that, who knows what the tuners will do in the way of modifications.
Suspension is lower than on the standard Swift. Engineering details are still being held close to the designers’ chests, but it looks as though the swiftest Swift sits around 15 to 20 millimetres closer to the black stuff.
Electronic stability control, which can be switched off if required, is standard on the Swift Sport. Passive safety is provided by no fewer than seven airbags, including a knee-bag for the driver.
Cleverly, Suzuki has chosen to hold the global launch of the hottest Swift in Europe, the home of the hot hatch, rather than in its home market of Japan.
Though Suzuki Australia still gets numerous requests to bring back the legendary Swift GTi name tag, it seems likely the importer will fall in line with directives from Japan and stick with the title of Sports. But, options are still open as the hot hatch won’t be here until the first half of 2012, so ‘GTi’ is still on the list of possibilities.
Its date of introduction to Australia has yet to be set, but we would speculate on February or March next year. Details of exact specification and pricing will be released closer to the launch. |
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
