Frankfurt 2017: Suzuki Swift Sport revealed

The 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show was chosen to reveal the third generation of modern Suzuki Swift Sport, which is shaping up to be the sportiest and quickest Swift yet, with real performance and sportiness for the first time in the Swift range.

Headlining the changes to the Swift Sport include the adoption of Suzuki’s 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, as well as an 80kg-lighter kerb weight. This combined with a new six-speed manual should see this generation of Swift Sport adopt a feistier persona more in tune with rivals such as the Ford Fiesta ST, Volkswagen Polo GTI and Renault Clio RS.

“We know that our customers value a dynamic driving experience above everything else,” says Swift Sport chief engineer Masao KOBORI, “so we’ve made the new Swift Sport lighter, faster and more stimulating in every way.”

Centrepiece of the Sport transformation of the new Swift is the brand’s 1.4-litre turbocharged Boosterjet four-cylinder engine, in this tune producing 103kW of power and 230Nm of torque – the same power but 10 more Nm of torque than the tune used in the Vitara small SUV – matched solely to a six-speed manual. No performance figures have been given, but it is expected that the car’s 0-100km/h sprint time will be in the low seven second range.

Dimensionally, the Swift Sport follows the same formula as the standard Swift by growing in every direction. In particular, the wheelbase has grown by 20mm to increase rear legroom and the car’s stability. Front and rear tracks have increased by 40mm to further increase the car’s stability, and lowered by 15mm to help create a more aggressive stance. The car’s kerb weight has also been lowered by a significant 80kg compared with the old Swift Sport to just 970kg.

The exterior of the Suzuki Swift Sport is more lairy than ever before. 17-inch alloy wheels sit proudly at each corner of the car, with a sporty-looking bodykit with black skirting featuring on each corner of the car. Large twin exhaust pipes sit proudly at the rear, as does a black lower rear section.

Inside the Suzuki Swift Sport are a number of hot hatch clues, including bolstered sports seats for harder cornering, as well as red interior trimmings, a boost guage within the trip computer and sports pedals. The touchscreen from lower Swift models with inbuilt satellite navigation and Apple CarPlay also features, as does other features from the top-spec Swift GLX Turbo, such as climate control air conditioning and electric-folding mirrors.

One area where the latest Suzuki Swift Sport has made significant improvements is with active safety equipment. Whilst not the chief selling point of the Swift Sport, equipment additions such as autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, automatic high beam headlights and lane departure warning certainly help bring the car into modern times.

Suzuki Australia has confirmed that the Swift Sport will launch in the first half of 2018, if not before. Pricing and specifications are yet to be disclosed, however with the current Swift’s pricing topping out at $22,990 plus on-road costs, an educated guess would land the Sport above that at around the same $24,490 mark as the current Swift Sport.