Suzuki Swift Sport
An affordable hot hatch which could spark a revolution
There has not been a sports version of any of the popular car models in the country as yet. For whatever the car manufacturers have passed off as sports variants, have been rather disappointing of current models with just cosmetic upgrades or slight performance upgrades. Take the Baleno RS for example. The socalled Sports version features very few cosmetic changes so much so that it is difficult to tell the cars apart. As far as performance goes, they offer a 1-litre turbo charged Boosterjet engine. This is the engine that does duty on the standard version of the Baleno worldwide. The performance difference is just 16bhp at the top end and 35Nm of torque.
Fast forward to 2018 and Maruti will be launching the new Swift this month with the same 1.2-litre 84bhp engine that does duty on the current Swift as well as on the Baleno and many other cars of the Maruti-Suzuki portfolio. Now imagine that very same car that handles well and is so good to drive with an
IMAGINE THAT
VERY SAME CAR WITH AN ADDITIONAL
56BHP AND DOUBLE THE
TORQUE
additional 56bhp and exactly double the torque and that too available at much lower down the rev range and till a higher rpm.
That, is the Swift Sport with the 1.4-litre 4-cylinder Boosterjet engine that also does duty on the European Vitara. This new engine features direct injection through 7-hole nozzles and a new turbocharger that helps both in efficiency as well as power. It is not just in the performance that the transformation of the car lays. It looks lower and has a wider stance, more aggressive styling and a lower weight that gives it an excellent power-to-weight ratio. I specially liked the 17-inch wheels, the carbon-fibre finish to the front grille as well as the styling of the rear with the dual tailpipes and a completely redone lower rear bumper, again in a black carbon-fibre finish.
The interiors have been totally redone with red accents around the cabin, a red instrument panel and sports seats with red Sport lettering. The flat-bottomed steering wheel gives the car a sporty intent.
The car conveys a sense of excitement from its exterior design and that feeling continues on to the interiors and the drama only heightens as the engine comes to life. Smooth and free-revving, this 4-cylinder 14-valve engine has a nice exhaust note and though the six speed manual
THE CAR CONVEYS A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT FROM ITS EXTERIOR DESIGN AND THAT FEELING CONTINUES ON TO THE INTERIORS AND THE DRAMA HEIGHTENS WITH THE ENGINE