Suzuki Swift Sport

Put the word ‘Sport’ in the name, and Damien O’Carroll is game for anything. But here’s one car that means what it says.

If one thing in the New Zealand automotive world is certain, it is that the Suzuki Swift has been a thoroughly massive success on these shores.

And the highlight of the range has always been the Swift Sport. Although the latest incarnation of the Swift was a very conservative, gentle revamping of the previous model, the latest- generation Sport brought even more driver involvement.

While its price has crept steadily up over the years, the Sport remains a “bang for your buck” bargain. Which is probably where the new three-door model comes in – available as a manual- only proposition, the three- door cuts a healthy $1,500 off the sticker price of the five-door manual, making it an even more convincing $ 25,990.

The three- door Sport looks racier than its five- door sibling, with a wide, muscular stance. But it is still distinctly a Swift, with its distinctive headlights and overall shape. The lower fog lamps/ intake strakes are nicely aggressive, while the white paintwork with black privacy glass and big alloys looks fantastic.

Hop inside and you will begin to realise where Suzuki has concentrated its efforts in creating the Sport from an ordinary Swift, and it ain’t in here.

While there are fantastic sports seats that are comfortable and wonderfully supportive, and a perfectly-sized chunky steering wheel, that is about the extent of the differences inside the Swift Sport. The rest is generic Swift; lots of hard, cheap plastic, a dated design, and a weak stereo.

That is because Suzuki is one of those rare manufacturers which still likes the “Sport” badge on the rump of its cars to mean something actually sporty, not just to indicate a dress-up kit. That is why all the stuff that is changed to make a Swift into a Sport all happens under the bonnet and under the car.

And under that bonnet lies the 100kW/160Nm 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine, which just happens to be is a wonderful, rev-happy little unit that belies its modest numbers. It may not be particularly fast, but it is perfectly suited to what it is supposed to do, while the six-speed manual is a delight to use and is perfectly matched to the keen engine. It also happens to be remarkably frugal too, despite the utter thrashing it got everywhere we went in it.

Under the body lies the beautifully balanced chassis and sports suspension setup that makes the Swift Sport so particularly special. Throw it into a corner and it whips happily through, eagerly asking for more, like an excited puppy. Chuck it in in a wildly optimistic fashion, and it will eventually understeer, but that takes seriously silly provocation and is still incredibly predictable and controllable.

Inside the three- door loses the slight practicality of the five- door ( not that the five- door has a hell of a lot more legroom, it is just easier to get into), but gains a whole lot in the looks department.

Remarkably Suzuki has nailed the perfect balance between ride and handling, with the Swift Sport boasting a civilised, even comfortable, ride to compliment its fantastic handling.

Massively accomplished, the Swift Sport is most certainly the most fun on four wheels for under $ 30K.