New Swift Sport to be light, fantastic
Suzuki is keeping it real with the new-generation Swift Sport, revealed this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The new Sport has gained the 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbocharged engine from the Vitara Sport. Peak power of 103kW is only slightly up on the outgoing Sport, but torque has climbed by 70Nm to 230Nm. More importantly, the new car is 80kg lighter than the model it replaces, dipping under the onetonne mark.
The new car retains a six-speed manual gearbox. There’s no mention yet of an automatic option, but it’s surely on the cards. The current model is available with a continuously variable transmission, but the Boosterjet engine is more likely to be matched to a conventional automatic (as in the Vitara and S-Cross).
As with previous Swift Sport models, the modified suspension is fitted with Monroe shock absorbers. The stabiliser bars have been thickened, with a Teflon joint added to the mount.
At the rear, the car retains trailing-arm suspension; but the design is specific to the Sport and substantially stiffer than standard Swift models.
The wheel hub and bearings have been into a single unit in the Sport, with a claimed 15 per cent increase in camber rigidity during cornering.
Roadholding has been further improved,with 40mm-wider tyres on 17-inch polished-alloy wheels.
From the outside, the Sport can be identified by its unique front end, side skirts and roof spoiler. Inside, there are silver-and-black alloy pedals, sports seats, a flatbottom steering wheel and red trim highlights.
The new Sport also picks the entire suite of driver-assistance/ safety technology launched on the latest mainstream Swift back in June, including adaptive cruise, lane departure alert and weaving alert function.
Chief engineer Masao Kobori says the Swift’s new platform was the key to the development programme for the Sport.
‘‘We know that our customers value a dynamic driving experience above everything else, so for the third-generation Swift Sport our development concept was ’ultimate driving excitement’.
‘‘We had a brilliant foundation to work from, because the new Swift Heartect platform is incredibly light and rigid. Our team had hundreds of new design and engineering ideas, but these ideas only made it off the drawing board if they added performance and emotion. We’ve made the car lower and wider, and packed it with lightweight technology. ‘‘It’s lighter, sharper, and quicker. It’s more aggressive and emotive, but we’ve also refined the elements that make it practical to use every day—the clutch feel, the manual transmission shift throw, the seats and steering wheel. Everything that puts the driver at the heart of the experience.
‘‘There’s a history to the Swift Sport. Since 2005, it’s been the special model that combines the practical convenience of a hatchback with true sports performance."