Attractive Discontinued Model

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The driving pleasure conveyed by the Suzuki Swift Sport would not be a reason to retire the car anytime soon. You can disagree with consumption.

By Martin Woldt

The new Suzuki Swift has been announced for autumn. One could object that a test, if you will of an obsolete model, makes little sense. Right. On the other hand, you know that shortly before the end you could come to an agreement with your dealer well below the 17,700 euros. That is the official price with which the three-door Swift Sport - there is no five-door as a sport - is on the list.

And that wouldn't be so bad for a sporty, ambitious small car. Provided he kept to some extent what he implied by the term "sport". Well, there is the Polo GTI, which has a few special offers with 7-speed DSG and shift paddles that the Suzuki can only dream of. But we're talking about at least 22,500 euros, which is much more difficult to negotiate. The Polo GTI was only launched eight weeks ago.

Revolving four-cylinder

In addition, it is not yet possible to read from the data of the new Swift whether there will be a sports version again. So far only two engines have been announced, a 1.2 gasoline engine with 69 kW / 94 PS and a 1.3 diesel with 55 kW / 75 PS. In our discontinued model, we are dealing with a 1.6 petrol engine with 92 kW / 125 PS. It is quite easy to turn and only really gets going above 4000 tours. You can hear that from him. Fortunately. Because sports cars, from which you will no longer hear anything in the future because they may pave off electrically, require a cultural adjustment, which not everyone is automatically ready for. But this is another story.

Briefly coordinated switching steps

We still associate a sporty car with a certain roar from the twin tailpipes when the pedal is pressed. It announces an outburst of temper, fed from the hellfire in the cylinder room. This is not the same hell in Swift Sport as in the 1.6 John Cooper Works for Mini, but it is also not all hot air for a long time. In 8.9 seconds the mail goes from zero to one hundred. 200 km / h at the top are a decent number. But you don't have to hold on to that. More interesting is how you get there. The five switching levels are really briefly translated. They each turn aggressively upwards. The switching paths are short, the switching points are well fixed, the pressure points are easy to feel.

Firmer chassis

It's similarly handy at the wheel. The three-spoke leather steering wheel (only height adjustable!) Sits comfortably in the hand. It leaves little room for maneuver and conveys a tangible echo of what is being negotiated between the road surface and the front tire. The shock absorbers, which are harder than the normal Swift, also make this road contact noticeable. Dents in the road surface penetrate tightly through to the spine and are caught in the well-contoured sports seats in good time without compressing the vertebrae. The Swift goes well in the corners. The stern licks in cleanly. The ESP does not interfere prematurely.

High consumption

Of course, a sporty driving style and low consumption expectations remain a contradiction in terms. It cannot be terminated by Swift Sport either. Anyone who swims more than with the city quickly consumes over nine liters per 100 kilometers. And on the country road, the five speed-friendly gear stages are a fun brake either when overtaking or at the gas station. 8.8 liters overland is a figure that shows a bit of reluctance. But who can stick it out consistently with a sandwich under their bum?

Well equipped

Of course, you can also work a bit on the sporty look. Double tailpipes, roof spoiler, fog lights, honeycomb grill, leather steering wheel, red decorative stitching, sports seats integrated into the headrests - the Swift Sport has all of this in the standard price. Automatic air conditioning, multifunction steering wheel, darkened rear windows or 17 inch wheels are also included. From a sporting point of view, it makes perfect sense not to regard the three-door Swift as "old iron". Those who consistently base their priorities on consumption might better wait for the new model. At 3.85 meters in length, it will be nine centimeters longer and also five centimeters above the current wheelbase of 2.38 meters. That points a little more towards comfort.