Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 Review: Nippy and zippy

What we like:

Nippy handling

Zippy when taken by the scuff of its neck

well judged gear ratios of six-speed box

more refined than the old model

smooth revving motor

well equipped package

What we dislike:

Looks pretty much like the old car

can do with more power

slightly busy ride

relatively unaffordable

On the inside, the Swift’s standard interior has been enhanced with many sporty touches in the Sport. Up front, there is a pair of sports bucket seats to hold your frame when driving hard. The seats are comfortable and supportive and are positioned much lower than those in the old model – the latter’s are placed too high and hence made its driver feel as if sitting on the car rather than in it.

Other sporty bits in here include aluminium foot pedals, a three-spoke steering wheel, chrome rings on the dials and red trimmings on the seats and the doors, black upholstery all round and so on. The rest of the cabin is standard Swift fare which means good head and legroom at the rear, a nicely laid out dashboard, a miniscule boot and split/fold rear seats for added practicality.

Safety kit is plenty and includes six airbags and ABS and ESP. Other good stuff included as standard are all round electric windows, factory fitted stereo with iPod connectivity, 16-inch alloys, front fog lamps, Xenon headlamps and so on.

Despite the new car’s additional refinements and improved fuel consumption, the Swift Sport is no less nippy than the old car thank to its 30kg lighter kerb weight and other improvements and is slightly more zippy than previously thanks to its extra power, making it fun to ‘play’ with, like a pesky puppy.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by Yang and Raymond Lai