Suzuki Swift Sport

Costs

Relative to its performance, the Swift Sport is a reasonably economical car. It also emits less CO2, which makes it cheaper to tax. And, predictably, related running costs are also lower.

Space and practicality

As a small car the Swift has limited interior space. Rear legroom is improved versus the old model, so it's able to transport rear seat passengers over short distances with no problems apart from a lack of rear doors. There is no five-door model available. The boot would be fine for a young single person, but weekends away might need some baggage to be placed on the rear seats.

Controls and display

The instrument cluster looks great, with big dials and just enough stylistic touches to make it stand out. A central digital screen offers multiple trip computer readouts including fuel consumption figures and an odometer. The plastics for the centre console dials are not the most reassuring in terms of quality, but they are functional and easy to use, and should last without any problems.

Comfort

The attractive seats offer good levels of comfort, although they could do with a little more bolstering at the bottom of the seat back. The lateral support is excellent for a medium-to-large-sized person, which helps to anchor the driver into position for extra confidence and comfort through corners. Ride quality is compromised by the sporty set up, but over smoother undulations the Swift Sport copes very well.

Car security

Like its predecessor, this generation of the Swift Sport features keyless entry. It's a very useful feature and makes access easy when you're struggling with shopping, for example. An electronic immobiliser is also standard.

Car safety

The Swift is a solidly built car and boasts all the latest technology that you'd expect to find on a car in this price bracket. With airbags, ABS and the like the Swift model range has also scored highly in official crash tests, further boosting its appeal.

Driver appeal

This is the Swift Sport's main purpose and it delivers just what keen drivers are looking for. Its engine demands lots of revs and delivers brisk performance when worked hard. Driven appropriately, it also finds amazing amounts of grip through tyres that are still narrow enough to allow fast changes of direction. However, while the chassis offers lots of feel and communication, the steering could be more involving.

Family car appeal

Practicality is not the prime objective for the car, and as such it isn't directed at family life. It could be used for carrying small children relatively easily thanks to two Isofix child seat mounts in the outer rear seats, but access to the rear passenger area is hampered by the three-door layout. The boot is unlikely to be big enough for families either, especially considering pushchairs or large accessories.

First car appeal

Although the purpose of the Swift Sport is to provide as good a compromise as possible between driving fun and affordable ownership costs, it is still likely to be too expensive for inexperienced drivers to afford to insure without two or three years' no-claims bonus behind them. This is a potentially attainable car for a first-time buyer, but it would prove very costly.

Quality and image

It is undoubtedly a higher quality product than its predecessor. That said, some of the cabin plastics lack the quality feel of some rival cars. The Swift Sport does have an enthusiastic cult following though, and it's this aspect that helps lift the car's appeal.

Accessibility

As a sporty hatchback the Swift is relatively low to the ground, but it's not prohibitive. The doors are quite long as on all three-door cars, but since the Swift is quite short overall the problem is not so bad. The boot is a good shape and is easy to get to, with a load lip that shouldn't be too awkward to get over.

Stereo and ICE (In car entertainment)

A basic audio unit is standard in the car, and there is no option to upgrade it. It's not a bad unit, but it's a shame that there's no alternative. That said, it's easy to operate and is located high up and within easy reach.

Colours and trim

The choice of colours has been kept fairly simple, with most of the key popular choices buyers will expect but nothing really outrageous. The interior trim is average in places, but it looks very stylish and marks a step up from the previous model. Unlike the old model's red seat trim inserts, this one has neutral shades of black and grey, which will better resist wear and tear.

Parking

For reasons related to the position and size of the suspension arms and linkages, the Swift Sport has a modest steering lock. It is, however, small enough to fit into almost any typical parking bay while leaving a good amount of room either side for the relatively long doors to open wide enough to allow entry and exit.

Spare wheel

Temporary tyre repair kit supplied as standard.