It's been long suspected that the new Suzuki Swift Sport would move from the brand's trusty naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine to a turbocharged Boosterjet engine, and that's been confirmed following the pint-sized terrier's launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show overnight.
Specifically the engine is the direct injected 102kW 230Nm 1.4-litre unit from the Suzuki Vitara, paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed paddle-shift automatic. It's a relief to hear that the manual will stay, given some of our early information suggesting that the Sport could've been exclusively an automatic.
That engine might not get the juices flowing in the first instance, but consider the weight of the Sport. Suzuki confirmed that it will tip the scales at only 970kg — that's a notable 80kg lighter than the outgoing model (which itself was already a bit of a featherweight). In an age where 1,250kg is seen as 'pretty light' for a hot hatch, less than a tonne is worth more than a fleeting mention. Despite the weight loss, the new Sport also manages to be more rigid and safe than the old one, too.
These improvements have been complemented by new Monroe dampers in the front, thicker anti-roll bars, and a bevy of exclusive parts tuned for greater performance including an all-new rear suspension set-up.
Not that we can corroborate any of those words with tangible numbers yet, with Suzuki having not released any performance figures beyond power and torque outputs. Nonetheless, it's said that this is the quickest, most aggressive Swift yet.
“It’s lighter, sharper, quicker. It’s more aggressive and emotive,” said the Swift Sport's Chief Engineer Masao Kobori.
“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.”
The new 'SSS' is expected to hit our shores either later this year, or early next year.
