Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid review: revised hot hatch tested

Fuel consumption of 50.1mpg is both impressive and achievable, while CO2 emissions are 127g/km, versus 47mpg and 135g/km on the previous non- ... AdvertisementCloseadvertisementFirstDriveSuzukiSwiftSportHybridreview:revisedhothatchtestedSamBurnettPublished:27Jul2020 commentsSkip8photosintheimagecarouselandcontinuereading1/8AdvertisementSPECHIGHLIGHTSBHP129bhp0-629.1sC02106g/kmMaxSpeed130MphInsurancegroup28DSeemorespecsandinfoBitsoonforafacelift,isit?SeeingastheSuzukiSwiftSporthasonlybeenonsalesince2018you’dhavetosayit’sabitearlyforafull-onfacelift–theupdateforthe2020modelyearismoreliketheSwifthasstarteddrinkingredwineandlisteningtoRadio4.It’stryingtobeabitmoregrownup.Advertisement-PagecontinuesbelowTheestimablehothatchhasbeenupgradedwithaneminentlysensible48Vmildhybridset-upaimedatreducingemissionsandsmoothingoutthetorquegraphthankstoa10kWmotor.Therearenewemissionsregulationsonthewayandeveryoneisfeelingthepinchtosomedegreeorother.Great,anelectricpowerboost–mustbeloadsquicker,right?Er…let’snotgoallspreadsheets,butthereareplentyoffascinatingnumberstolookathere.The1.4-litrepetrolunitproduces127bhpand173lbft,withtheturbokickinginat2,000rpm.SuzukireckonsthankstoitsBoosterjettechnologytheengineoffersthesameperformanceasa2.0-litrenormallyaspiratedunit.Despitetheaddedbatteriesandelectricalgubbins,thecarweighsadinky1,025kg(thenewtechonlyadds15kg),hasspaceforfiveandoffers265litresofluggagecapacityintheboot.Fuelconsumptionof50.1mpgisbothimpressiveandachievable,whileCO2emissionsare127g/km,versus47mpgand135g/kmonthepreviousnon-hybridmodel.Advertisement-PagecontinuesbelowItallworksbycrammingasmall48Vlithium-ionbatteryunderthefrontseatsandateenyelectricmotorintotheenginebaythatreplacesthealternatorandstartermotor.Thisset-upenablesextendedstart-stopfunctionality(anditdoesstartandstop verysmoothly)aswellasprovidinganelectricalboosttothewheelsunderacceleration,tocompensatefortheturbo.Nowforthebadnewsthough–at9.1secondsto62mph,theSwiftisasecondslowerthanthepreviousversionofthecar.Slower?Whataretheyplayingat?Well,I’msurenooneatSuzukiparticularlywantedtomaketheSwiftSportslower,butthecarhasfallenfoulofthesameemissionsrulesthatareseeingtheJimnycomeoffsalein2021ascarmakersarefinedforaverageemissionsovercertainlimits.Thetune-downhasmeanttheSportendingupwithaless-than-frisky0-62timeandtheaforementionedmild-hybridtech.TopGearNewsletterThankyouforsubscribingtoournewsletter.Lookoutforyourregularround-upofnews,reviewsandoffersinyourinbox.Getallthelatestnews,reviewsandexclusives,directtoyourinbox.SuccessYourEmail*Howdoesitdrive?Thecarisquitejinkyonthemove,almostseekingoutpotholes–there’salotofinformationcomingthroughfromtheroadandthesteeringwheelislivelyinyourhand.It’snotalluseful,mind,likeSuzuki’sengineershaveconfuseddramawiththeatre.TheSwiftSportpoursoutofcorners,themildhybridsystemsmoothingoverthegapsbeforetheturbokicksinandstartstotrill.Youcansnickbetweengears(funfact:thenewstickhasa10percentshorterthrow)andmakegoodprogress,it’sallveryimpressivestuff–there’snoturbolagandtheaccelerationbuildssteadily.TheSwiftSporttreadsafinelinebetweenDrJekyll-stylefrugalrespectabilityandMrHydehooning,whichwilldisappointsome.Therideavoidsbeingneedlesslyrigid,however,andaroundtownthecarisanamiablesport,abletoplayitcalmwhenyoudon’twanttobeleavingeverysetoflightslikethere’saGrandPrixon.Sowhilethecarisdefinitelyswift,itseemstoholditselfbackabitfromsporty.There’sacertainamountofrestraintbuiltinhere,whatwiththedecentrideandplantedfeel.Itseemsstrangetocomplainaboutsuchthings,buttheedgeyouwantfromsomethingovertlysportyiselusive.Thehothatchspiritremains,butthecarfeelsmoregrownup.YoumightnotbegettingoutofbedearlyforaB-roadblast,butitmakestheurbanroundaboutstagealotmorefun.TheSwiftSportisagreatstarterfor10whenitcomestoquickdriving.It’saccessible,there’snobiteorsnarltothecar,butit’sthedifferencebetweenArcadeandSimulationmode.PersonallyIlikethat,Idon’twanttosuddenlyfindmyselfsittingbackwardsinahedgenexttoanonplussedsheepofaSaturdayafternoon.Whatdoyougetwithit?Suzukihasdoneitsbesttolivenupwhatisessentiallyabudgetcabin.Asportyreddash-toppatternisdeployedtotastefuleffect,theleathersteeringwheelpleasanttoholdandthe‘racing’seatsgripyousolidlybythemuffintops.Theaccentscan’tdisguisetheretroaftermarket-styletouchscreen,however,whichdoesatleastcomewithAppleCarPlayandAndroidAuto.Thespeclistofsafetyequipmentisbountiful–yougetautohighbeamsontheLEDprojectorheadlights,lanekeepassist,blindspotmonitor,reversingcamera,citybraking,rearcrosstrafficalertandtrafficsignrecognition.Theadaptivecruisecontrolisausefultouchandkeylessentryaniceperk.TheSwiftSportcomeswiththeusualselectionofgo-fasterstick-onattachments,suchasthesportsexhaust,stylishfrontandrearbumpersandademureroofspoiler.Yougetachoiceofsixpaintcoloursforfree,butyoucanpayextraforatastefulassortmentofstickersandstripesorablackroofanddoormirrorpack.WhatelsedoIneedtoknow?ItseemstobeabitofamodernNCAPtest-relatedphenomenon,buttheonboardsafetysystemsvergeonobnoxious.TheBrakeSupportset-upisparticularlyvocal,continuingtosoundthealarmlongafteryou’vebinneditorthedangerhaspassedandgonehomeforitstea.Youcanturnitoff,buteverytimeyougetbackinthecaritwillresetandhauntyou.Likewise,thedigitaldisplayontheinstrumentpanelseemslikeaniftyoverloadofinformationaboutthecarwhenyoucyclethroughthefirsteighttimes,butit’slargelyuselessandslightlygimmicky.It’snotallbad–theSwiftSportisreasonablypracticalifyou’rethatwayinclined–it’sgotawidebootandit’sadecentsize,bothforluggageandpassengers.ShouldIgetone?Wellthisistherub.TheSwiftSportisnotacheapcar–itneverreallywasbeforethehybridupgradeat£17,999,butthenewhikeinaskingpriceasksquestionsthatthispoorlittlecardoesn’treallyhaveanyanswersfor,despitetheimpressivestandardspecification.Let’slookatthenumbers:theSwiftSportwillsetyouback£21,570,butthenifyougoalittlehigheryoucangetyourselfaVolkswagenPoloGTIfor£23,360oraFiestaSTfor£22,275.TheSuzukiisstrayingdangerouslyclosetothemorerarifiedbitsoftheatmosphere.Orperhapsyou’dthinktoheadintheotherdirectionandtakeatemptinglookattheVWUpGTIat£16,540–thinkabitlaterallyandtheMini3-doorHatchCooperinSporttrimisquickerto62mphandwillsaveyouaroundagrand.SeewhatImean?Whatwasanintriguinggatewayhothatchhasbeenhobbledtothepointthatyou’dhavetoreally wantonetopickitoverthecompetition.Whichisashame,becausetheSwiftSportisaneatlittlecar.Score:6/10ViewcommentsAdvertisementAdvertisementcomparecarfinancePoweredbymoreonthiscarTakeoneforaspinororderabrochureorderabrochurebookatestdrivePoweredbycomparecarfinancePoweredbymoreonthiscarTakeoneforaspinororderabrochureorderabrochurebookatestdrivePoweredbySubscribetotheTopGearNewsletterThankyouforsubscribingtoournewsletter.Lookoutforyourregularround-upofnews,reviewsandoffersinyourinbox.Getallthelatestnews,reviewsandexclusives,directtoyourinbox.SuccessYourEmail*Country*PleaseselectyourcountryUnitedKingdomAfghanistanAlandIslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmericanSamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntiguaandBarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosniaandHerzegovinaBotswanaBouvetIslandBrazilBritishIndianOceanTerritoryBritishVirginIslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkinaFasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCapeVerdeCaribbeanNetherlandsCaymanIslandsCentralAfricanRepublicChadChileChinaChristmasIslandCocos(Keeling)IslandsColombiaComorosCongo(Brazzaville)Congo(Kinshasa)CookIslandsCostaRicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechRepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominicanRepublicEcuadorEgyptElSalvadorEquatorialGuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalklandIslandsFaroeIslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrenchGuianaFrenchPolynesiaFrenchSouthernTerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeardIslandandMcDonaldIslandsHondurasHongKongS.A.R.,ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsleofManIsraelItalyIvoryCoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoS.A.R.,ChinaMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshallIslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlandsAntillesNewCaledoniaNewZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolkIslandNorthernMarianaIslandsNorthKoreaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinianTerritoryPanamaPapuaNewGuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuertoRicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaintBarthélemySaintHelenaSaintKittsandNevisSaintLuciaSaintMartin(Frenchpart)SaintPierreandMiquelonSaintVincentandtheGrenadinesSamoaSanMarinoSaoTomeandPrincipeSaudiArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierraLeoneSingaporeSintMaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomonIslandsSomaliaSouthAfricaSouthGeorgiaandtheSouthSandwichIslandsSouthKoreaSouthSudanSpainSriLankaSudanSurinameSvalbardandJanMayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidadandTobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurksandCaicosIslandsTuvaluU.S.VirginIslandsUgandaUkraineUnitedArabEmiratesUnitedStatesUnitedStatesMinorOutlyingIslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamWallisandFutunaWesternSaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweByclickingsubscribe,youagreetoreceivenews,promotionsandoffersbyemailfromTopGearandBBCStudios.Yourinformationwillbeusedinaccordancewithourprivacypolicy.Sorry,somethingwentwrongPleasetryagainSubscribe