I usually do the intro when I'm standing next to the car, but not today.
This is the new Suzuki Swift Sport, and it's one of the cars I'm looking forward to most in 2018.
That's because I know the current Suzuki Swift, and I rather like that car.
It's nimble, it's fun to drive, it's cheap...
It really is a car which I appreciate because of those things.
Also, I know the previous Suzuki Swift Sport, and it certainly wasn't the best B-segment hot hatch.
It wasn't the best looking either, and it didn't have the best hardware,
but it was a car which was incredibly fun to drive. That was because it had the perfect balance between...
power and a chassis which had the exact capacity to handle that.
So you were able to play around the limit all day.
Also, you didn't have to drive 200 km/h to reach that limit, or risk yourself and your car to have some fun.
On the contrary. It was all very accessible,
so you could easily drive it on the limit. When you reached that limit however,
you could do whatever you want. You could manage your throttle a little,
and change your driving line, you could put your foot down like a hooligan...
and go full understeer when exiting a corner, or, and I liked that the most about the previous Swift Sport,
you could release the throttle when you were in the middle of a corner, so the back would kick out which you'd catch,
put your foot back on the pedal, and you could play all day.
That was great fun on mountain roads, much like the one we're driving on right now.
So what's the new Swift Sport like? It all sounds promising,
it's lighter than its predecessor, it has a tad more power but a lot more torques,
so it should be a go, right?
What the new one has remained is the trait that you'll want...
to disengage the ESP and other safety features. It does actually get to your 'hooligan'-side.
You're constantly looking for the limit, but when you get to that limit, which is still easily accessible,
you'll find out that it doesn't play by the old rules anymore. It doesn't throw out its back when you lift the throttle.
No matter how much you provoke it, and believe me. I've tried.
You'll find out the limit isn't where it once was. It has become a more serious car.
It's bigger, it's wider, and it feels accordingly.
The moment you steer the car, it still rolls, but isn't as soft as its predecessor.
It's more like it's getting comfortable for you to discover the limit, because that's when you start exploring.
That's also when you notice that this keeps going, where the going got tough for its predecessor.
That makes this a better car.
On the other hand, this isn't a 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, or a Clio RS Trophy.
Not at all. If you start looking for the limit in this,
you'll easily find the limit. And that's when you'll realise...
Well...
It's in corners like this, because when I lift off, I can barely feel the rear moving,
but it's not like its predecessor, where you could go around your own axles.
That's just not in here anymore. If it has understeer, you lift off and you correct it.
That's it.
And it's good, because you've got more grip, but it isn't necessarily more fun.
The same goes for the drivetrain. It went from a naturally aspriated 1.6-litre to a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine.
It now produces 140 horsepower, which is four more than before, so you won't really notice.
You do get 230 Nm of torque, and that's 1,5 times more than the previous one.
Also, it's available much sooner.
That means, when combined with the weight reduction, it's quicker than its predecessor.
It now does 0-100 in little over 8 seconds, and especially in the mid-range,
combined with the low weight and torques, it's a feisty little engine.
But again, the first impression is good and even better than its predecessor,
but when you keep going, it becomes a regular turbocharged engine.
When you go beyond 5.000 RPM, it's a little out of breath,
when you reach 6.000, the rev limiter kicks in,
that's it. And again, it's good,
because it's more economical on paper, it's faster, but it doesn't have that raw edge from the 1.6-litre,
which rose to life above 4.500 RPM. This just doesn't have that.
These are all signs that the Suzuki Swift Sport has grown up.
That has its advantages, because it's less tiring, you don't have to work as hard for its performance,
and mostly, the chassis has become less jumpy.
It's not a jumpy puppy anymore, which was dancing all around the place.
That's fun if you want that, but it's incredibly tiring if it isn't.
This new one however, you can do easily do 500 km with it.
It's quieter, the engine doesn't rev as much,
so it has grown up really... The same goes for the price however,
because it's now €25.000. That means it falls between two stools.
A 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport or a Clio RS is much more expensive, but that's because it offers better hardware.
On the other hand this car is more serious than a Volkswagen Up! GTI or a Twingo GT,
but they're cheaper. And paying €25.000 for a car with a cheap interior...
It's not bad or anything, because the seats offer support, the pedals are close enough for you to heel and toe,
and you get a lot of gear with that body kit...
and the sports exhaust, which doesn't sound as good as it looks, but anyway...
They're all standard, only like I said earlier,
the Suzuki Swift Sport falls between two stools. On the other hand,
I never knew you could have this much fun there.