New 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport has price slashed to £16,499 until end of June
Suzuki's new Fiesta ST rival goes on sale next month, and for 30 days all buyers get £1,500 off
Suzuki has confirmed that the new Swift Sport will go on sale in the UK on June 1, and has reduced the asking price for its latest hot hatch for a limited time only too.
While Suzuki previously announced that the third-generation Swift Sport would command a £17,995 price tag, a launch price offer of £16,499 has been revealed, the near £1,500 saving applied to all customer orders made before the end of June.
• New 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport review
For the money, buyers get a choice of six paint colour options for no extra cost. The Swift Sport also features automatic air conditioning, lane departure warning and a new lane keep assist function, Bluetooth, and navigation linked to a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment unit.
The price cut keeps the new Ford Fiesta ST at bay for now - order books for the more powerful Ford have just opened, priced from £18,995 for the basic ST-1 model.
The new Suzuki Swift Sport Made its debut last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. As expected, the new car gets turbo power in the form of a 1.4-litre BoosterJet four-cylinder engine borrowed from the Vitara S. The engine provides the Swift Sport with 138bhp and 230Nm of torque, and sends drive to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The transmission is the same found in the last iteration of the firm’s hot hatch, but has been re-engineered to improve shift smoothness and feedback.
While 138bhp means that the Swift Sport looks down on paper compared to the rest of its class – around 200bhp is fast becoming the norm in the hot supermini sector – it’s significantly lighter than its rivals with a curb weight of 975kg, and 70kg lighter than the previous Swift Sport. A new suspension setup sits underneath, and the car rides 15mm lower than before too.
0-62mph comes in at 8.1 seconds, with top speed at 130mph. The Swift's tiny curbweight means that 47.1mpg official fuel economy is quoted, alongside 135g/km.
The new engine will make its impact felt with additional torque, as the turbocharged engine delivers far greater torque from low revs than the old rev-happy, naturally aspirated 1.6 seen in the last Suzuki Swift Sport. Combined with a sub-one tonne kerbweight and compact dimensions, this combination could deliver entertaining handling around town and great cross-country B-road driving fun.
The Swift Sport boasts trademark hot hatch looks. There's a revised front end with large, aggressive cuts in the bumper, a revised front grille and a splitter to give the car a sportier nose, while lowered side skirts and large diamond-cut alloy wheels are also fitted.
At the back there's a sporty black diffuser with two large exhaust exits, just like the old Swift Sport.
Inside, the cabin gets a sporty update to go with its performance upgrades. Sports seats are present, as is a flat-bottomed steering wheel, red dials, and plenty of racy red trim pieces. As the Sport will be the flagship of the Swift range, it will come packed with Suzuki's latest interior and technology options. These include a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 4.2-inch display set between the dials, Bluetooth phone and music streaming, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The dual lane departure system works between speeds of 37-100mph. If the car detects it is leaving a lane without the driver applying an indicator, the steering wheel will vibrate and a warning will sign on the instrument panel. New for the Swift Sport is the lane keep assist element, which will gently steer the wheel too. Suzuki's Dual Sensor Brake Support system is fitted as standard as well, enabling brake assist if high risk of a collision with an upcoming obstable is detected.
Are you excited for the new Swift Sport? Tell us in the comments!
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