The warm hatch is a critical niche. For young enthusiasts, it’s a stepping stone to engaging motoring without the crippling insurance premium. For the experienced hand, it’s a refreshing antidote to the ongoing horsepower war. If a warm hatch fails to inspire, it could mark the end of the road for that particular four-wheeled obsession.

Champions of the breed have come and gone, but since the mid-2000s, the one constant has been the sublime Suzuki Swift Sport. Yet 2022’s Sport is a rather different animal from the one that first stole our hearts: stringent emissions laws have meant the sweet and eager 1.6-litre four has been downsized to 1.4 litres and turbocharged, supplemented by a 48V hybrid system. On top of that, EU regulations mean the car now comes equipped with all manner of safety systems – blind spot assist, lane change assist and automatic collision avoidance – while the media system occasionally barks hazard warnings at you.

It all sounds like a recipe for weight gain and the complete antithesis of honest, carefree driving pleasure. Can the Sport’s cheeky character survive the increasing influence of the bureaucrats? Spending a week with one should either confirm or allay these fears.

Styling and Interior

The ZC33S generation car certainly strikes the right tone. The five-spoke 17-inch alloys look sharp, and the subtle body kit, wrapped in matte carbon, adds a touch of aggression alongside the rear spoiler and twin exhausts. It’s a well-proportioned car that just sits a fraction too high, despite a suspension overhaul that drops the ride height 15mm compared to the cooking Swift.

I also rather like the interior. For sure, it’s not going to light a fire under those fixated on soft-touch plastics, but the standard bucket seats hug you in all the right places, the steering wheel looks and feels great, while dark red highlights and a ‘piano wood’ effect centre console add a stylish element. The touchscreen (including Apple CarPlay) is also neatly integrated into the dashboard rather than perched awkwardly on top.

I’m also getting too excited about seeing proper analogue dials. Two main pods – one rev counter, one speedometer – are well executed on a satin grey background with maroon highlights, and inserted within each is a smaller secondary dial covering fuel and water temperature. Between them sits a small digital display, giving the impression of a sporting chronograph watch.

The only oddity is the rather optimistic peak readings: the rev counter stretches to 8,000rpm, and the speedometer reaches 160mph. Yet it all feels part of the charm. This is an interior that makes a rival Mini feel rather try-hard. It also has to be said that overall build quality is superb, with all the big-car toys present – radar cruise control, climate control, automatic headlights, a rear parking camera and parking sensors.

There are drawbacks, however, and the first major flaw rears its head in the driving position. I’m sitting far too high – my eyeline is only a couple of inches below the sloping roofline – despite having ample headroom, and my ankles are pitched at an acute angle to operate the pedals. It brings to mind sitting in a golf buggy. Another issue is the decision to insert some of the ‘piano wood’ into the bottom half of the steering wheel. It certainly looks flash, but it also seems prone to scratches from those of us donning a wedding ring or any form of jewellery.

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Powertrain and Performance

The powertrain, however, immediately works to restore your faith. The mild hybrid system acts like the blank tile in a game of Scrabble, filling in the gap below 2,000rpm before the turbocharger comes on song. Think of it as electronic anti-lag – our sort of green technology. Otherwise, the 48V system acts as a starter motor, takes care of electricity generation, and offers a coasting mode during motorway driving, all powered by scavenging energy via regenerative braking. Once you become accustomed to the feeling of strong engine braking when coasting, the integration of the technology is seamless. In total, it saves a potential 129kg of CO₂ per year compared to the previous Sport.

Being a warm hatch, you’d think this is the sort of vehicle where you pay little attention to performance figures. But such is the sheer roll-on pull of the thing that I simply refuse to believe the quoted 0–60mph time of 9.1 seconds is anything but sandbagging by Suzuki. The Sport has an indecent turn of pace in give-and-take driving, acquiring another 20–30mph at a pace that’s more heatwave hatch than warm. I say heatwave because it doesn’t last – performance does fall off sharply above 80mph, but I am not in the least bit surprised to note What Car? has recorded a Sport taking seven seconds dead to reach 60mph. Keep chasing the horizon, and the Swift will eventually touch 130mph.

The key to this surprising turn of pace is a featherweight kerb weight of 1,025kg, motivated by an abundance of torque – a strong 173lb ft maximum generated at just 2,000rpm. In fact, the little Swift puts a lot of heroic hot hatches in the shade in terms of torque-to-weight ratio, actually matching today’s default choice, the Fiesta ST, with 169lb ft/tonne. No wonder the mid-range is so punchy.

Of course, this means the delivery of the BoosterJet engine is front-loaded, giving its best before 5,000rpm. That doesn’t mean it drives like a turgid turbodiesel – it’ll still respond and spin keenly to 6,000, but there’s little reward in terms of thrust. The most enjoyable technique is to short-shift at 5,500rpm and surf the torque once again. The slick and tightly spaced six-speed gearbox also helps keep things on the boil. One curiosity is the rev counter, which is redlined at 6,250rpm, but the engine only gives 6,000.

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Handling and Ride

Attack some corners, and it soon becomes clear Suzuki has set this car up to be ultra-friendly and accessible: neutrality is the name of the game. The 17-inch alloys are wrapped in modest 195-section rubber, meaning grip levels aren’t excessive. Combined with the low mass, this results in very progressive behaviour, though some of the dynamic sparkle and adjustability of the previous generation has been lost.

Push harder and it’s the tyres, not the chassis, that succumb to pressure first. At the limit, the car leans heavily on the sidewalls, which turn to jelly, and it ‘folds’ into rather unpleasant understeer. The trait is reined in quickly and cleanly, but you’ve learned not to venture to that zone again. This is an eight-tenths car that you steer around a corner in one smooth swoop of the wheel, almost guiding it with your fingertips.

I’d love to try a Sport on more focused tyres. While the OEM Continental SportContact 5s are performance-oriented, they’ve been around for over five years now, and the game has moved on. A firmer sidewall might add an edge to the ride, but it would eliminate this behaviour and enhance response.

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The steering also toes the composure line, having a reassuring amount of weight to it but little in the way of feedback – such is the Achilles’ heel of an electric rack – while the gearbox and clutch have a light and slick action. Driven thus, the Swift is immense fun threading through narrow country lanes or making the most of that clear roundabout, complete with a little protest from the tyres on exit as you ride that mid-range thrust.

One minor frustration is the initial bite of the brake pedal, which has at least an inch and a half of soft travel before the pads apply any meaningful friction. This is likely a deliberate move to smooth out the effect of the regenerative braking during regular driving, but the consequence is that left-foot braking becomes nigh on impossible to judge, and heel-and-toe takes some practice. In more expressive cars, this might become a problem, but it’s of little concern in the neutral Swift.

For some keen drivers, a bigger potential pitfall is that Suzuki appears to have put all its eggs in the sub-NSL speed limit basket, and the team is divided over this one. The rift is caused by a complete dominance of tyre roar from the rear of the car above 70mph – loud enough to suffocate any encouragement given by the engine. The zesty spirit that got you up to this speed in the first place suddenly evaporates.

The good news is this means the Swift isn’t a rowdy sod when zipping down the high street, which is refreshing in an era of artificial pops and bangs, but it’s a potential dealbreaker for those who enjoy sustained performance on the open road.

That tyre noise also becomes a nuisance on a motorway cruise, meaning you have to dial the volume up more than expected on the media system, whose speakers could do with a bit more clout. Tuning into my favourite podcast streamed via my phone, I had to set the volume to 20 out of 30 for it to become audible. Again, it’s a simple but intrusive fault that could be cured with a change of rubber, because otherwise, the refinement is superb for a supermini. While the ride quality is taut, it’s never jarring.

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Running Costs and Conclusion

Across a week of mixed driving – including stop-start commuting, motorway runs and two specific journeys to our favourite North West roads for general road-testing tomfoolery – the Swift simply refused to give anything worse than 45mpg. Remarkable.

Previously, the Sport has attracted criticism for its list price of £22,580, but Suzuki is currently offering a £2,000 contribution as part of the above PCP example, making it great value once more.

Overall, the Swift Sport isn’t a car for the get-up-at-5am-and-drive-to-the-Yorkshire-Dales brigade, and while that remains the primary focus of this magazine, we have to recognise fitness for purpose. This is a warm hatch – one that thrives in the real world, with traffic, speed limits, spiralling costs of living and general misery – all while putting a smile on your face. A rare commodity in this day and age.

It’s not perfect – the driving position remains flawed and the tyres don’t quite rise to the chassis – but it’s still a car that rewards you for being present behind the wheel. A secondhand Fiesta ST might remain the keener option, but if you’re after a daily that doesn’t feel like a trade-in on your enthusiasm, the Swift Sport stands up to scrutiny.

Suzuki Swift Sport Review - Facts and Figures

​Engine

1,373 cc turbocharged inline-four,

mild hybrid, 16v, max 6,000 rpm

Output

129 bhp @ 5,500 rpm,

173 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

Weight

DIN - 1,025 kg,

bhp/tonne 126,

lb-ft/tonne 169

Transmission

6sp manual, fwd,

open differential

Performance

0.60 mph: 9.1s,

top speed: 130 mph

​List price

£22,570 (2022)