Suzuki Swift Sport Review - Background and History

The warm hatch is a vitally important subcategory of cars. They’ve been around almost as long as hatches with more firepower under the bonnet, professing to have equal sporting intent, but forever living in the shadow of the big guns. Owning one is an important stepping stone for the young car enthusiast who wants to experience engaging motoring without the crippling insurance premium, or a refreshing reset for the experienced driver who’s grown tired of the horsepower war. If a warm hatch fails to inspire, it could be the end of the road in that particular four-wheeled obsession.

Champions of the breed have come and gone, but since the mid-2000s, the one constant has always been Suzuki’s sublime 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 1.6L four has been downsized and turbocharged, supplemented by a 48v hybrid system.

On top of that, EU meddling means 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 sounds like a recipe for weight gain and the complete antithesis of honest, carefree driving pleasure. Can the Sports cheeky character survive the increasing influence of the bureaucrats? Spending a week with one should either confirm or allay these fears.