2021 (71) Suzuki Swift 1.4 Boosterjet 48V Hybrid Sport 5dr

By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

The Suzuki Swift Sport has long been a car embraced by serious drivers who know a great handling hot hatch when they see it and remained so in this third generation A2L form. Though not especially powerful, it's agile, chuckable and brilliant fun for not a lot of money. In 2020, the 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo engine used by this model gained mild hybrid assistance, which enhanced torque, efficiency and in-gear acceleration, creating the car we look at here. This Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid will still be a well-kept secret in this segment, but one loyal buyers will enjoy hugely. Let's check it out as a used buy.

History

The Suzuki Swift Sport has always offered buyers a simple, light hot hatch formula. This third generation version, the first to be turbocharged, aimed to do that with a little more sophistication. The two previous versions of this contender, launched respectively in 2006 and 2012, both used a high-revving normally aspirated 1.6-litre engine that was central to their appeal. So the decision in 2017 to finally replace that with a 1.4-litre turbo unit was one that loyal buyers had to get used to, particularly as the new Boosterjet powerplant had a very similar output to the outgoing 1.6, the 1.4 rated at 140PS. At launch, the media questioned Suzuki's decision to price this MK3 model so closely to the much pokier Fiesta ST and other models of that ilk. In response, the Japanese brand was keen to reference the fact that this car was from launch the lightest - and therefore potentially the most agile - car in its class. And that the power it offered was more usable because the Boosterjet engine made it available low down in the rev range. Suzuki also made the point that this MK3 Swift Sport could offer a class-leadingly impressive equipment specification, including more standard camera-driven safety kit than any other model in the segment of this period could offer. The original version of this MK3 Swift Sport sold until Spring 2020, when it was replaced by the Hybrid version we look at here. That sold until the end of 2024 - and wasn't replaced.

What You Get

This car doesn't only show some other affordable small hot hatches how they should drive. It also, for us, offers a good template on how they should look. Muscular shoulders, blacked-out A-pillars and what Suzuki calls 'under-spoilers' all-round deliver a potently understated level of pavement presence but also a demeanour that's assertive enough to suggest you might be in for a bit of fun at the wheel. This MK3 Swift Sport is 50mm longer than a standard Swift model and sits 15mm lower to the ground than the previous generation version did. A little disappointingly, unlike that old MK2 model, there was no three-door body style option offered, but Suzuki sought to retain a three-door-like look by hiding the rear door handles in the trailing edge of the C-pillar. Of course, as usual, what's more important is the stuff you can't see, namely this MK3 model's stiff, sophisticated 'TECT' platform, designed around what Suzuki calls 'Total Effective Control Technology'. This uses lots of high strength steel to make the structure very strong but also low in weight, which is the main reason why this Swift weighs so little, even by relatively light class standards. You feel this model's light weight when you slam the driver's door shut, which isn't ideal, but otherwise, by supermini standards, the cabin feels quite nice, providing you're not expecting premium-quality fittings and acres of slush-moulded soft-touch plastic: you're not paying for that kind of thing here and you don't get it. What you do get is just enough interior differentiation to make you feel you're in a serious hot hatch. The grippy branded sports bucket seats are probably the highlight, proving to be supportive and surprisingly comfortable, providing your frame is narrow enough to fit into them. There's also a set of aluminium pedals, a chrome-accented gear knob with a red-stitched gaitor and emotive red flashings on the fascia and the centre stack. This car remains one of the more compact models in the supermini hot hatch segment when it comes to rear seat space. Some might even find it a touch claustrophobic in the back. Still, thanks to that lengthened wheelbase and some extra room liberated from the engine compartment, there is now marginally more legroom on offer than there was in the old MK2 model. Out back in the boot, the light tailgate raises to reveal a cargo area space that offers 25% more space than was available in the previous generation model. The 265-litre capacity isn't anything like enough to threaten the segment class leaders in this regard but it was at least enough to get this Suzuki back on a competitive footing;

What to Look For

Not much goes wrong with a MK3 model Swift Sport. We came across an ESP failure. A few owners reported interior trim rattle. One pointed out how easy the wheels are to kerb.  And a few pointed out that the tyres are very expensive due to their odd size. Otherwise, there shouldn't be too much to worry about. Look out for the usual scratched alloy wheels and signs of child damage in the back. And favour cars that have a properly stamped-up service history.

Replacement Parts

(approx prices based on a 2020 Swift Sport Hybrid ex VAT) An oil filter costs around £5. A headlamp costs around £120; a tail lamp costs in the £71-£95 bracket. Wiper blades cost between £6 and £12.

On the Road

The Swift Sport formula has never been defined by outright power. What's always mattered more with this model line is light, chuckable agility, something this third generation car still specialised in thanks to its relatively feather-light kerb weight of only just over a tonne. Which is important if, as we do, you embrace the Colin Chapman mantra that greater power makes you go faster in a straight line, but lighter weight makes you faster everywhere. This Swift Sport certainly still feels pretty fast everywhere - even in this mild hybrid form, in which guise power dropped from 140 to 129PS. The 1.4-litre turbocharged Boosterjet engine under the bonnet was still basically the same though, despite embellishment with 48V electrified technology that included a 'torque-fill' control feature to improve engine response at low revs and 'Torque boost' to make acceleration smoother. These two things together accounted for a 5Nm increase in torque for this Hybrid model (there was now 235Nm of it on tap), which, predictably, wasn't quite enough to compensate for this Hybrid variant's 50kg increase in weight and the slight power reduction just mentioned. As a result, the rest to 62mph sprint time fell by a second over the original version of this MK3 model, quoted at 9.1s. Top speed remained 130mph. That wouldn't matter too much if the accelerative benefits of the 'torque-fill' system were a bit more obvious. Still, in the mid range where it matters, there's no doubt that this car feels a fair bit quicker than those figures suggest. Especially when the road gets twisty. Kart-like driving dynamics have always been a major attraction for Swift Sport buyers and here, as before in this MK3 model, they were further developed by a stiff front suspension system with Monroe shock absorbers front and rear. The sharply responsive variable ratio steering system helps too, plus the beefy brakes inspire confidence and there's a fruity soundtrack from the specially tuned exhaust. Which is all good - for those times you can drive this car as it was designed to be driven. For those times when you can't, this Swift Sport delivers a surprisingly absorbent ride and affordable WLTP-rated running costs - a 50.1mpg combined figure and 127g/km of CO2.

Overall

In an ideal world, the Swift Sport wouldn't have needed any sort of hybrid electrification. This Japanese junior hot hatch was always at its best in its most simple, uncomplicated forms. But we don't live in an ideal world. Back in 2020, Suzuki needed to drive down emissions across its range and hot hatches - even simply-orientated ones - had to evolve. Given the need for this evolution, we can at least give thanks that the essential character of this car remained still as endearing as ever. Need convincing that power isn't everything in a performance car? If so, you need to drive this one. We guarantee it'll surprise you.