New Suzuki Swift Sport – 136 PS, 160 Nm, 6-speed manual

From Paultan.org

This is the new Suzuki Swift Sport, based on the current generation Swift that was launched last year. To debut in next month’s Frankfurt show, it has emerged almost identical to the Suzuki S-Concept shown in Geneva in March.
Compared to Geneva’s yellow concept, we can see that the production SSS has lost both the vents behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels. No red calipers, the alloy design is less flashy and there’s a more subtle rear spoiler. But that’s about it. Like the current car, the Swift Sport doesn’t shout too loud, which is a good thing.

Under the hood is Suzuki’s 1.6-litre M16A engine, coaxed for better figures. The high-revving twin-cam naturally aspirated unit now makes 136 PS and 160 Nm of torque, up from 125 horses and 148 Nm. Also important is the fact that max torque is now made at 4,400 rpm, 400 rpm lower than before. There’s also something else current Swift Sport owners will envy – the SSS now comes with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Handling wise, Suzuki says that the new Swift Sport offers “superior cornering stability and brisker, more responsive handling thanks to struts with internal rebound springs and an exclusive rear-suspension design”. Seven airbags (including driver’s knee) and ESP are among the safety kit.

In today’s landscape where a 200 hp hatch is no big deal, and many cooking variants are turbocharged or diesel powered, the SSS might be scoffed at, but we commend Suzuki for sticking with this formula. A high revving NA engine can be intoxicating for those who know. You may be going faster, but I’m having lots of fun getting there!