New 2019 Suzuki Swift Sport ready for a bright future in SA
Suzuki South Africa pulled the covers off their new budget hot-hatch this week – the all new Suzuki Swift Sport.
The previous Swift Sport gained a rather large amount of popularity in South Africa, and enthusiasts will be glad to learn that the new model is lower, wider and lighter than its predecessor, promising a more exciting time in terms of handling and stability. The engineers managed to finally bring the weight of the Swift Sport below a ton – specifically 970kg, shedding 90kg since the last model. “By keeping the Swift Sport light and nimble, our engineers have made a car that is not only fast but also rewarding to drive. Where other hot hatches have become a blunt tool that rely on brute force, the Swift Sport rewards the driver with precise steering feel, nimble handling, progressive power and good mechanical feedback,” says André Venter, divisional manager for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa.
Changes on the exterior include a set of new daytime running LED headlights that look clean on the redesigned face of the Swift Sport. The rear sports a new bumper between the signature twin tail pipes. According to Suzuki, the engineers made sure that the exhausts were tuned to deliver a deeper tone at lower speeds. It’s no vrr-pha, but will surely be welcomed by potential buyers. Completing the sporty look is an integrated rear spoiler, which is also bigger than before, giving the Swift Sport a more serious and performance oriented ambience. Swift Sport buyers will be able to choose from seven exterior colours, namely Burning Red, Speedy Blue, Pure White, Super Black, Premium Silver, Mineral Grey and the popular Champion Yellow.
Power is supplied by an all-new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor, producing 103kW of power and 230Nm of torque. This is a rather significant improvement over the performance of the predecessors 1.6-litre motor that only produced 100kW and 160Nm. Push the new Suzuki Swift Sport to the limit and it’ll do 0-100km/h in 8-seconds before climbing to its top speed of 205km/h. Customers can choose between a 6-speed manual gearbox or a snappy 6-speed automatic transmission.
The interior of the Swift Sport packs a lot of kit for the price. Creature comforts such as fully automatic climate control, speed-sensitive power steering, electrically foldable rear-view mirrors and all-round electric windows are available, as well as Suzuki’s new 7” touch screen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a reverse camera, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, steering mounted controls and cruise control are available.
The Swift Sport will be sold at R315,900 for the manual and R335,900 for the automatic, including a 4-year / 60 000 km service plan and a 5-year / 200 000 km vehicle warranty.
