Suzuki Swift Sport Ownership Review

I share an ownership review with the owner of this 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki Swift Sport Driving Impressions: • Why Buy A Suzuki Swift...
#suzuki #swiftsport

[@MrZekToR]

Ok, on listening to you both speak about the car. I can only disagree with a lot of what I am hearing. In a nice way of course! Anyway, I've owned from new, both the 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport (turbo), and from new, a 2016 normally aspirated Swift Sport. The 2016 NA car cost me £13,400. The 2018 car cost me £16,500. Your man is quite right. The car initially went on sale for £17,999. But if you ordered the car in the first month of sale (June), you got an extra £1,500 off the price. I took advantage of that of course. My 2018 Sport was delivered on the 4th August 2018. I've now since owned it for 5 years - and it has just over 36K miles on the clock. The previous Swift Sport was owned for 3 years and 22K miles - for a time I had both cars on my driveway. I've heard lots of people say that they think the old NA car is more fun than the newer turbo car, but having owned both - and driven both in anger, I don't believe that is the case at all. I think the newer car is more fun. Why? For a start, it is considerably faster - especially in gear acceleration. Handling and agility is much improved in the newer car as well. The NA car didn't give me confidence to slide around a corner at 80 MPH. The newer car is supremely confident at 80+ MPH cornering. Roundabouts are a riot in a Swift Sport. You can use throttle up / lift throttle around a roundabout at speed and feel the neutrality of the car as it slides between axles. Both models are quick cornering cars - but the turbo car is even quicker. Suzuki did a lot of work on the suspension to improve the relationship of tyre and tarmac in the new car... and it shows. The new car is approx around 75Kg lighter than the old car - front end agility is a step up as well. Like an Alpine A110, you don't need stiff suspension when you are light weight. In fact, in the UK, it is desired to have a car that is supple / compliant enough to attack our back roads at speed. Seemingly stiffer cars just end up too fidjety on a poorly surfaced back road and actually make the driver compromise their progress by slowing down to allow the car to settle. The car feels more refined, not because it is soft (it's actually stiffer than the old Sport), but because Suzuki did a lot of work specifically on the chassis. It is my opinion that you didn't corner the car hard enough to get into the handling envelope. If you had done - you would have instantly thrown the 'not as much fun as an Up! GTI' out of the window. The Swift Sport is superbly neutral. The transistion of a power understeer front end slide to a slide at the rear via weight transfer is sublime (lift of oversteer). Also, the car has ESP / disc brakes in the rear. If you demand too much steering angle at speed, the feeling of a 'phantom rope' pulling the car sideways becomes evident from behind the wheel - almost like a 'get out of jail free' card. You're pushing the limits of grip during a corner, and just when you think you're running out of road - the ESP tightens the line and adjusts the cars attitude to get you facing in the direction that is demanded of the steering. All of this means you can drive the Swift Sport incredibly fast down ANY back road - no matter how poor the surface is. I've had dicings with MK7 and MK8 Fiesta ST's in such scenario's. They are no quicker down a typical UK 'B' road, and I've also had fun with much more expensive / more powerful cars. None of which has ever managed to make any real distance between them and the scrappy little 1.4 litre turbo Swift Sport. Also of note - put Esso Super Unleaded 99 in the tank for an instant performance boost. The Swift Sport has an adaptive ECU - and makes extra horsepower when used with Esso's best brew. But, don't put Shell V-Power in the tank. I'm not sure why - but Shell V-Power makes the power drop off in my car compared to Esso's brew. Anyway, to summarise - the Swift Sport is not the fastest car I've owned, but it certainly is the fastest point to point car I've owned. That suppleness / compliancy / low weight cannot be over-stated, that is what allows this car to tackle the most poorly surfaced back roads in the UK at speeds most heavier performance cars dare tackle. There are countless videos on KZbin demonstrating how a lowly Swift Sport manages to keep up with much more expensive metal. This car is heavily underrated. To the owner of the Swift Sport in your video. Keep it for as long as you can, and continue to explore the hidden talents in the Sport's chassis. I guarantee you that the first time you start exploring the handling envelope at the edge of grip - you will truly see the light on what this little car is capable of. Enjoy!

[@shahzadayub7191]

Great stuff. I'm the owner in the clip and I really do like my Swift Sport and plan on keeping it until it reaches its 12th birthday at the very least. I'm pontificating in the clip about whether the previous gen is a better long term bet because there's less to go wrong/less expensive maintenance. Interesting what you say about the fuel. I ran my ZC33S exclusively on premium (super unleaded) fuels for my first 2 years of ownership including 2 loads of Esso Supreme 99+ but can't honestly detect any difference between this and the Esso E10 fuel I've used for last two tanks 🙌

[@BobFlocker]

You don't need to post this to every video you see. It's great that you enjoy your car but you seem to be very insecure. Do your mates tease you for having a girls car or something?

[@MrZekToR]

@@BobFlocker I grew up when small, lightweight hot hatches were all the rage. I progressed into heavier metal - I've had 3x V8 cars (2x sports cars, 1x GT) in my time. Trust me, I'm not insecure about my choice of wheels. Having experienced a broad range of cars over the years - I know what's fun and what isn't. I don't care what people think about my car. I drive it by choice - because I like it. I don't give a stuff what other people think. But, if you think it's a 'girls' car - that's up to you. All I know, is that the Swift Sport can humble far more powerful metal - I have real world experience of this. I'm enthusiastic about the car, yes - even after 7 years of Swift Sport ownership across 2 models. I still find it very good fun to drive - all the time. A 'rag it all day' bullet-proof engine just adds to the real world fun available from this car. Not a lot, to not like in my opinion.

[@BobFlocker]

@MrZekToR you clearly care because you replied. As I said it's good that you enjoy your car. There's no need to be so insecure though. Get some self respect mate.

[@MrZekToR]

@@BobFlocker LOL. I'm not insecure - but perhaps you are, are you trying to self-validate your own insecurities? Haha.

[@shahzadayub7191]

Hey Sam, was great meeting you. In case anyone was interested about 16:30 - 16:42 Suzuki agreed to repair this under warranty 🙌 Always great to see a manufacturer stand behind their (older) product in this way.

[@SamAustin]

That is great to know and I am glad Suzuki are sorting the issue. As a brand it shows a lot and they all seem very friendly from my experience with Suzuki's press team yesterday and it is great to hear you are getting the same service as an owner 👍

[@zydomason]

There are people who upgraded the turbo to the point the engine produced beyond 200 HP so there's a LOT of potential in this platform.

[@SamAustin]

Yes tuning potential from a turbo is definately a plus side over the n/a version 👍

[@JustinElliot1990]

Great owners review! Will this car be reliable in the long term? Being a direct-injection turbo engine or should you consider the n/a 4cyl engine ?

[@SamAustin]

Thank you! From speaking with the owner it has run well for them so no reason why it should not be great in the long term if well looked after / serviced regularly 👍

[@gavinivers8941]

Suzuki were World Junior Rally Champions several years ago with the first gen Swift, and then tried to up grade to full WRC with not very good results, and then sadly gave up. CTC have found if you run that Swift on 98 octane and you with get around 150bhp.

[@youraveragejoe1]

There’s about 40 staff at my work and i can think of 6 with Suzuki swifts (2 sport). interested to see what they’re like lol

[@SamAustin]

Yep they are well worth trying out 👍

[@davidhayes4814]

They are clearly great little cars but at £23K to £24K when new, they are up against some conspicuous opposition …. many small cross-overs and even the Hyundai i20N is only £2K more and equally well kitted out as standard. Sadly the whole sector of spirited hatches is somewhat diminished

[@SamAustin]

It's a very good point. I would like the price to be more competitive on these 🤔

[@user-jp9vb8bs8c]

I might have missed something but was the owners car a manual or auto? I have a manual sport with the 6 speed box. My previous car was a manual ignis which is 5 speed. I liked the ignis a lot and would still own it but I found it so underpowered it was dangerous going up hills while keeping up with traffic. I am however a big fan of Suzuki engines and gearboxes, not sure about 3 cylinder turbos. The best feature of the 1.4 turbo is the fantastic torque which gives you power in any gear. I don’t think it really needs the 6th gear.

[@shahzadayub7191]

Manual transmission. Available in auto in some markets, but not in the UK in sport guise 👍

[@abarthspider3479]

Test driven one. Transmission good, engine perky, The rest? rather expensive for a such a car that is equiped with basic affointments. They have a cheap feel and look to it. Auto gear lever lights are not on all the time when shifting the lever to a position. Lane assist and another button next to it do not light up when pushing it. How does one know if it is on or not? Steering felt a little heavy and firm. The ride quality is basic. Not a car i that would enthuse me to buy. Love my Golf R, though 😉

[@chrro466]

Owned a mk7 golf Gti and I am still traumatised by its faults and cost of ownership. I think I’m going to give this car a chance, I’d take reliability over extreme performance now I’m older.

[@chrro466]

Wouldn’t touch a VW unless I could sell it three years later before all the problems start for the same money I paid for it.

[@chrro466]

3 cylinders Direct injection and turbo do not have long life spans. The disposable vehicle.

[@shahzadayub7191]

Lucky this swift has a 4 cylinder motor with a 7 year/100K miles manufacturers mechanical warranty and a 12 year anti-corrosion guarantee from suzuki 🙌