So, this is the all new Suzuki Swift Sport and we have had some much missed fun with it.
Sometime in April this year, a brand new Suzuki showroom opened at the Naza Auto Mall along the Federal Highway. This was the return of the Suzuki brand after a long holiday and under a new brand guardian, Naza Eastern.
Shortly after the showroom opening a brand new Suzuki model was launched, the Swift 14.L Boosterjet. Yes, we know, since its launch there has been lots of social media chatter about its ‘high’ selling price. So, we decided to provide some pricing information from other right hand drive countries selling the same model to show how this Suzuki is priced about right.
Suzuki Swift Sport Prices Elsewhere
This compact fun Swift model’s selling price in the UK starts from 14,999 pound sterling which is about (RM85,129 before local taxes and shipping).
In Singapore, a similar Suzuki Swift retails at SGD131,000 for the manual version and SGD151,000 for the automatic version which is similar to the version sold here (about RM402,086 with the Singapore COE included which alone is about SGD45,600).
The Australian market gets the exact same Swift Sport as us and their selling price is AUS30,990 (about RM97,515 before local Malaysian taxes).
In Japan where this Suzuki Swift comes from (yes this is a fully imported JDM vehicle), the selling price starts from USD22,300 before shipping, insurance and local Malaysian taxes which is about RM92,199.00.
Suzuki Swift Sport History
When the previous Suzuki Swift Sport was launched in Malaysia about 8 years ago, it was heralded as a compact hatchback that would change the game for all hot hatches in the segment. This hot hatch came with a 1.6 litre engine with some tweaking to the suspension to give it Mini Cooper like handling. There were minor changes on a car that was already delivering great handling, but it provided a little more poke to get the car going quick and allowed the car to fly through corners at surprisingly rapid pace.
With 134 horsepower on tap and 160Nm of torque, the Swift Sport could reach 100km/h in 8.7 seconds. This does not sound very quick but it was still a respectable figure. The one advantage the Swift Sport had is that it hardly needed to slow down for most corners, as it was capable of carrying generous speed through.
The Swift Sport was fitted with Yokohama Advan tyres and was a lightweight car and weighed in at 1085kg (kerb weight). Its selling price was RM105,802.50 (OTR with insurance) and it sold really well. Till today you have owners very happy and with little intention to sell.
2013 Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6i Specifications
Engine: 16-valve DOHC VVT
Displacement: 1586cc
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Max power: 134bhp at 6900rpm
Max torque: 160Nm at 4400rpm
0-100km/h: 8.7secs
Top Speed: 195km/h
Price: RM105,802.50
2021 Suzuki Swift Sport Boosterjet Test Drive
This new Swift comes with a very low kerb weight of just 970kg (previous version was 1,085kg) and a lively engine that delivers a torque figure of 230Nm (previous version was 160Nm), the latest Suzuki Swift Sport has a torque-to-weight ratio of 4.3 kg/Nm placing it at a similar level to its hot hatch competitors.
Nearest rival in Malaysia right now is the Mini Cooper which is almost double the price. There is no new model Honda CR-Z in sight, Volkswagen is no longer selling the Polo GTi and The Ford Fiesta ST has been retired.
The driver gets a red-faced tachometer with a 4.2-inch multi-info information display. You will like the leather-wrapped, flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel and the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay connectivity. There is key-less ignition, cruise control and an automatic ait-conditioning system.
The Swift body-shell (Body in White) is also of lightweight construction and includes the use of Ultra High tensile steel (980Mpa) across 17 percent of its structure and High tensile steel (789 MPa) across four percent of its structure. Safety features included are six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill hold assist, and dual Isofix child seat anchors for the rear seats (so small families can enjoy this hot hatch as well).
From ignition there is a very mild rumble to be heard. Nothing to intimidating. Feather the throttle and the tachometer comes alive. Its responsive and quick to entertain. From ignition this Swift was perky and rather quick of the mark showing us the how much new engineering has gone into the Boosterjet engine.
One of the best traits of the Swift from its very first model was its drive attitude that comes from its high levels of grip and strong brakes that inspire the kind of confidence that lets you probe further than your drive instinct would normally allow.
This is a very well-balanced small car with quite a tenacious grip with the 195/50R16 Yokohama Advan tyres working well to provide eager performance. The 0-100km/h sprint is done in just 8.0 seconds with brisk acceleration. At speeds, turn-in is sharp and it points where it is intended, however it is easily shaken off-line on pot-holed corners and uneven surfaces with its firm suspension and tight chassis. It can be precisely-placed when cornering quickly on well paved roads only and, even with some induced slide feels controlled and very well-balanced. And the result? Pure driving enjoyment.
Test drive this Swift before looking elsewhere.
Suzuki Swift Sport Boosterjet Pricing
There are also a few units of the Suzuki Swift on sale in the used car classified. Prices hover between RM129,000 to RM132,000 for a 4-year-old 2017 used AP import (second-hand) model and this is the very same specification of the model sold by Naza Eastern Motors with a full warranty and after sales. Why buy recon when you can buy new at at the same price?
Suzuki Swift Boosterjet Specifications
Engine: 1.4-litre, Turbocharged
Displacement: 1373cc
Transmission: 6-speed auto with paddle-shift
Max power: 140bhp at 5500rpm
Max torque: 230Nm at 2500-3500rpm
Top Speed: 205km/h
0-100km/h: 8.0 seconds
Price: RM139,900.00
