America has always drifted away from small things and so is it when it comes to cars unlike the buyers in Europe and Asia who prefer compact, city friendly cars.
Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta and Mini Cooper have recently discovered the appetite for small hatchbacks in the Americans. Now Suzuki is willing to hit the U.S. market with a compact creation of its own called the Suzuki Swift Sport, quite known overseas due to its styling, easy handling and reasonable price.
The Swift is Suzuki’s volume seller around the world, and a far cry from the Grand Vitaras and Kizashis it already sells in the U.S. But the previous Suzuki Swift Sport was widely regarded as one of the best bang-for-your-buck cars around, so there are high hopes that it might be time for a U.S. debut.
How Much Sport Do You Get?
The 2011 Suzuki Swift Sport has pretty good six-speed manual transmission of 136-horsepower and 1.6-liter engine. The inline four-cylinder engine is thankfully pushes around only 2,304 pounds worth of car. As per Suzuki it’s good for a 0-60-mph time of around 8.7 seconds, which is descent for this class.
Even after Suzuki’s good remarks you can find the engine thrashy, and making loud and unrefined noises at high revs, which is something to think about. Also it is at maximum power at 6,900 rpm. The complete 118 pound-feet of torque is available at 4,400 rpm, so you can find a punch at lower engine speeds.
You can get a sporty feeling by the gearshift and also an urgent feeling by the throttle and snappy responses of its engine. All this makes you fall in love with the car, and admire it more than it deserves.
Feels as Small as It Looks
The front-drive setup and direct steering makes it easy to run the Swift around on the twisting corners. The steering right on center gets a slight numb, but you need to trust the car to get that admirable grip.
The 2011 Suzuki Swift Sports has a retunes suspension with new bushings, stiffer springs and revised damper settings as compared to the standard Swift. Along with 17-inch wheels and tires it also has retuned power steering setup.
The overbearing computers can be prevented from scrubbing off too much speed and sending the car wide through hairpin bends by turning off the stability control. It throws the rear wheel in the air sometimes and and seems to be threaten, without the electronic intervention. Don’t You might get fooled by the power show..beware !!
The low curb weight has another plus point, its brakes never fade. The small dimensions of the car make it easy to be on the road. The Swift Sport slightly longer than a Mini Cooper and about the same width with the dimensions of 153.1 inches long and 66.7 inches wide.
It Definitely Looks Sporty
The 2011 Suzuki Swift Sport has a muscular waistline and its square line gives it a high profile and also a retro-styled like the Fiat and Mini. In spite of the muscular waistline it has a cute front, which generally comes in a small car, this combination gives it a aggressive and comfortable look.
It has a hint of testosterone as compared to the more androgynous-looking base version of the Swift. The rivals for sure look more expensive, but the straight-edged Suzuki, has a modern look like a retro chic.
The inside seems to just fit in somehow with the cheap-feeling plastics. The sporting nature gets more emphasized by the figure hugging seats along with the red stitch and the chrome-lined dials. You will not get a very glamorous car but it will suit it’s the price range.
Can It Make It Here?
The 2011 Suzuki Swift Sport’s has been pretty success full in Europe, due to the honest and simple looks. It has so many features of the Mini Cooper with a lower price tag.
The makers are still doubtful about its success in the U.S. . There are two main competitors for the Swift on the styling front, firstly the Fiat 500 and secondly the Mini Cooper. In the race of good value it will have to compete with the the Chevrolet Sonic and Ford Fiesta.
The Suzuki might give a shot in the race with its simple and aggressive model. The Swift gives a combination of unique style and is a fun to drive; it also gives the satisfactory driving feeling, which can hardly be found in the other big shots. It might not gain as much popularity as in Europe but it can still give a nice competitions to the other big names in the car race.