As soon as I press the starter button and the engine burbles into life I get a good feeling about the Suzuki Swift Sport.
Ten minutes later I’m zipping around some quiet back roads to the north of Dundee with a happy grin on my face.
The Sport is the hot hatch version of the Swift supermini. Twin chrome exhausts and a body kit set it apart from the standard hatchback. A 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine delivers 138bhp.
That’s far down on the 200bhp+ outputs of the most powerful hot hatch superminis, and places the Swift Sport more in “warm hatchback” territory.
Don’t let that put you off though – 138bhp is plenty in a car that weighs just 975kg. The Swift Sport also costs just under £18,000, making it cheaper than more powerful rivals.
And it’s bursting with standard kit. Six airbags, lane departure and forward collision warning systems, air conditioning, rear privacy glass, and a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, DAB radio, Bluetooth and smartphone connectivity are all included, as is a pin-sharp reversing camera (although parking sensors are mysteriously omitted).
While the Swift Sport’s bhp figure might not be stellar, torque – or pulling power – has increased by more than 50lb ft to 162lb ft.
That makes the power accessible from much lower down the rev range, meaning you don’t have to ram your right foot to the floor to make good progress.
While it can’t match a Vauxhall Corsa GSI or even a Ford Fiesta ST for outright speed, it still feels very lively.
That impression’s enhanced by entertaining handling. The Swift Spot has an agile chassis that makes it a lot of fun on twisting country roads.
Suspension has been firmed up a bit and the Sport didn’t very much like the potholes near by house. On smoother surfaces like A-roads and motorways ride quality is perfectly fine – you can easily use it for long drives.
Inside sports seats grip you through hard cornering while still offering plenty of comfort when you’re not pressing on. The 7in touchscreen infotainment system is easy to use and there’s a reasonable amount of passenger space front and back – I managed to fit both my parents in without anyone grumbling.
From the Vitara to the dinky Ignis, Suzuki is undergoing something of a renaissance these days.
The Swift Sport is another fine addition to the range.
Price:
£17,999
0-62mph:
8.1 seconds
Top speed:
130mph
Economy:
50.4mpg
CO2 emissions:
135g/km