So I may be behind the times but today I learnt the Suzuki Swift Sport is to be discontinued towards the end of the year. Ok, that last statement was a bit over dramatic - there will be a new model of course but it may not have the same charm as the outgoing model.
Why you may ask? Well the Swift Sport is one of the only hot hatchbacks - if not THE last - in existence that features no help from a turbocharger. I know, to call the Swift Sport a hot hatch is a bit of a stretch as its 1.6 litre engine offers a modest 134bhp. So as you can imagine, the 0-60 times and top speed are no match for cars such as the Fiesta ST and Civic Type R. In fact those two cars could eat the Swift up for breakfast and then spit it out.
But the Swift Sport has been able to offer a more old-school view of hot hatchery and it's biggest strength has been it's handling. It may not win any drag races - or any other competitive race for that matter - but it holds on to the road like a cat clings on to curtains. In fact I would put the Swift Sport in my top five hot hatchbacks I've driven. I know, it's not a proper hot hatch but you get what I mean.
Well I say it's not a hot hatch but that is about to change. There is a new Swift Sport coming and it's likely to follow the trend if being turbo-powered. It will offer the same amount of power though so maybe it will be able to keep the high level of charm in the current model whilst offering a better level of performance. I imagine the same level of handling will be on offer which makes it such a gem of a car - that and the value for money package.
Do you think the Swift Sport should remain untouched or does it needs to get with the times?