Goodwood Test: 2021 Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid Review

Without wanting to send you to sleep in sentence one, CO₂ emissions matter. They matter in the wider world, obviously, but they matter to car manufacturers too, as every company has to meet certain CO₂ targets across their fleets or risk being slapped with a substantial fine. In 2020 this gave Suzuki a bit of a headache, as its CO₂ average for its cars in the UK just wasn’t good enough. The result was that the Jimny was axed (a small vigil was held in the GRR office upon its passing) and every car in the Suzuki range was given a hybrid boost, including the Suzuki Swift Sport. So that’s what you see here, the mild-hybrid Swift Sport, complete with a 48V Integrated Starter Generator and 48V lithium-ion battery which not only gives the Swift Sport a little extra punch but, crucially, makes it a little kinder to the environment.

The Swift Sport is the Swift’s angry sibling, and with the anger comes a different and much larger grille, sharper creases coming down across the car’s nose from the headlights, wider fog light surrounds, a small front splitter, wider sills, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, a new rear bumper and two exhausts. Oh, and we can’t forget the Sport badge, either. What’s nice is that the bodywork is aggressive without being over the top – there’s a welcome sprinkling of muscle without it appearing as though teenager has don’t some low-budget modifications.

Anyone familiar with the pre-hybrid Swift Sport or the old, original Swift Sport will know that this is not a Fiesta ST-rivalling hot hatch, but instead a warm hatch, a car with less power and performance that’s therefore a little more accessible and a little less serious – but no less fun. The addition of a mild-hybrid system hasn’t changed the recipe.

The 1.4-litre engine is the same as it was before albeit less powerful, with 129PS (95kW) at 5,500rpm rather than 140PS (103kW). On the flipside it produces more torque, now 235Nm (173lb ft) instead of 230Nm (170lb ft). The mild-hybrid system gives a 13PS (10kW) and 53Nm (39lb ft) boost, however. The Swift Sport also weighs 50kg more than before, too, with a kerb weight of 1,025kg.

First of all, you do feel the hybrid kick. It’s not huge, but at low speeds and low revs there’s a definite boost of torque. Everywhere else the engine feels much the same, with power from 3-5,500rpm or so and a little less go for the final 500rpm. It is at this point I must remind you, dear reader, not to rev the engine out to the indicated 6,250rpm redline, and ask Suzuki to please change the tachometer. The rev limit is in fact 6,000rpm, so it’s very easy to bounce off the limiter when you think you’ve got a few more revs to go. Zero to 62mph takes 8.1 seconds and the top speed is 130mph, both of which are the same as before. CO₂ emissions are down to 127g/km from 135g/km, while the combined economy figure jumps from 47.0mpg to 50.1mpg. That tiny reduction in CO₂ might not sound like much, but Suzuki reckons it’ll equate to an average yearly saving of 129kg. Blimey.

The extra 50kg isn’t particularly noticeable either. Yes, it’s a shame that the Swift Sport doesn’t make it under the tonne mark on paper, but the car doesn’t feel any slower, less nimble or less keen than before. The steering feels light but direct, the suspension is firm and feels quite simple but does a decent job of absorbing lumps and bumps under load (the springs and dampers have been tweaked to account for the additional weight), and the brakes are more than adequate – that’s not damning with faint praise, just an acknowledgment that the discs aren’t as big as other hot hatchbacks but the Swift Sport weighs very little, so they are perfectly up to the task in hand.

The fit and finish of the Swift Sport is good, but there’s a feeling of lightness and thinness to a lot of things. That’s not a negative, just an observation. The doors feel very light, for example, the plastic on them feels basic without resembling a tray of a box of chocolates, and the cabin feels quite uncluttered and airy. There’s no design frippery, you just get what you need where you need it, like simple air conditioning controls and a steering wheel with buttons for the radio, phone and cruise control but that’s more or less it. If there was one element of the interior I’d tweak it would be the dials, as they’re just too fiddly looking.

In the middle of the centre console sits a 7.0-inch touchscreen that is simple enough to use but leaves a lot to be desired in the way it looks, but it does at least come with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a DAB radio, sat-nav and Bluetooth. In the centre of the instrument cluster there’s a 4.2-inch TFT screen too, which show the trip, the controls for the adaptive cruise control, how the mild-hybrid system and the engine is using its power, the boost of the turbocharger and even a G-meter.

Elsewhere there’s a good amount of kit included as standard. You get automatic headlights, high-beam assist, an ‘advanced forward detective system’ (that’s sometimes a little too excitable, mistaking signs on bends for obstacles you’re about to hit), lane departure warning, blind spot indicator, rear-cross traffic alert system, traffic sign recognition, heated, folding door mirrors and daytime LED running lights.

Suzuki says that its development concept for the Swift Sport was “ultimate driving excitement”, and there’s no escaping the fact that just isn’t true. You don’t have to manage wheelspin or torque steer, you’re only really driving with pace rather than at speed, and more mature hatchbacks like the Fiesta ST are just more exciting. However, two words that come to mind and immediately seem more appropriate for the Swift Sport are fun and simplicity.

It might not be the fastest, it might not have the most power, but the Suzuki Swift Sport can bring a smile to your face on roads and at speeds that might not excite in other cars. All of that can be attributed to the fact that everything – the brakes, the power, the torque, the grip – is balanced. More power and other parts of the car wouldn’t be up to the task, while more weight would, well, just make this any other car.

Sadly, what will stop many people from enjoying the Swift Sport’s simplicity is its price, which sits at £21,820. The Swift Sport might come with a lot of kit, but a Volkswagen Up! GTI is probably a more tempting driving experience for £16,140. The hotter, more serious Fiesta ST, meanwhile, will set you back only £130 more, with prices from £29,950.