Suzuki Swift Sport (2018 - 2024) review – a warm hatch that aged with grace
Though the third-generation Swift Sport erred on the tepid side of warm, rather than hot, its charms matured over the years as its main rivals disappeared from lineups.
In the case of the Suzuki Swift Sport, absence makes the heart grow fonder. On its introduction we found it to be a little staid and expensive compared to its predecessors and rivals. In 2024, rid of the VW Up GTI, Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTi that once showed it up on price and performance, the Swift Sport was quite literally in a class of one on our hot hatch mega test as the only sub-1.1 tonne hot hatch left standing.
It made more sense than it ever has, as a car that came into its own in its halcyon days. For yes, as 2024 bleeds into 2025, the only way to buy a Swift Sport is through existing dealer stock, with Suzuki phasing it out for the updated lineup. Gone are the days of tests like ‘Suzuki Swift Sport vs £15k hot hatch rivals’.
The Suzuki Swift Sport has always been held in high regard by evo. Ever since the original burst onto the scene in 2006, the pint-sized hatch has become a byword for affordable driving fun. It bows out with its third generation, which stuck firmly to its lightweight roots, if not its bargain basement pricing from its introduction in 2018 all the way through to the end.
Suzuki Swift Sport in detail
- Engine, gearbox and technical highlights > A lightweight platform powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, that got 48-volt mild hybrid assistance in 2020
- Performance and 0-60 time > Far from a sprint star, getting to 62mph in 8.1 seconds for the 2018-2020 car and 9.1 seconds for the 2020-2024 hybrid
- Ride and handling > A competent and reasonably comfortable thing, if not as exciting as Swift Sports of old. Hybrid steers and rides better
- Interior and tech > A cabin with personality; some of it decent quality, some not. Infotainment is a little dated
- MPG and running costs > The 1.4 turbo mill is frugal on paper, even without the hybrid, which reduces tax and fuel consumption marginally
- Design > Foursquare and punchy, if not bristling with aggression. Visual bark to match its dynamic bite
Price and rivals
When this generation of Swift Sport launched in 2018 at 18 grand, its pricing felt a little too punchy for the UK: back then you could spend a thousand more and get a Ford Fiesta ST or Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, or a few thousand less and get a VW Up GTI, which left a few scratching their heads. That price gulf increased yet further to over £21,000 – a full 5k up on the equivalent Up! GTI – when the Sport became a mild hybrid in 2020, a necessary step to trim its emissions to keep it on sale.
In 2024 it retailed from £24,270: not small money by any means but a more palatable figure in a world where the Up! GTI is long gone, a base Volkswagen Golf GTI costs nearly £40k, Peugeot’s 208 GT starts at £28k and the Mini JCW is a £33k car. But to drive, too, the unassuming (in all but colour) Suzuki is a real palette cleanser. A bit of a delight, in fact.
