Suzuki has unveiled a sport version of its Swift hatchback at the Paris motor show.
The production Sukuki Swift Sport - inspired by this car - will arrive in the UK in the second half of 2011.
It gets a tweaked version of the 1.6 in the standard Swift and chassis improvements combining to produce a much more dynamic drive.
The show car has a rear spoiler, a new front splitter and honeycomb lower grille, a lower ride height and sits on all-black alloy wheels.
Read more about the Suzuki Kizashi Sport
Suzuki is also expected to reveal a European-spec sport version of the Kizashi Sport in Paris, after the US-spec version was unveiled at the New York motor show in April.
Suzuki is still questioning whether to bring the standard Kizashi saloon to the UK. The main sticking point is the car’s 2.4-litre petrol engine, which will confine it to the domestic retail market, blocking it from fleet and commercial use.
Read Autocar’s full road test of the Suzuki Swift
Read Autocar’s first drive review of the Suzuki Swift
The US model of the Kizashi launched at New York had similar features to the Swift model unveiled today.
It featured 18in alloy wheels, a 10mm lower ride height, a honeycomb lower grille and new front bumper, side skirts, and a small rear spoiler. On the inside, the vehicle had a perforated leather steering wheel.
The new standard Swift supermini is already on sale in the UK, costing from £9995. It is available in three specification grades – SZ2, SZ3 and SZ4 with the top-of-the-range SZ4 five-door automatic costing £13,245.
In addition to seven airbags and ESP, the SZ2 has front passenger deactivation facility, electric front windows, remote central locking, MP3/WMA CD tuner with USB port and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
SZ3 adds manual air-conditioning and 16-inch alloy wheels, with the SZ4 coming with automatic air-con, Bluetooth integrated audio unit, electric rear windows, push-button keyless start, automatic headlamps and cruise control as standard.
All models have a Euro NCAP five-star safety rating.
The new Swift is larger than its predecessor, with a 90mm increase in length, a 50mm increase in wheelbase and a 10mm increase in height.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: Suzuki Swift from £9995
I totally agree with you there, however, an entry-level 5dr Ford Fiesta dating back to 1991 started from around £11,500, I remember reading an advert.
Mind you, cars nowadays are basically computers with lots of different sensors and all sorts inside them.
Re: Suzuki Swift from £9995
On top of that, it's being offered with 0% finance, which makes it seem a good deal. I'm looking for a new car, and I've looked at and driven a Swift before, but its emissions were always a bit high for a small car. Now that's been addressed, I'll wait for my brochure to arrive and arrange a test drive at my local dealer.
At least Suzuki have given it a decent spec for the money. Some cheaper alternatives are just so basic, while adding extras just makes them so expensive. I'll just have to see what I can afford, or how good a deal I can get about the end of the month, when the 60 plate buyers have disappeared.
Re: Suzuki Swift from £9995