Suzuki Swift Sport on sale this June with £16,499 launch price

Suzuki will launch its new Swift Sport this summer with a special launch offer that removes £1500 from the list price.

For the month of June only, buyers will be able to purchase the new 975kg pocket rocket for £16,499. From 1 July, the starting price of the third-generation model, which offers higher performance than its predecessor despite a decrease in engine size, will go up to £17,999.

2018 Suzuki Swift Sport review

The old car's naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre engine - which was the last in its class to breathe atmospheric air - has been swapped for a 1.4-litre turbocharged motor making 138bhp at 5500rpm and 170lb ft from 2500-3500rpm. Not only are these gains of 4bhp and 52lb ft, but also those respective peak outputs arrive 1400rpm and 1900rpm earlier.

The new model, equipped with the same six-speed manual gearbox as its predecessor, is therefore described by Suzuki chief engineer Masao Kobori as "more fun to drive" across a wider band of the rev range.

The extra grunt also translates into more accelerative performance, with the 0-62mph sprint taking 8.1sec, 0.7sec quicker than the old car, while top speed is 130mph, a 9mph improvement.

The new Swift Sport is Suzuki's first car to be tested under the new WLTP regime, for which it is listed as producing 135g/km of CO2 and offering a combined 47.1mpg. In the outgoing NEDC test, the car produces 125g/km of CO2 and achieves 50.4mpg combined.

As standard, the new Swift Sport sits on 17in alloy wheels and features sportier styling than its siblings. Inside, it features six airbags, automatic air conditioning and a DAB radio with Bluetooth. Additionally, there's a smartphone link touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and a rear-view camera.

Driver assistance technology includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.