Suzuki reveals the new Swift Sport

Last year, the Suzuki Swift Sport stole my heart and drove away with the title of PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2010. It therefore comes as no surprise that I'm just a little bit excited about the prospect of a new Swift Sport. Expected to go on sale in 2012, the car will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

As expected, the car looks a little different to the S-Concept revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier in the year. Gone are the flared arches, RenaultSport-style skirts, overly large alloys and rear roof spoiler. Instead, the Swift Sport looks every bit as subtle and understated as the current generation car, which is actually no bad thing. To my eyes at least, it's not as pretty or purposeful as the outgoing model, but I'm sure it'll age as well as a fine wine.

[caption id="attachment_4216" align="aligncenter" width="576"] New Swift Sport: the contender[/caption]

The really encouraging news is that it'll be powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6 litre engine that delivers a mere 134bhp and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. So like the current Sport, this will be a car that relies on high revs and neat cornering to deliver its thrills. Suzuki claims the new car "...offers superior cornering stability and brisker, more responsive handling thanks to struts with internal rebound springs and an exclusive rear-suspension design". Ooh.

Prices have yet to be announced, but with the current car weighing in at £12,995, I'd expect prices to be similar. A bargain price for an increasingly rare normally aspirated hot hatch. That is, of course, if it drives as well as the car it replaces. It has a lot to live up to.

Which reminds me, I still haven't bought myself a Swift Sport. My sources tell me there are less than 100 left now, so that's 100 chances left to grab the greatest little hot hatch money can buy. Who knows, if the new car doesn't recreate the magic of the current car, we may be calling it the 'classic Swift Sport'.

Time will tell...

[caption id="attachment_1356" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Current Swift Sport: the champ[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2020" align="aligncenter" width="523"] Swift S-Concept: the concept[/caption]