Suzuki is offering its cracking little warm hatch, the Swift Sport, with five doors for 2013. The family-friendly model shares its powertrain with the three-door Swift CAR ran (and loved) as a long termer last year – that means a naturally aspirated, 1.6-litre engine good for 134bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and 0-62mph in 8.7sec.
Suzuki says it expects one-third of Swift Sport customers to opt for the five-door model – sales have so far averaged 1200 a year in the UK.
How much does Suzuki charge for the extra doors?
At £14,249, the five-door Sport is £500 more than the three-door model, and Suzuki claims it’s no more expensive to run, thanks to identical 44.1mpg and 147g/km ratings. That’s because the five-door Swift Sport’s dimensions match that of the three-door, from its length, width and height through to the identical 211-litre bootspace.
As standard, all Swift Sports come loaded with unique bumpers with fog lamps and 17-inch alloys on the outside, as well as climate control, push-button start, cruise control, Bluetooth and rear privacy glass.
What about if I want to off-road in a Swift?
Granted, it’s not a gaping hole in the market, but Suzuki’s plugged it anyway, with the new Swift 4×4 model. It’s the first time a 4×4 Swift has been sold in the UK since November 1992, and with the Fiat Panda 4×4 as its only competition, it’s targeting fleet and corporate sales thanks to its low CO2 of 126g/km – a mere 10g/km more than a two-wheel drive Swift. The five-door only supermini rides 25mm higher and uses a permanent all-wheel drive system, which adds only 65kg to the car’s overall weight.
What’s the spec of the Suzuki Swift 4×4?
In SZ3 guise(£11,516) , only a small ‘4×4’ badge sets the more rugged Swift apart from its front-wheel drive cousin, but higher-specced SZ4 models (£13,116 as pictured in our gallery) get a proper makeover. There are front and rear skidplates, black side skirts and black wheelarch extensions. SZ4 models also enjoy a more generous goodie count, including electrically folding mirrors and LED running lights.
>> Are these new niche models enough for the likeable Suzuki Swift to take on the class-leading Ford Fiesta? Tell us your verdict in the comments below