Suzuki Swift Sport Review

The B-segment hatchback market has always been a popular choice for young consumers and small families in Malaysia. Combining practicality for daily commuting with the desire for occasional driving pleasure, sporty hatchbacks have consistently enjoyed a stable audience. The 2024 Suzuki Swift Sport 1.4 AT, as the latest iteration in this series, not only continues the Swift Sport's legacy of handling but also comes with a price reduction of nearly RM 9,000 compared to the 2021 model, all while maintaining the same power specifications. In this test drive, we focus on verifying whether it still retains its core competitiveness after the price reduction and whether it meets daily usability expectations.

At first glance, the 2024 Swift Sport exudes its sporty positioning. The dimensions remain consistent with the previous model, with a length of 3890mm, width of 1735mm, height of 1495mm, and a wheelbase of 2450mm. Its compact proportions give it a nimble appearance. The front features a honeycomb grille paired with sharp LED headlights on both sides, along with a sporty bumper surround below, resulting in high recognizability. The side profile sports a character line extending from the front to the rear, while the 16-inch rims with 195/50R16 tires enhance the sporty aesthetics. At the rear, the LED taillights feature a smoked design, and the rear bumper's diffuser-like styling, coupled with dual exhaust trims (mostly decorative), further underscores its performance orientation.

Stepping into the interior, the cabin features a predominantly black theme complemented by red-stitched seats and steering wheel, creating a sporty ambiance. The center console design is simple, with a 7-inch touchscreen in the middle that operates smoothly and supports basic multimedia functionalities. In terms of materials, the top of the dashboard is made of hard plastic, but the inner door panels and seats are covered in fabric, offering a decent tactile experience. As for equipment, keyless entry, one-button start, and single-zone automatic air conditioning come standard. The steering wheel supports manual up-and-down adjustment and includes paddle shifters for convenient gear changes while driving. The instrument cluster combines digital and analogue displays, clearly showing speed, RPM, fuel consumption, and other information.

In terms of space, the front seats offer manual height adjustment, and a 175cm tall passenger will have about a fist of headroom and ample legroom. The rear space is relatively compact, and a passenger of the same height will have about two fingers of legroom and three fingers of headroom, making it more suitable for short-distance rides. The rear seats are equipped with air conditioning vents and ISOFIX child seat anchors, ensuring practicality. The trunk has a capacity of 265 liters, which is sufficient for a few carry-on suitcases for daily use. The rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split, allowing for expanded storage capacity when needed.

In terms of performance, the 2024 Swift Sport is equipped with a 1.4T turbocharged engine that delivers a maximum horsepower of 141PS (1PS more than the 2021 model) and a maximum torque of 230Nm, paired with a 6AT transmission. During actual driving, the power response is immediate at startup, the turbo engagement is not abrupt, and low-speed driving is very smooth. When switched to sport mode, the throttle sensitivity increases, resulting in more powerful acceleration. The official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 8 seconds, which ranks among the top in the B-segment hatchback category. During overtaking, firmly pressing the accelerator prompts the transmission to quickly downshift, delivering direct power output. At high speeds, the engine maintains a rev range of around 2000 rpm, and the noise level is well-controlled.

In terms of handling, the combination of front MacPherson independent suspension and rear torsion beam non-independent suspension is tuned towards sportiness. The steering wheel is precise with minimal play, and the body roll during cornering is well controlled, giving sufficient confidence. When dealing with bumpy roads, the suspension filters out most minor vibrations, but when encountering speed bumps, the rear seats exhibit a more noticeable bumpiness. The braking performance is stable, with a combination of front ventilated discs and rear solid discs. The brake pedal feedback is linear, and the vehicle's posture remains well-maintained during emergency braking.

In terms of fuel consumption, the official combined fuel consumption is 6.1L/100km. During our actual test drive, urban road fuel consumption was around 7.5L, while highway consumption was 5.8L. This result is still economical for a 1.4T engine. Regarding noise control, wind noise and tire noise are not significant during highway driving. Engine noise can be heard in the cabin at high revs, but it's within an acceptable range.

Compared to same-class models such as the Toyota Yaris GR Sport or Honda Jazz Sport, the 2024 Swift Sport is priced lower, offers better power parameters, and features a relatively balanced configuration. Although space is not its strong suit, it is a great choice for young consumers who value driving pleasure and cost-effectiveness. It is suitable for daily commuting, weekend mountain road driving for fun, and meeting the basic travel needs of small families.

Overall, the 2024 Suzuki Swift Sport 1.4 AT offers even better value for money after its price reduction. It retains the sporty genes of the Swift Sport with sufficient power, agile handling, and practical features. If you are a 25-35-year-old young professional or a fan of the hot hatch style, this car is worth considering. It is not a perfect car, but with a budget of around 130,000 MYR, it provides a good driving experience and practicality.