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Suzuki Swift review – a lively, tech-laden supermini - Performance and 0-60 time

The regular Swift and the Swift Sport share many attributes, but the hot hatch fails to live up to expectations

Evo rating
RRP
from £11,999
  • Comfortable, feels light, the regular model and the Sport are both surprisingly quick
  • Not a car that enjoys being driven too hard (a real problem for the Sport), the Sport’s steering is off-putting

Performance and 0-60 time

The three different engines available in the Swift may well be relatively small petrol engines. However, two are turbocharged and give the little supermini a surprising turn of pace; the mild hybrid SZ5 and Swift Sport aren’t mind-bogglingly fast (come one, what did you expect?) but they certainly feel brisk.

The official acceleration times don’t quite reflect how unexpectedly punchy they seem from behind the wheel, however. The 1-litre engine, with or without its hybrid boost, and a manual gearbox combine to create a 10.6sec 0-62mph time, while the auto is, astonishingly, 0.6sec faster. The Sport’s time is more respectable, completing the 0-62mph run in 8.1sec

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The naturally aspirated motor is less impressive with the two-wheel-drive car reaching 62mph in 11.9sec, while the four-wheel drive-car is quite a bit slower, even with a little hybrid boost, hitting the same speed in 12.6sec.

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