Is the Suzuki Swift Sport the most underrated small car? 

I used to drive the new one with 1.4 turbo for three years and now I switched back to the old one with 1.6 natural aspirated. Both of them are fantastic underrated cars with tons of fun. As an engineer I figured out the magic for the fun factors is the light tare weight only 970kg for the 1.4t and 1050kg for the 1.6na. People just don't understand physics these days thats why every body just going towards a power/torque war. IMO the 1.6na old one is more fun all due to the M16A engine which can rev all the way to 7200rpm. There is no mode button like all the newer cars to choose between eco or sports mode, the mode button is just under your right foot, below or above 5000rpm. Anyway it is not the top players in the hot hatch world but it certainly inherited many characters from the classic hot hatch models and got its only personality.

To me this seems like on of the best first cars for car enthusiasts. Affordable, reliable, no-nonsense car with some performance attributes to it. I would definitely recommend paying a bit more and going for the 1.6.

Brilliant reliable things these swift sports are! We're on our second one, my partners main drive. First had 2009 model, and still have 2015 model, both were from new. They literally never had anything go wrong with them, just needed a new battery. Infact when my partner had the RAA(roadside assist) come to her rescue and replaced the battery whilst I was working. The guy said he bought one for his daughter because they never get called out for anything other than a battery. Ours is about to hit 200,000kms and its still so good, it's good on fuel as my partner never gives it any. Easy averaging under 7 litres per hundred, and only goes up when I give it a spirited drive. Don't forget it's a suzuki that love to rev, they might not be that fast off the mark but hit the twisties high in the rev range and stay there and its a smile from ear to ear.

I had a yellow manual Sport as a runabout for a couple of years and OMG I loved every minute of it. The only reason I sold it was because I found my CH1 Type R. Yet still to this day I really really miss my Swift and would happily buy another if I had the garage space for it.

i am still drivinh 2006 swift. bought from new. everything still work perfectly. only need to change baterry.

2 months ago, and after a lot of research i got one of these Swift Sports. Mine is an early 2012 with 90 000 miles. Let me just tell you right now, I LOVE THIS CAR. Coming from a Leon FR 1.8tsi 2017 i can honestly say that this is the funnest car i have ever driven. It feels like a FWD Miata :D. Here is what i found. If you like turbo cars and you don't like to rev cars up this car is NOT for you. This little thing flies but only after 4 000RPM. Yes it's not that fast but in the city or bendy roads it's like a little rocket. I drive it 4 - 6K Rpms constantly when driving sporty and it flies. The steering is amazing if you have grippy tires. It will NEVER understeer. It's amazing in the bends! Also gearbox is AWESOME! Consumption is a solid 7/100L. I slapped an LPG system on mine since i do a lot of miles and it's supper efficient. Problems to watch out for - Steering rack rattle, when looking to buy this little thing always check the rack. It goes out fairly easy if driven on bad roads. It's cheaply fixable because only the bushings need replacing but it's a lot of work to get the rack out. Cable bushings on the shifter and gearbox can go out easy but they are around a dollar per bushing from Aliexpress and you only need 4 :) Sticky rear brake callipers - Again easily & cheaply fixable and happen on a lot of Jap cars. Stereo sound quality is awful. Invest in some better head unit and upgrade the 2 front speakers and you are golden! Shaky engines are common and completely normal. The Sport idles at about 500-600RPM and because of that the engine shakes quite a lot but it is completely normal. Nothing to be concerned.

in my opinion the swift is an underrated car in general. it's so quick on it's wheels and takes corners really nicely. i drive a regular 1.3 from 06 and it's definetly one of my favourite cars

Damn, the effort you guys put in to the safety spec overview is gold. Thinking a video mash up of all your safety overviews in the future would be a good watch.

I've had a Swift Sport for about 2 years and it has 110000 miles on the clock. I've personally put the last 20K on and apart from needing some suspension work its been 100% reliable. I've owned cars with half that mileage that were ready for the scrap heap including a Skoda. Its also surprisingly cheap to run, its surprisingly fuel efficient and insurance is quite cheap too. It really annoys me when people compare it to something like a Golf GTI or a Civic type R because they cost a lot more money to both buy and run. The best comparison would be a RenaultSport Twingo which costs similar money and has similar performance. The difference is the Swift is infinitely more reliable and better made which is why they hold their value much better. For a fun every day car you cant go wrong and of all the cars I've owned its by far my favourite.

Have had my Swift Sport since new and I still get as excited about starting it up now as I did the first time. Such a little ripper! And super hard wearing too.

I’ve got this model Swift Sport manual, I absolutely love it

My parents bought one brand new and it started my passion for fun cars. Chasing the redline. Had a full Remus on it and it sounded sweet. Never had any issues.

Great car, partner and I have owned a few and I race and daily my current one. Heaps of cheap aftermarket support out of Japan but prices are going up as they're getting more popular. GReddy, Blitz, Cusco, all the big tuning companies have a comprehensive range for these cars.

I had one of these recently that I scored as a flip while my JCW was in waiting for bits. It had 270,000km on it and it felt like 27,000. Everything worked, no leaks, no rattles, no smoke, no probs. Cruise control was solid stable, Climate control same. Would get another in a heartbeat. (Tho I would avoid the CVT version and early 5 speeds if you commute on highways 🤢)

Have driven this for 3 years now , the most fun to drive , reliable and smart looking car. Take it to mountains or bit off road this car has always over performed. Not to forget still has fantastic fuel consumption. The shift from 2nd to 3rd gear is the most joyful thing in this car. A lengendary car

These are genuinely fantastic. It will recalibrate what you think you need from a 'performance' car. For me, it was a palette cleanser after years of owning cars like MK7 GTIs, showing that power and laptimes do not make a car more fun. This has a tactility you cannot overstate, with a feeling that its pivoting under your hip at every roundabout. An utter joy to own.

I have a 2014 non-sport Swift, but with 4x4, which makes it just about the perfect small car for our very snowy winters here in Finland. The measly 1,2-liter 94hp engine is reliable but really quite slow. Other than that, no issues with the car whatsoever even after 115000km. I keep wishing for Suzuki to make a 4x4 Swift Sport and position it as a poor mans Toyota Yaris GR. It could even become an entry level rally car template of sorts, were they to do that.

Thanks for the review. Really tempting to get one as I used to own a base first generation. Loved every moment driving it, except when there is strong winds.

I bought my wife one of the first ones in the UK back in 2010. 3 doors hatchback only. Better looking by far. The Sport was really agile and fun to drive.

Like most here I love my Swift Sport. A manual 2020 1.4 turbo that I've had from new. Great video here, thanks for reviewing these hidden gems.

Straight from the factory, forged internals are found in the motor and I bought a 2008 model for my daughters first car. 250,000klms on the odometer and still going strong. Highly recommended

Had a 2014 Swift Sport, zero issues in the 6 years I owned it, its quick for a 1.6 NA and extremely reliable. I still miss it.

Love the safety reel. I’m actually going through a blink 182/yellocard/taking back Sunday phase at the moment.

Yes buy one!! I reconsidering buying one also. I’ve had 2 Swift sports from the mid 2000’s, and they are underrated and awesome

Have had 2011 1.4 litre variant for 6 years. Fun, reliable (bulletproof), cheap to maintain, loved by all in the family. 10/10.

Got my used 13' Swift GLX in 2020, so far I am very happy about my purchase. I love the simplicity of the interior, eg. speed meter dashboard, it looks much better than many other ca4s, even including other new suzuki cars these days. Love the keyless entry. My GLX doesn't have a touchscreen, however, the original black digital display fits in there perfectly and it looks really elegant in my opinion. In terms of reliability, so far, zero issues. Maybe I will need to change batteries in my next service. It flies around the corners. It goes fast enough on the road. I've driven it on highways, eg. 1600km+ trips a couple of times and came back safely. I love this little smart nugget!

I’m on my 3rd Swift Sport - a 2010, a 2014 (identical to this example) and my current 1.4 Turbo. Without exception, they have been economical, HUGE fun to drive and bulletproof. Recommended.

Really like the comment about how it should be riskier; bought mine a month back and while I absolutely love the design it does feel a bit too safe. That said, I love that Suzuki sticks to safe designs without being boring like certain other brands.

i had a 2011 swift 1.6 Liter and had 320000km on it. I need to tell you something the car is the best one i had ever.

Agile , quick ,confident ,fun , reliable those are the words I use to describe my 2015 Swift Sport in iconic championship yellow .

Great video, first time i’ve watched your channel (in uk here). I’ve owned the current gen swift sport for 3 years now, won’t be getting rid of it! Super little cars, i recommend you do a video on that model👍✌️

Had one for 4 Years. Its a Big Yes. Highly Recommended .

I have one for the last 7 months, I’d agree. For the road it’s as fast as you’ll ever want and the specs are underrated from the factory anyway. Plenty of people run 7s 0-60s in these. The handling is by far the best part, it rides well over rough roads and remains fairly planted, safely pushes into under steer at the limit, and turns in with a little bit of liftoff oversteer - you can play with the rear end usually. Roundabouts are a blast. It’s economical too, I get 52 UK mpg doing 65-70 mph on 5% ethanol.

I've just bought the 1 3 swift best car I have ever owned and I have had 57 cars of all types you name I've had it but this Suzuki is brilliant I love it

Nice Work Bro... Very articulate... A proper car fanatic video... Keep Up the Good Work Watching from Kenya

the swift is so damn cool, very reliable, and yes, underrated. The plastic interior doesn't bother me, and when I drove the 1.4 (hard) I still got 6 litres/100km

Absolutely brilliant review ...with honesty....keep up the great work 👏

Owned 3 all the model sports through the years love them all, nothing goes wrong

I have had a 2012 Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 L Paddle Shift for 6 years now and done 215,000 kms and have never used a drop of water or oil in between Services. I live in the Hinterland outside the Gold Coast and perfect for zooming up and down the winding narrow roads to my place. Heaps of power and handling to die for, and just leaves the bigger and more powerful petrol guzzlers for dead on the corners and curves. The best used car I ever bought by far. Looks far better than a new one.

Best car review on RU-vid 🔥🔥🔥

Yes you should buy one, iam still loving my 2013 SSS after 9 years and 105k miles with zero issues in the UK, imo the 3 door versions look way better!

I had one and loved it. Definitely on team underrated. Definitely switch out for an up to date head unit and a set of speakers. I just wish it had that bit more power and I would've kept it longer. The economy was awful though. I went to a 2.0 turbo Golf GTI after and I get roughly the same economy as the Swift Sport 1.6. I've heard reports of the LEDs going in the gauge cluster needles but wouldn't call it a common issue. Can be repaired by a specialist, or a replacement gauge cluster is required. I kind of regret selling mine, even though I've got another 80bhp now in my Golf GTI.

1.4L diesel... Bought with 210.000km sold with 340.000km, never had any issued... sold because, needed smth bigger... drove like a sports-car and it was funny as hell... Miss her!

This made me feel better about driving a Swift Sport. Mine is the older generation from 2006 but I got it quite cheap a few years ago and it's been great, and I agree, it is just really fun to drive even if it's not really fast, it makes going slow feel like you're going fast haha.

awesome video! good to see you done the swift! :D please do the later models like the 2021 or 2022 version please

These cars are amazing... had a white 2015 Swift sport from New did 138000km without a single fault and now I have a yellow 2017 swift sport... best bang for your bucks car and the type of power you can use all the time... puts a stupid smile on my face every time I drive it... Some lowering springs and rims you got a beauty of a car in your garage

Great review mate!. I have a non sport 1.2L swift RS CVT.. To me this is an obvious upgrade..

The best part of having a bad sleep schedule is being early to re driven videos 👍

💙 the blink 182 inspired safety features... awesome addition 👌

The storage cubby above the glove box makes a great subway foot long sub holder

Brought a 2017 for my wife, had 30k kms, now has 77k kms, factory Phillips headunit crapped out, just passed WOF today, recommended I replace all 4x top hats by next WOF, apart from that it's a bloody GREAT little go-kart having the 6 speed

I love you sir, you are a treasure to the Australian car media!

I have owned a 2016 Suzuki Swift Sport for the past 5 years, for those who are thinking of purchasing, a couple of things you might want to be aware of, You can only use Premium Fuel 95 or 98 & The OEM tyres fitted to the 17' rims are a little odd ball in size, 195/45r17, you will have limited tyre choice when looking to replace them, I was using Kumho HS51,'s until they became difficult to find, I now have fitted a completely different tyre profile, Yokohama 205/45r17's, the issues are no real biggies, though still worth noting.

I had a '14 one from new. The only thing I've had to replace so far was a new battery. I agree with just about everything said in the video, although I found the boot is surprisingly spacious, and can fit a lot in if you put the seats down.

I dunno, I reckon they look great, and always have. They've held up so well given the age of the design.

My cousin got this 2 nd gen swift diesel back in 2017 ... It was rated for 75 hp and 190 nm ... After stage 2 tune with a custom car back .. (upgraded vct turbo and injectors) ..it was pulling almost 110 hp and 300 nm Might not seem great on paper but thay was a while lot of fun..the steering feedback is so amazing and returns 18 to 20 kmpl in miced diving conditions in southern asiam heat and traffic

Nice. Good test. Well done mate! Ive always liked them...

One thing very notable about these cars is that the M1xA series engine has been around for a looong time, meaning its been refined so much that it is now one heck of a reliable engine.

Great review man really cemented my thoughts haha. I've owned one three years and it's been great, so much fun to rev out. Hasn't missed a beat just 6 months servicing because I do give it some but yeah never let me down. I could have bought something older and faster but really is a cracking car to drive. Plus just comfortable and easy to put about. Off course you'll get stripped on straights by anything performance focused but always faster or keeping up in the corners. I don't know how you achieved 10.4 though, admittedly the fuel consumption meter in the car is optimistic by a minimum of a litre per 100 but on my own testing even when going hard I wouldn't be over very low 9s if that

I have a 1st gen swift and I agree with what he says Hands down one of the best hatchbacks

I'll definitely get my hands on a used Swift Sport (FZ) M16A 1.6L NA + 6MT when I have the chance (garage space available). Lovely small car packed with driving fun, simple, yet reliable and affordable. It'll be a good companion for F87 M2 (unfortunately not a manual...).

What great little car the Suzuki Swift is last year we were looking to buy a new Suzuki car and my wife didn't want the Swift because she thought was for young people we are both and in our 60s so we bought a Beleno GLX it is bigger than the Swift and my wife loves driving it and l don't mind driving it and also its resonably economical we are happy with it

Been looking forward to this episode, the swift sits very high on my list as I am looking for my first car.

"A Book Shelf For Tiny Books" That got me good, nice work.

I drove a swift sport for 3 years. or almost 80 000km the sport probably has the best feeling gearbox I have ever driven. the car is great fun and is easy to handle on and past the limit I personally described it as a luke warm hatch, it isn't a hot hatch, and not even a warm hatch. but it isn't an ekonomybox either. my example was bought on the second hand market with aftermarket wheels and a tuned exhaust (tuned as in a full aftermarket exhaust from the engine to the tips made to boost power through mainly using exhaust scavanging but also through decreased backpressure whilst keeping exhaust speed). I absolutely loved mine and only sold it to buy something different because I wanted to change it up and because I was missing Volvo after not owning a Volvo daily for 3 years. I fully agree with you on the interior. it isn't a luxury car and for that reason shouldn't be compared with one. the matereal durability is great, the things you use feel good, as I pointed at earlier, amazing feeling manual transmission, good and direct steering although a bit numb and as long as you're not fat, great seats. they are quite narrow which means that they do a really good job in holding you in place but if you're fat will you be uncomfortable with the bolsters poking you in your side blubber. my only gripe would be in the pedal box position. I personally would want a deeper pedal box, alternatively a steeringwheel that can be extended further towards the driver cause I prefer an almost racecar feel when driving by having the wheel quite close so I easily can turn half a rotation in either diraction without taking my hands off the steeringwheel. the pedal placement tho, the best car I have ever driven for heel and toe shifting with where the bite is on the brake pedal vs the top of the throttle. I had the 3 door variant and the rear seats are pretty damn comfy in that one too, with the added benefit of a drinks holder for each rear passenger where the door should have been, although no pretend center seat. the speakers are hardly ok, I had waaaaaaay better sound in my 1996 Volvo 940 estate with just a bluetooth stereo than the swift. I learned to accept it but it is the main downfall for driving this car there is one mechanical problem that is very common and known about and it is the rear callipers. they tend to not last that long before starting to not retract as they should. it can be delayed by just pulling the handbrake on a straight road whilst driving a couple times every month or so but over the 3 years I had mine and the 2 years my sister had the exact same car before me (bought it from her cause I knew a lot of the service history) did we have three rear calipers do this and one started leaking, same happened with the regular swift my dad bought as a second car, mainly so my sister had a manual car to learn to drive in, one rear calliper did the exact same thing as the sport. I personally feel like the swift sport is a lot like an early Golf GTI, like a second gen or something. light and fun to drive I drove mine at a comfortable 5.8l/100km. drive carefully and it can be driven really cheaply, especially on back roads where the speed limit is 70-80 km/h. a long distance drive in mine on mainly motorways granted me a fuel economy number of 6.5l/100km and the trip was 800km and was primarily driven on 100 or 110km/h limited roads. finally, absolutely! you should definately go and buy a swift sport! among the most fun you can have for that kind of money and the practicality is more than enough for a second car in the household and as a commuter car. and since they aren't terribly expensive can you park it wherever you bloody want and not care at all if someone happens to ding your door and since it is a suzuki is there pretty much no risk for someone to steal it cause nobody who haven't driven and owned them know what they are and even if they do is there simply not enough money in stealing one in the first place. it is a perfect no worries owners experience and I couldn't recommend one enough.

I can’t wait to see the blooper roll for this episode… Swift Sport - the struggle is real!

Great video! Great writing! Great presentation! Keep it up guys, love the cheeky smile at the end of questionably dirty comments!

Great car, did a 30mm drop with Lowering springs actually made such a difference with body roll and doesn't sit to low to scrape on everything. Driving around town does bother me sometimes it can feel so gutless you need to be over 4,000rpm to get any power and torque.

Very well executed videos, you deserve much more subscribers. It’s good that you included some international info as well.

Got one of these, UK spec, truly cracking car. Seems to be the same as this with the omission of the turn signals on the wing mirrors.

By far the best daily I've owned. I can easily see myself owning it for another 5-10 years.

We've got 2 autos (White & Grey) and love them.

Swift Sport is my first car and I absolutely love it =)

ive seen atleast 4 other reviews on this car, and all of them say... "i might buy one" - now that is a mark of how good a car is!

I have a 2014 yellow Swift Sport. Bloody love it. I purchased it in 2018 for 10K. Great price but it had over 101,000KM on the clock. Logbook service was all done and I haven’t had a single issue with it. The sporty suspension is fantastic and fun.

My SSS has over 150k miles and has been bulletproof. It uses no oil between services. It still puts a massive grin on my face every time I take it out on a twisty road.. If driven gently it can get over 50mpg and even when driven hard it's affordable. Only negative on mine is the driver's seat wear on the bolster. I genuinely don't know what I'd replace it with, so I haven't!

Hi I am a ford man myself but I have just bought my daughter a 1.3 GL and she loves it .Steve U.K.

About a year ago my wife and I had her current car for sale and where about to buy one! We found out she was pregnant so had to axe that idea... But they are so ridiculously fun to drive!!!!!

My Mrs has a 2007 swift. It's a blast to drive.

Suzuki are one of the most underrated car companies, working in car rental we had a fleet of Suzuki's swifts,lianas,sx4's,Vitara's, Kazashi and Jimny's. Never a major mechanical failure. There were a batch of early swifts with a rear bushing issue which led to excessive tyre wear and lianas with front suspension issues. All fixed under warranty. Apparently the 2.4 vitara engine had some issue but people are replacing them with Kazashi 2.4 engines

I've got a Swift Sport as well and i must add to the "what goes wrong" section - A lot of swifts have issues with their gearbox. Not specifically the gearbox itself but the gearbox housing which often starts leaking gb oil. If anyone's buying a Swift Sport, i would highly recommend getting it to the mechanic to check the gearbox first as that can cost you depending on the location, but around 200 euros, 150 pounds or 220 US dollars. It's not a big deal and it can be fixed quite SWIFTly, but you may want to take that into consideration if you are planning to lower the price. Also, Swifts are known to sometimes throw a check engine light out of blue and that's usually due to outside heat. If the car starts shaking and you get the check engine light, a simple "restart" of the car will do the trick. I am yet to find out what exactly can i do about that. Hope i helped to any future Swift buyers! Oh, and definitely an aftermarket exhaust is a must. You MUST make that car sound sexy.

Nice review, mates! The 0-60 and 60-100 tests are really useful info!👍🏼

Can´t believe you made a song hahahaha, best channel on youtube so far!!

Nice, keep up the good work! More mini hot hatches... What about a XR4 review?

As swift sports owner ,with special edition from Japan , if you check different specs that are made you have better appreciate the platform.

Great Vid on the Suzuki. About a year ago I was looking for something sensible, reliable and fun. I needed to cut back on my spending on cars. I use to own high km JDM cars but cost a lot to fix. I wanted to buy a black, manual ZC32s Sport. Ended up with a bright yellow, CVT 2015 Sport. LOL. BUT! It was a one mature lady owner from new, immaculate low 50 000 km, full service history, for $15 000. The handling is very good, so I don't slow down (much) for corners. Keep the momentum up is the secret, and a fun challenge. The manual would be more fun, but I was surprised how well the CVT can keep the revs in the torque band. The 7 fake gears can be fun too. Great car:)

Got this car 2 months ago its amazing

Don't consider it a first car. I went through several BMWs Audis and 2 x Porsche 911 before the Swift Sport 32S 1.6. The low weight was a revelation, and the way it can change direction trumps everything previously. I don't care about the interior plastics, it's what I feel through the controls that counts and in this respect feels so well engineered. It is an excellent car to drive whether pottering around town or throwing into turns. The most poised and controllable chassis when the tyres break free. I use 99 fuel. The M16 runs smoother and is more punchy. Sounds amazing 6000+. Best car I ever had.

A bought used 2018 swift sport. The newer updated swift sport come wit a turbo charged 1.4 liter engine, than a normal 1.6. Looks more aggressive, bigger grill, bigger exhaust and more impressive Body shape overall than the pervious generation. I've had it for 6 months. I am so glad i went to bought it over the GTI WV. Bought the swift it with 33k on the clock. parts/ labour / less problems ( living in NZ so.. ) , and I was recommended the garages are much better to deal with, than the GTI.

That song slaps... Straight to the top!!!

Great video! Good idea for a channel like this

On a 2015 auto swift sport I had the aircon pump bearing start to go at 80k km I believe it was a bit of an unlucky case but something to keep an ear out for

this design is TIMELESS.. not as ergonomic and sleek like the other modern design but still looks good, simple and not an assuming..🔥👌💯😤

Safety tech song is a winner. I had a 2018 Sport (1.4T and 6 speed manual) for the last 3 years and it was amazing, no issues whatsoever after 60k. Nice and zippy with the K14C and always found the suspension tune was a nice balance between comfort and sportiness. Made a nice contrast to my track prepped Clio. Even ended up using it briefly as a family car after selling my XR6.

Just bought a second hand 2014 Suzuki Swift for the kids. Only negative so far is there does t appear to be an alarm for when you leave your lights on. Already had one flat battery lol

Could not find one for a resonable price in europe, so I got myself a Veloster, 1.6 na. Rare cars and fun in speed limits

swift has no match in its catogary...have amazingly aftermarket support..mindblowingly fun to drive ..i had 2010 zc31s used about 5 years...now recently bought new zc33s 1.4 t...she's more refined chassis than old one's and do 0 to 100 in 6.5 sec,but i'm missed the old high rev m16 growl which is absent in turbo k14 engine!

I've had mine for 5 years from new and had zero problems. Had a Stage 1 Performance Remap the other year that pushed it up to 150bhp. It's perfect now and I can't see me parting with it anytime soon. You won't have more fun for the price in any other car, guaranteed.

Look out for gear linkage, clutch, cracks on the intake, and instrument cluster led. These are very common

Best first car, they handle really well