Suzuki SA has expanded its range with the addition of the flagship Swift Sport 1600.
 
From the front, the Swift Sport's intent is defined by large foglamp bezels with distinctive fins, that convey a sense of aggression. The large grille hints at an engine with significant performance, and the high-intensity (HID) headlamps are sharply styled with metallic grey coatings.
 
Side underspoilers help to create the Sport's low-slung look and also promote smooth airflow along the underbody. Multi-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels, shod with 195/50R16 rubber, come as standard.
 
Dual exhaust mufflers and a metallic-grey diffuser gives the new vehicle a bold look from the rear, aided by the striking roof-end spoiler.
 
Inside, the Swift Sport has hairline chrome instrument panel decorations and eye-catching red-stitched accents on the leather steering wheel, sporty cloth seats and gear lever sock. There are stainless steel pedals, and a chronograph-style cluster.
 
The front seats are based on the standard Swift's, but with side-support pipes added to the seat frame. A sporty seat shape is complemented by exclusive upholstery with a "Sport" logo embroidered in red.
 
Other standard equipment includes automatic air conditioning, electric power steering, electric operation for the windows and side mirrors, six-speaker sound system including a CD player with MP3 support, USB port and remote keyless entry and starting. There is also a comprehensive trip computer, which can display the vehicle's range, average fuel consumption, instant fuel consumption and more.
 
The new Swift Sport sits 10mm closer to the road than the previous generation, resulting in improved handling. The body of the new Swift Sport incorporates more high-tensile steel than that of the previous Swift Sport, and its reinforcements reflect the benefits of computer-aided optimisation as the new vehicle is both light and highly rigid. Although the new Swift Sport has more equipment than the previous model, it is 30kg lighter resulting in better handling and lower fuel consumption.
 
The engine and transmission that form the heart of the sporty new flagship represents a balance between conflicting demands for higher power and greater environmental performance. Known internally as the M16A engine, the Swift Sport's four cylinder petrol powerplant of 1586 cc now offers 100kW of power and 160Nm of torque. Peak power comes at 6900rpm, while peak torque is achieved at 4400rpm.
 
A specially designed six-speed close-ratio manual transmission allows the engine's relatively high output to be used to the full advantage. CO2 emissions have been significantly reduced, down from 165g/km in the previous vehicle to 153g/km in the new Swift Sport, an 8 percent improvement. At the same time, the zero to 100km/h sprint time has been reduced to 8.7 seconds, down from 8.9 seconds in the previous model. Top speed is 195km/h.
 
The new Swift Sport costs R213 900, which includes metallic paint as well as the Suzuki Complete package, which covers the full spectrum of after-sales support.