Suzuki Swift Sport

I expected the high-performance version to go faster but I was genuinely surprised by how much sharper it felt compared with the Swift diesel I'd been driving the week before.

The steering is heavier with more feel, the ride is stiffer and the brakes much stronger. Threading through some challenging B-roads you have more grip from the front end and much faster responses.

The Sport feels every inch a hot hatchback. No wonder Suzuki campaigns these cars in the Junior World Rally Championship.

Where the standard Swift is soft, the Sport model is hardcore - it responds to the merest twitch of the accelerator and hauls itself to a stop on the lightest of brake pedal applications.

Most of all, it really is a hoot to drive - it's faster than a Mini Cooper and a Citroen C2 VTR, two of its most obvious rivals - and represents an outrageous bargain at the asking price of just £11,499.

What does it take to transform the European-inspired Swift into the Swift Sport?

First, and most important, is a new twin-cam 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine.

Tested in the heat of top-level rally-driving competition, this revhungry little screamer delivers 125PS at 6,800rpm. The 148Nm peak torque arrives at a slightly calmer 4,800rpm.

One hundred and twenty-five horsepower may not sound like a lot these days, not when true hot-hatchbacks can call on twice that amount, but the little Swift makes the most of every bhp.

It is light, helping the Sport achieve a Cooper-pummelling 0- 62mph time of 8.9 seconds and the top speed a largely redundant (in this country) 124mph.

There's a feisty feel to the way the Swift goes about things that makes it a genuine giant-killer.

Where a true' hot-hatchback would struggle to deploy 250bhp in anything other than excellent road conditions (and in a straight line), the little Suzuki never suffers a surfeit of horsepower over grip. The high grip levels inspire tremendous confidence.

Up into the North Yorkshire hills, I felt 20 years younger as the little buzz box I was driving whipped around tight bends and devoured the straights in a frenzied blur of rapid-fire gearchanges, double declutching and engine revs. You don't have to break the speed limit to have this kind fun because the Swift feels so exploitable and accessible.

That's what makes it such a good buy. You'd go for one of these if you wanted to have fun driving at sane (and safe) speeds, whereas you'd purchase a 250bhp hot-hatch missile for bragging rights at the pub, but not a lot else.

There's more to the Swift Sport than a cracking little engine.

The chassis has been stiffened and strengthened for greater agility and control.

The Sport also rides on bespoke Monroe shock absorbers that have enhanced damping characteristics and uprated springs and bushings.

The electronic power steering has also been re-tuned for greater response and feel.

Feedback is vastly improved over the standard car.

Finally, the 17-inch alloy wheels shod with low-profile tyres provide lots of good, oldfashioned mechanical grip. Sling it into a corner, and the Swift just goes round. It feels a bit like the original Issigonis Mini, a car that always punched above its weight.

A car this exploitable needs good brakes. The large discs fitted to the Swift are ventilated for improved heat dissipation. They bring the car to a halt with no unexpected dramas.

Driving enjoyment these days is as much about what goes on inside the cabin as on the road. The Swift Sport owner settles back into bucket seats with large side bolsters for excellent support.

His (or her) hands grip a tilt-adjustable, leather-bound, threespoke steering wheel.

The pedals are stainless steel, with small rubber inserts for extra grip, and are ideally placed for heel 'n toe gear changes. They are also designed to collapse in the event of a head-on smash.

Sporty red and black trim is complemented by red-trimmed armrests and aluminium 'effect' strips along the top of the door panels.

There are other, more subtle, signs that the Sport cabin designers had a bigger budget to spend than their colleagues who worked on the standard Swift.

The inner door handles, for instance, are now chrome plated, rather than nasty silver plastic as on the 'cooking' Swift, and the instruments have chrome trim rings. The rev counter starts at the six o'clock just like Suzuki's sports bikes.

The excellent CD/radio is neatly integrated into the central fascia. It has speed dependent volume control and MP3 compatibility. Located beneath this are the easy-to-operate dial controls for the air conditioning.

The Sport's three-door body is more of a challenge for the driver who regularly carries rear-seat passengers. Old people, in particular, will find the clamber into the back a pain (in some cases I suspect literally! ).

At 1,690mm, at least the Swift has one of the widest bodies in its class and together with the long wheelbase, once passengers are in the back at least they''ll find a surprising amount of legroom.

The boot is also a revelation, thanks partly to the simple torsion beam rear suspension. It swallowed our weekly supermarket shop with ease. With the seats in place the boot has 213 litres of luggage space. Fold the seatback down and that increases to 495 litres.

The electro-magnetic tailgate release just needs the lightest touch to open; handy when your arms are full.

The Swift has other practical features, too. I liked the useful instrument panel compartment for spare change, the front door pockets large enough for an A4 mapbook and small pockets in the rear quarter trim.

The ashtray is a small pull out beaker that can be moved around the cabin and placed in any of the cup-holders.

Externally, this Swift looks more than ever like the Mini Cooper's little brother, thanks to deeper front and rear bumpers, a discreet roof spoiler, honeycomb grille, air dam and striking tenspoke alloy wheels. These are shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 195/45 R17 tyres which fill the arches a treat.

Around the back boy racers will appreciate the twin chromed exhausts.

The Swift Sport features keyless entry for simple unlocking and engine start-up. As long as you have the key in your pocket, the system detects it and unlocks the door. The engine is started by twisting a housing in the place where you'd normally slot a key.

This came in handy when the keyfob on the test car decided to disintegrate and half of it ended up down a storm drain near The Northern Echo's main office.

Sorry Suzuki, but you need to make them out of stouter plastic!

Every Swift has been designed with crash protection in mind.

Twin front airbags are standard, as well as full-length curtain airbags, pre-tensioned seatbelts, and child seat ISOFIX mountings in the rear.

That's about what I'd expect as a minimum these days, but the 3star pedestrian crash rating is noteworthy for a compact mini.

The bonnet, wings, wipers and front bumper have all been designed to absorb energy progressively and cushion a pedestrian on impact.

To avoid an accident in the first place the Sport deploys anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, a brake-assist function and electronic stability control, all complementing the standard high level of handling prowess.

Since its launch two years ago, the Swift has been widely acclaimed and admired. In Japan it won the car of the year award and Car magazine described it as 'stylish, roomy, good value and fun to drive'.

It's even cheap to insure. The group nine rating will make the Sport a popular punt for younger drivers looking for fun.

Quite the best Suzuki since the frothy little Cappuccino sports car more than a decade ago, then.

The little Cappu died an early death (it was on sale for less than two years) but I can't see the same fate befalling the excellent Swift Sport.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 1586cc, 4 cylinder
Max power: 125PS @ 6800rpm
Max torque: 109 lb/ft @ 4,800rpm
Max speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
Insurance group: 9
Fuel consumption on test: 37.1mpg
What the papers said: "...a few people might think of something other than a Grand Vitara when you mention four wheels and Suzuki." - Evo magazine.