Bangkok 2019: Suzuki Swift Sport, halo car inspiration

Here’s something Suzuki brought to the 2019 Bangkok International Motor Show for fun. This dressed-up Suzuki Swift Sport isn’t going on sale in Thailand, like the new RM200k Jimny, but was there to serve as a halo car, an inspiration to owners of the regular Swift.

The signature SSS yellow draws you to it, and when you’re closer, it’s clear that this junior hot hatch has been worked on – extra vents on the bonnet and front wings ensure that. Contrasting black body stripes can be found on the spine of the hood, the tails of the headlamps, lower body and the C pillars – they go well with the standard CF-style black front lip and side skirts for a “Bumblebee” look.

Also standard are the 17-inch rims, wrapped with Toyo Proxes R888 rubber here, but the ride height appears lower than stock. It’s all standard at the rear save for grey translucent tail lamps replacing the standard red ones. Inside, the Swift Sport’s red trim, tachometer and stitching liven up an all-black cabin.

Unveiled in September 2017, the current Swift Sport is powered by a 1.4 litre Boosterjet turbo engine with 138 hp and 230 Nm of torque from 2,500 to 3,500 rpm. This is a departure from the naturally aspirated engines of the two previous generations, and a 70 Nm gain over the NA M16A too.

The boosted motor can be paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed torque converter auto – this showcar has the latter. Weight is below one tonne, guaranteeing fun.

The Swift sold in Thailand is a eco car with a 1.2 litre Dualjet motor making 83 PS and 103 Nm. The E20 compatible, economy-focused powertrain has auto start-stop and is mated to a CVT automatic – there’s no base manual option.

As the Swift is a Phase 2 eco car, it meets the more stringent 23 km/l fuel economy and 100 g/km CO2 emissions requirements set by the government. The previous generation model was Phase 1 eco car that had to meet 20 km/l and 120 g/km levels. The Toyota Yaris rival is sold in four trim levels (GA, GL, GLX, GLX-Navi), priced from 499,000 baht (RM64,091) to 629,000 baht (RM80,788).

No chance of either the standard Swift or the tantalising Sport coming to Malaysia, of course, as the brand has left our market for good. Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but can someone bring Suzuki back, please?

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