Suzuki Swift Sport CVT - THE One to drive if you cannot do the shifting yourself

Fun to drive cars have always been a priority over here on Motoring-malaysia.blogspot.com. We thrive on driving cars that are fun. They may not have to be superfast but they have to have an emotional attachment with the driver when on the move. The thing about 'soulful' cars is there they are usually expensive here in Malaysia as we suffer, yes, suffer from obscene taxes and other whatnots. You need good credit rating with the bank or you must have a really fat monthly salary to indulge in such cars here in Malaysia. But occasionally you have the Suzuki Swift Sport to give you a rush at a price of around RM100,000. Hey, RM100,000 is affordable for a fun car in this day and age. Sad but true.

Anyway, I tested the previous Suzy Swift Sport (SSS) and I loved every minute of it. The car was a chuckable little monster. It had a good six speed manual gearbox and was a 125bhp car that you could wring it by its neck (or steering) and throw it into a corner with abandon. It would do some tail out antics if you're really brutal (trail brake into a corner or lift off mid corner) to it yet everything is so bloody balanced it feels natural doing so. Of course, I still troll the car ads looking for one and dream about having one in my garage – Of which I cannot do so as it is filled with too many cars already. Plus the fact that my bankers would never allow it at this point of time.

So when the new SSS came out I had to have a go at another one. This time I decided that I'd try it in a form that all Malaysians love – one that changes gears by itself, the Suzuki Swift Sport CVT. I wanted to see whether the driving experience is still good and whether that CVT gearbox kills it or not. Lets begin, shall we?

The design

Much like the older Suzuki Swift Sport, the new one looks like the earlier one but is slightly larger in MINIesque dimensions. It has the same deep front bumper, twin exhausts at the rear and the 16inch wheels and tyre combo. It sits more squat than the run of the mill Swift 1.4 but it still is an evolution of the earlier design and I don't have anything much to say about it. If you aren't a car person, you may not even notice.

The interior

The interior is a good rework of the earlier car. It has better plastics and the overall fit and finish of the top part of the dashboard and center console is pretty good. It is only when you reach for areas at the glovebox level where you see cheaper plastics being used. The overall look and quality is up a notch against the earlier Swift if one were to compare. The instrumentation is good and clear and the controls are nice to the touch. The audio system is better and has all the usual Bluetooth and USB support. It isn't one of those touchscreen GPS equipped thingy (Suzuki seems a little stingy here) but it looks better than previously. Again.

The driving position is spot on for serious driving and the seats offer good support everywhere. It is more snug than the usual Swift 1.4 but you expect it in such a car.

The boot is what I call a drawer. It is as big as one. You may carry two cabin sized luggage if you're lucky but there is also a floorboard which you can remove for a bit more depth in the boot. But you don't need boot space in this car. It is about driving. Wait till you get to the driving portion of this article.

Drivetrain

It is a 1.6liter 4 cylinder normally aspirated engine with variable valve timing that makes about 136bhp and about 160Nm/6900rpm torque. Stronger than the previous SSS and slightly faster. 0-100km/h times are quoted at 8.7secs are faster than the mid 9 seconds previously.  

Driving the darn thing.

You first notice that this Suzuki Swift Sport is something that you don't need to change gears in. It does it by itself and sometimes I have to admit that in the horrendous Kuala Lumpur traffic it makes perfect sense. Hey, you only hit those mountain roads once a month at the very least and daily hour long commutes may cause blood pressure spikes. Lessening such stresses is good.

So I tried the SSS with the CVT or Continously Variable Transmission. You may note that I hate CVT type transmissions. They are whiney as the hold the engine at high rpms whilst the car slowly gains its pace. It has no linear feel and some are saddled with a rubber band type of feeling when the road speed somehow matches the engine speed of the car. In my opinion, CVT only works with high torque engines as the pulling power is sufficient to hide this characteristics. However the SSS CVT setup is pretty good due to the SSS' lightweight. 160Nm pulling about 1,070kg may have something to do with it.

It does feel like a mid-8 second car to 100km/h. At kickdown (or traffic light races) the CVT is good and even Suzuki states that the CVT is as fast to 100km/h as the 6-speed manual. No, you're not going to beat the crap out of a Polo Gti but what you're gonna get is a hatchback that can make you grin from ear to ear. The driving experience of this car is fan-bloody-tastic. Even with this CVT equipped car.

Much like the earlier SSS you can throw it round bends without a care in the world. Bumps in the middle of a corner will not sway its course and it even takes our bumpy road surfaces like a champion. It never gets ruffled and charges on to the next corner with an energy that it unbecoming of its size and category. And the car is still (albeit a little more reeled in than before) very throttle adjustable (for a front driver) that the tail is your best friend is most corners. The ride is hard but not harsh and suits its sporty characteristics. It will not shake your kidneys unlike some supposedly sporty hatchbacks. Now add the fact that it is pretty refined at highway speeds you've got a car that is also less tiring for those long drives back to the countryside. Oh, the ABS isn't intrusive and will only activate when the brake pedal is really stomped upon. I like.

The best thing is that you don't even have to bother with those flappy pedals behind the steering wheel. You can just let the car drive but itself and use the brakes and the steering. You don't need to become an F1 driver to have fun in this car. When I test drove this car I was in the company of an ex-motor journalist and another motorhead. All of us agreed that this car is da bomb for driving. The tail is so mobile that it assists the front and the steering has some feel even though it is an electrically assisted rack. This car is rare in its price range. In fact one would need to climb up to a VW Golf Gti, Renault Megane 265 or a Toyobaru 86 for similar thrills. But the thing with those cars is that they cost a whole lot more. No, a Mazda 3 2.0 or a Honda Civic is less focused than the SSS. If you get what I mean.

It may not have boot space. But who needs boot space when you are one with the car. The Suzuki Swift Sport is the one. It is The One if you want a sporty CVT hatchback. The manual may be better but this one shifts by itself. It is The One for lazier people. The One at around RM100,000, that is.

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT CVT Specifications

Base Price: RM102,888.00

Body: 5-door Hatchback
Mechanical Orientation: Front Wheel Drive

Engine: 4 cylinder 1.6-litre VVT normally aspirated
Power: 136 BHP
Torque: 160 NM
Transmission: CVT

Weight: approx 1070 kg

0-62 mph: 8.7 seconds
Top Speed: 195 km/h

Fuel Consumption: 6.5l/100km

For: Overall quality, power delivery, handling, handling, handling
Against: Boot space, BUT you don't really need it. Should be CKD so that it's more affordable for everyone.