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Renaultsport Twingo 133 vs Suzuki Swift Sport

The hot new Renaultsport Twingo promises performance and fun at a bargain price. Can it beat the Swift Sport?

There are few better ways to blow away the cobwebs than to go for a back-road blast. And the latest hot superminis prove you don’t need a massive budget to find an entertaining car to do it in.

A perfect example is the Renaultsport Twingo. It combines a high-revving, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine, stiff chassis and compact dimensions to create a pocket rocket that can easily put a smile on your face. And now Renault has introduced a facelifted version, which adds a distinctive new nose and improved interior. However, is the update enough to keep the Twingo on the pace?

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The latest Suzuki Swift Sport builds on the successful formula established by its predecessor, so it can match the Renault for entertainment. Both cars come in at less than £14,000, and are every bit as practical and usable as their entry-level cousins. So which gives a better combination of big thrills and small bills?

Verdict

You really can have a hot supermini that delivers back road thrills for less than it’d cost to specify a set of carbon ceramic brakes for a supercar – and you can’t go wrong with either of our contenders here. Both are powered by 1.6-litre petrol engines, and they have similar performance figures, although they deliver their thrills in very different ways.

The Renaultsport Twingo is very much an old-school hot hatch, as its focus is on handling and not a lot else. But while the sharp steering and grippy chassis deliver plenty of entertainment, the notchy five-speed gearbox makes it hard to exploit the engine’s narrow powerband. Add the unrelentingly stiff suspension, and it means the Twingo feels like hard work – even if you’re simply popping down to the shops.

If that kind of raw edge appeals, the Twingo is perfect, but the Suzuki Swift Sport’s all-round abilities are hard to ignore. It can change its character to suit your driving mood, so if you want to have fun on a B-road, it’s nearly as capable as its rival. Yet the six-speed box and slightly softer suspension mean you won’t be exhausted if you take it on a motorway run.

Add in faster straight-line performance, a classier cabin, a decent list of standard equipment and marginally lower running costs, and the Swift Sport takes victory in this test.

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