Suzuki Swift Sport

The Swift Sport takes the pocket rocket formula set by the Renaultsport Twingo and adds a touch of refinement to the mix. It’s faster than its rival and nearly a match through corners, but it’s a lot easier to drive on a daily basis and won’t be as costly to run. It remains our favourite supermini hot hatch.

The standard Suzuki Swift is a smart-looking, dependable supermini that offers excellent value for money – and, surprisingly, this formula is carried through to the rapid Swift Sport flagship.

The Sport is not quite as in-your-face as its Renaultsport Twingo rival, yet there are enough racy styling touches to make it stand apart from the standard Swift. These include a deeper front spoiler and exclusive xenon lights, plus 17-inch alloy wheels (an option on the Twingo), a spoiler at the back and twin exhausts poking out of the rear diffuser. Suzuki offers metallic paint as standard, but our Ablaze Red car looked rather restrained compared to the bright red Twingo.

Inside, you’ll find sports seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The dark fabric and plastic trim make the Suzuki feel more claustrophobic than the Renault, though. Plus, in the back, the Swift Sport has only two belts, making it a strict four-seater.

And while the chairs don’t move back and forth as they do in the Twingo, large cut-outs in the side trim mean there’s plenty of elbow room. The boot is small and has a higher load lip than the Twingo’s, while the rear seat doesn’t split-fold – even though this is standard on lower-spec Swifts.

As with the Renault, the Suzuki is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, albeit with an extra three horsepower, at 134bhp. It doesn’t sound as frenetic as the Twingo’s engine, but because the Swift is fitted with a six-speed gearbox it was faster in-gear from 30-50mph. The box itself has a positive, accurate shift, and meant the Suzuki was easy to get off the line – it sprinted from 0-60mph in 8.3 seconds.

In corners the Swift has plenty of grip, and it feels stable where the Renault bucks and kicks over every bump in the road. That’s down to the slightly softer suspension set-up, and while the nose will wash wide slightly sooner than the Renault’s, the Suzuki is no less entertaining to drive.

Ultimately, it’s the car’s nature when you’re taking things easy – rather than driving all-out – that really impresses. The six-speed gearbox means the Swift’s engine turns at 3,000rpm at 70mph, and because there’s more sound deadening it’s a lot more comfortable than the Twingo. The Suzuki is no executive saloon, but it’s far more capable than its competitor here. Composed suspension does a decent job of ironing out bumps around town, too.

A £13,499 price is marginally cheaper than the Renault’s, while there’s slightly more kit. Both cars get Bluetooth, cruise control and a USB slot, but the Suzuki edges ahead with those standard-fit xenons and metallic paint, plus climate control and keyless entry.

Plus, the Swift will cost less to run, with better fuel economy – thanks in part to the six-speed transmission – lower company car tax rates and cheaper insurance.