The new Suzuki Swift Sport has to prove if it still has the fun-to-drive brilliance of its predecessors, a quality that made it so respectable in the petrolhead community.

Entry-level hot hatches were considered a dying breed, but cars like the Swift Sport and the Up! GTI give us hope that there’s still a market for affordable, sharp-handling daily drivers.

The most significant change over the old model is located under the bonnet. Suzuki replaced the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit with a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine that makes 138 HP and 169 lb-ft (230Nm) of torque.

The second most significant change is the new platform. just like the regular Swifts, the Sport is based on a new, lighter and stiffer architecture that enables it to tip the scales at just 970 kg.

Suzuki claims it hits 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.2 seconds, with the Swift Sport able to top out at 130 mph (209 km/h). Having a turbocharged engine also means that fuel economy is improved, with the new model returning a combined 50.4 mpg UK (41.9 mpg US – 5.6 lt/100km).

The downside is that the new Swift Sport is now significantly more expensive than its predecessor and starts from £18,000 in the UK, because of the new engine – or at least what the company says. That brings it a bit too close for comfort to the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST, so it better be good on the road. Is it? Let’s find out what Carwow has to say about it.