- The current model will live on until the end of 2025, offered alongside the newer Swift.
- The Suzuki Swift Sport is one of the last surviving hot hatches in the subcompact segment.
The Suzuki Swift Sport might still be based on the previous-generation Swift, but the hot hatch reportedly got a life extension until the end of 2025. The subcompact performance hero will continue to be sold alongside the new model, but its future after 2026 is reportedly uncertain due to tightening emission regulations.
The current Suzuki Swift Sport has been around since 2017 largely unchanged, setting aside the 48-Volt mild-hybrid engine upgrade it received in 2020 in Europe. After the new Swift arrived earlier this year, everyone thought that a hot hatch version would join the party sooner or later. Unfortunately for fans of the Japanese pocket rocket, this might not be the case.
More: New Suzuki Swift Makes Euro Debut With Standard Mild-Hybrid Power
Michael Pachota, general manager of Suzuki Australia, spoke to local media Drive, saying that plans for a new Swift Sport have not been confirmed by the Suzuki headquarters in Japan. Our colleagues asked him whether the development of a new hot hatch would be feasible, and Pachota said: “It’s subject to what kind of emissions those vehicles produce and/or how to create power in those cars to actually label it as a sports car.”
The high-ranked official said it would be “very tricky” to play in the hot hatch territory in the Australian market, as the upcoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will bring stricter emission regulations each year from 2025. Pachota added that the case is similar for other regions like Europe: “A lot of countries are following those regulatory requirements and commitments around emissions control”.
The new Suzuki Swift (left) and the Swift Sport (right).
In Europe and a few other markets, the Suzuki Swift Sport is currently fitted with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine featuring 48-volt mild-hybrid tech. The electrified mill produces 127 hp (95 kW / 129 PS) and 173 lb-ft (235 Nm) of torque. In Australia, the model still has the ICE-only turbo 1.4-liter engine which is good for 138 hp (103 kW / 140 PS) and 170 lb-ft (230 Nm).
Hot hatches are becoming a rarity in the subcompact segment, following the demise of the Hyundai i20 N, Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTI, and Renault Clio RS in the past years. The upcoming discontinuation of the Abarth 595/695 series means that the only remaining rivals of the Suzuki Swift Sport will be the VW Polo GTI, and the fully electric Abarth 500e.
While the signs are not good, we hope that Suzuki finds a way to keep the Swift Sport alive further into the future, maybe by adding a stronger dose of electrification.
