Frankfurt 2017: 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport unveiled

The 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport gains a new turbo-petrol engine, which gives a healthy boost to the car's torque output.  

Suzuki launched the new generation Swift globally earlier in 2017, and now, the Japanese carmaker has taken the wraps off its sporty avatar - the 2018 Swift Sport, at Frankfurt Motor Show, 2017.

Now in its third generation, the 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport differs quite a bit from its normal sibling. Compared to the standard Swift, the Sport version features a large trapezoidal grille, along with sharp creases surrounding the new large fog lamp housings - which collectively give this hot-hatch a low, wide and aggressive stance. At the rear, there is a new bumper with a sporty black diffuser, and dual exhaust pipes.

The inside of the 2018 Swift Sport features a lot of red accents to elevate the sporty ambience, along with semi-bucket sports seats and Suzuki’s latest infotainment system. The overall layout of the cabin, however, remains quite identical to the standard car. The Swift Sport will also come equipped with advanced safety features like adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.

The biggest news is what lies under the hood of the 2018 Swift Sport. Suzuki is offering its 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol on this car - which develops around 138 horses and 230Nm of twist force. The torque figure on the new car is up by a healthy 70Nm versus the outgoing model, which was powered by a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. A 6-speed manual gearbox comes standard.

Furthermore, the 2018 Swift Sport weighs only 970kg, which promises strong performance due to a much improved power-to-weight ratio over the previous model. There is a bespoke suspension, which, according to Suzuki - provides greater driving stability, optimized roll rigidity, and improved dynamic response. Bigger brakes are available on-board too.

The 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport will hit showrooms in the global markets during the summer of 2018. India launch is unlikely in the foreseeable future.