It’s been almost two months since the Swift Sport arrived at our home. Recently, we installed lowering springs, but here I’d like to share my husband’s impressions of the car in its completely stock condition.

Evaluation & Review of the Fully Stock Swift Sport (ZC33S)

Suzuki doesn’t officially require a break-in period, but after the 1,000 km initial inspection and oil change, the so-called “break-in” is basically complete.

Both the driver and the car have gotten used to each other, and the initial awkwardness in operation has disappeared.

Looking back, the engine felt a bit stiff right after delivery, but now it’s quite lively, and the blipping on downshifts is crisp and satisfying. The suspension also seems to have gained a bit more suppleness.

Impressions Around Town

Let me start with my first impressions.

For a car priced just over 2 million yen, it feels very solid, and you hardly sense the typical softness or lack of confidence often found in domestic compact cars of this class.

The shifter has a nice tactile click with just the right amount of resistance. The shift lever is not too short, and the slight flex at the end gives a feeling somewhat reminiscent of a classic 911.

Also, the balance between the driver’s seat height and the shift lever height is just right, making it easy to rest your arm on the armrest and naturally grip the shifter while driving.

The clutch is light and easy to engage. The engine delivers enough torque even at idle, so the car starts moving smoothly with a gentle clutch release, hardly needing any revving.

Even those unfamiliar with manuals will find it so easy to drive that the risk of stalling is very low. Shifts up and down are smooth with minimal shock, making operation excellent.

Acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear is quite lively. It’s easy to think, “This is a fast car.” Even when shifting through 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears, the drop in acceleration is less than expected. This was a refreshing surprise—it’s rare to see such minimal loss of power through gear changes.

Turbo lag is almost nonexistent. Similar to the Porsche 992 Carrera, which also has minimal turbo lag, this car responds instantly and accelerates smoothly from any gear. This is truly exhilarating, thanks to the lightweight 970 kg body paired with a 140 ps engine and 230 Nm of torque.

So, even in town, you don’t have to be too picky about gear selection. The car accelerates effortlessly in any gear, which is very enjoyable.

Ride comfort in town is very good, with a flat feel. Gentle curves that follow traffic flow inspire strong confidence and stability. It’s often said to be close to a European car, and I agree. If it had a bit more of the weighty refinement, it would feel similar to the driving experience of a VW Polo.

Sometimes, when going over large bumps, you can hear some rattling noises, but the impacts are never harsh or direct, so most people probably wouldn’t find it unpleasant. Overall, the suspension from Monroe does a good job damping road irregularities, maintaining a strong flatness on typical city roads.

Brake feel isn’t perfect but is faithful to pedal effort and stroke, making it easy to control. Braking power is very good, and you can confidently stomp on the brakes in emergencies.

Impressions on the Highway

On the highway, merging with full throttle acceleration is surprisingly quick for this class. This level of acceleration allows you to safely merge with plenty of margin from cars behind. Plus, the firm suspension makes it feel secure and less scary. This is what real safety feels like, I think.

At a cruising pace in the driving lane, the suspension and body have plenty of composure. Increasing speed to move into the passing lane and lead the flow is easy.

However, road noise and wind noise become noticeable and fairly loud. For this, there are simple measures that can dramatically reduce the noise, so I highly recommend taking action.

Also, when accelerating to a certain speed range, you feel the suspension compressing. Many luxury cars from the 1990s lowered their ride height at speed to feel glued to the road, and this car has a similar sensation.

It sticks firmly to the road, increasing stability.

Due to road noise, steering rigidity, and subtle vibrations from the floor, it honestly doesn’t have the same serene speed feeling as European cars, so very long cruises might be a bit tiring. Still, the car’s straight-line stability and composure are more than sufficient.

Impressions on Mountain Roads and Winding Roads

When it comes to the Swift Sport, winding roads are the real test, so I brought it out with high expectations.

It’s certainly powerful and handles well. The light weight adds to the nimbleness. However, something feels missing. At a moderate pace on winding roads, the ride is very comfortable, and the light, fluttery handling is appealing.

It’s plenty fun for sporty driving with family onboard. It’s far more stable than a typical compact car on mountain roads.

However, when pushing a bit harder, body roll is larger than expected, and you need to consciously manage weight transfer to corner properly.

This isn’t a car that lets anyone drive fast thanks to electronic aids; rather, it retains a distinctly analog character that’s rare in modern cars.

You brake firmly before corners to load the front, and steer with basic fundamentals in mind. Being FF, you have to be careful not to overload the front tires, which adds to the driving enjoyment. It reminded me somewhat of the Mazda Roadster.

It feels like a car that really shows the driver’s skill.

What concerned me was the center of gravity height. The car weighs only about 970 kg, so it’s very light. This makes it nimble and quick to turn. But that’s only up to a certain lateral G level. Beyond that, the lightness actually makes the relatively high center of gravity and tall stance more noticeable.

At higher cornering speeds, the car’s posture can feel unstable at times. Especially the rebound damping seems insufficient, causing a floating sensation and reduced tire contact.

The suspension is somewhat soft, and there’s about a four-finger gap between the wheel arch and tire, likely a compromise for stability and comfort with five passengers and rough roads. The seat position is high, and the engine mounting isn’t especially low.

Adding to this, the light weight probably makes the high center of gravity stand out even more.

Overall Evaluation

I think this car has very high potential. The body is solid, and the suspension moves well. Especially, the light weight is the Swift Sport’s greatest strength.

Its sharpness in town, pleasant shift feel, and easy-to-handle engine make it a car you want to drive endlessly. It’s not as comfortable as a luxury car, but it’s the kind of car that makes you want to go on long tours and trips.

In its fully stock state, it feels like a sporty compact car tuned to be a best-fit, all-around compromise for most people. It balances speed and fun at a high level while aiming to be comfortable even with five passengers and on rough roads.

I don’t feel the stock setup aims for extreme performance.

On the other hand, if you want to drive even faster, you should customize it to your liking. This isn’t because the stock setup is bad; rather, I feel the manufacturer expects some level of tuning. This seems the opposite approach to Porsche.

Since our family also rides in the car, we don’t plan to tune it aggressively, but to improve stability on roads like the Royu Driveway, we recently installed SWK lowering springs to lower the center of gravity a bit.

I plan to share a review of this customization soon.