The New Suzuki Swift Sport?

Writing this in a Munich hotel room after an interesting press conference at the launch of the all-new Suzuki Swift. In the corner of the venue was this performance version (above), which I and many other journalists thought probably pointed the way to the more powerful Swift Sport. The performance flagship of the outgoing model has been a bit of a hit in the UK, accounting for about 10 per cent of sales and giving the firm some much needed credibility. We won’t see the new Sport until late next year, and despite what you might think, this isn’t it. This is the Style II, a showcase for all the accessories you can buy to put on your standard Swift. There are aggressive new bumpers, rear wing, rubbing strips and 17-inch black alloys – all very tasty. There’s nothing in the way of performance upgrades though, so you’ll have to wait for the Sport for that. As before it will be based on a 1.6-litre petrol engine – the standard car only gets a 1.2 – and should offer enthusiasts a bit of extra bang for your buck. Expect something more than the current 123bhp next time round.