Suzuki Swift GTi (1989) short test: The somewhat different GTI

The abbreviation was not only a source of much amusement at VW

Photo by: Motor1.com

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Oct 7, 2024 at 3:29am ET

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Long live sport! But not at Suzuki. With the last model change for the small Swift, the nippy version with 129 PS was simply sidelined. But the company is well aware of its own sporty past and owns a Swift GTi from 1989, which we have now had the opportunity to drive.

Twin Cam! 16 valves! Electronic petrol injection! The side labelling alone screams the hot shit of the 1980s. And Suzuki's brochure at the time praised the car's aerodynamic efficiency (cW 0.35) thanks to all the spoilers and sills. The world's first compact car with a 1.3-litre engine, two overhead camshafts, 16 valves and electronic petrol injection. This was the Swift GTi (GXi as a five-door model), the 1986 brochure stated quite immodestly.

Gallery: Suzuki Swift GTi (1986)

Source: Motor1.com

Compact by the standards of the time, of course. Which around 40 years ago still meant 3.67 metres for the three-door and 3.77 metres for the five-door. It is commendable that even the very latest descendant of the Swift family remains well under four metres. Its grandfather is 1.54 metres wide and weighs an almost unbelievable 750 kilograms from today's perspective. You notice this at the very latest when you hear the tinny sound of the doors slamming shut.

Our test object (unfortunately only for a short drive) carries a completely unprosaic data sheet. It reads: 413 GTi, 10/1989, 1,298 cc, G-cat, 101 PS, red, chassis number JSA0AA33S00100376. A late representative of the first Swift generation, and a rare one at that. When was the last time you saw a Swift from 1989? Even as a GTi?

However, we absolve any reader who says, "I don't know". Because like so many Japanese small cars of the 1980s, the Swift also has a "I don't know" design. Write Toyota, Daihatsu or Mitsubishi on it, and nobody will notice anyway. To be fair, however, an Opel Kadett E didn't necessarily burn itself into brains either.

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Suzuki once praised the space on offer and the well thought-out front seats. 35 years later, they have mutated into soft, cosy armchairs; whereas today, sports seats are defined a little more narrowly in the truest sense of the word. The plush impression is emphasised by the unexciting dashboard. At the very least, the GTi steering wheel and rev counter tell you that it's not granny driving to the shops. What is remarkable for drivers of the 2020s, however, is the excellent visibility thanks to the narrow roof pillars.

What music does Swift make? So Suzuki, not Taylor. Initially rather grumpy tones, with little to suggest a sporty model. Are the official figures just a waste of time? 8.6 seconds to 62 mph, 113 mph top speed, 113 Nm at 5400 rpm. Not at all, you have to say goodbye to your turbo-accustomed driving style. Instead, you'll have to shift the gears for a loooong time, especially as the five-speed gearbox is difficult to shift anyway.

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Only then does the ride mutate from a boring roar to a lively pleasure. Even then, the four-cylinder doesn't develop a distinctive sound, but it comes close to Mrs Swift's hit: "Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off (hoo-hoo-hoo)."

Incidentally, like our car, Taylor is also from 1989, when the Swift GTi cost just over 18,000 marks (approx. £7,700). An equally powerful Corsa GSi cost around DM 2,500 (£1,000) more. Nowadays, both are almost impossible to find. The problem is not so much affordability as availability.