Used Suzuki Swift Sport cars for sale or finance at 10.9% APR

There's only one version of the Suzuki Swift Sport – a five-door, five-seater hatchback. It's the hot-hatch version of the standard Suzuki Swift which, similarly, is only available in that format.

These days, there aren't as many direct rivals to the Swift Sport as there once were. You might want to consider cross-shopping it against cars like the Abarth 595, the Hyundai i20N or used examples of the Ford Fiesta ST.

The Swift Sport is a small car, measuring less than 3.9 metres long. That means it's smaller than most direct hatchback rivals including the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Renault Clio. Only the diminutive Abarth 595 comes in with a smaller footprint – as anyone who's ever tried to ride in the back of one can attest.

As a result, cabin space in the Swift Sport is fairly tight. The two front occupants will have little to complain about but rear passengers don't have much legroom to play with. So, if you're a single person or couple looking to buy the Swift Sport and only need to ferry extra passengers occasionally, you'll find there's enough space but, if you plan to use the rear seats regularly, you may want to consider a larger car.

At least it's easy to park. The small size, good visibility and standard-fit rear parking sensors and reversing camera all mean you should be able to squeeze the Swift Sport into the tightest of spaces.

There's only one choice here – a 1.4-litre turbo with mild-hybrid tech – but it's easy to recommend. The 129hp output is plenty for a small car like the Swift, and means you can lean hard on the accelerator pedal without immediately hitting licence-losing speeds.

The snappy manual gearbox and easy clutch action make rowing through the gears a pleasure. And, if you can commit to behaving yourself, you should see average economy crest 40mpg.

For the right kind of buyer, the Swift Sport is a great choice. It delivers old-school hot hatch thrills in an affordable package – a recipe that's getting rarer these days as more brands abandon petrol power and manual gearboxes.

It's not just a bit of poke under the bonnet either, with grippy, entertaining handling that's still compliant enough to be used everyday without becoming tiring. Plus, there's lots of standard equipment to help while away long journeys.

You might struggle, however, if you need something more practical, as the Swift's tight interior and small boot mean it's not the best choice for carrying people or cargo. You'll also find the Swift has more than its fair share of cheap-feeling plastics in the cabin to help hit its affordable price point.

Suzuki generally enjoys a good reputation for reliability and we've heard of no significant problems with the Swift Sport.

The 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and the mild-hybrid setup, along with most of the on-board technology, is shared with other Suzuki models, so replacement parts should be easy to source and relatively affordable.

Keeping up with scheduled maintenance is the easiest way to make sure your Swift Sport lasts as long as possible. You can also select an extended warranty when you buy your Swift Sport to protect yourself from the cost of unexpected mechanical or electrical failures.

The Suzuki Swift uses a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine with a mild-hybrid system to make 129hp. That's advertised metric horsepower – also known as PS – which equates to roughly 127bhp or 95kW.

As an on-paper figure, that's not especially impressive compared to the 145hp Abarth 595 or 200hp Hyundai i20N but, in the real world, it feels like a lot of power thanks to the Swift Sport's light weight.