Sam's swift Suzuki Swift Sport review

Whilst enjoying a Suzuki Swift Sport for the week, I created this 'swift' video review as a bit of fun (hence the laxed dress code). As a warm hatch, I think it's safe to say I love it...

Car Throttle Video

In an attempt to become more famous than Joey Essex, I featured in one of Car Throttle's Readers' Rides videos. Posted online on the 25th February, the guys have clearly produced a fantastic quality video that somehow turned my ramblings into a pretty awesome clip.

Just so you know, despite the rattles, I still absolutely love this car. Here it is:

Take 2 - The 2013 Ford Fiesta ST

I drove the new hot Fiesta late this autumn, to find out if it'll bring the Blue Oval back onto driving enthusiasts' wish lists

Today is a good day. It’s 20-something degrees, there’s not a cloud in the sky and I’m about to drive through some empty Northamptonshire roads. Obviously my weapon of choice to tackle these sticky tarmac curves would have to be something quick and fun. That’s why the car I’ve chosen for the job is a little supermini with a 1.6-litre engine. No, I haven’t lost it, this supermini is perfect. The keys I’m clutching in my hand open the doors to a Ford Fiesta, but this one features a little badge on the boot that means business. This Fiesta my friends, is an ST.

A modern dash layout is complemented by sporty touches

Still not impressed? No I wouldn’t be either if I’d just driven the old ST. But this car, a Moulton Orange ST 2, is part of a new line up that will supposedly reignite the flame that once burned brightly in Ford’s old performance days. Featuring a 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, the new ST’s heart is smaller than its predecessor’s 2-litre, but with the addition of a turbo it produces a very respectable 179bhp. This enables the hot hatch to race up to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and power all the way up to a top speed of 139mph.

I’m pleased to say the performance is matched by great looks, with a ‘squint and it looks like an Aston’ nose and sharp lines carving across the body. Unlike the almost soft looking old car, this ST looks aggressive and ready to lock horns with its hot hatch rivals. Climbing into the Fiesta there’s a typically Ford style layout to the dash, with purpose and function clearly having taken priority. That’s not to say the interior isn’t good though, the standard Ford Fiesta dash is ergonomic and modern, whilst some sporty additions to this ST set it apart from the rest of the range. An ST branded steering wheel and white sports dials are attractive additions, but it’s the red detailing and Recaro bucket seats that really show this Fiesta isn’t interested in the commute to work.

It is interested, as I am about to find out, in being thrashed to within an inch of its life. From the moment I press the start button and the sports exhaust burbles behind me, it’s clear that the Boost in EcoBoost takes priority here. I waste no time in leaving the warmed engine to idle, and proceed to do what any man confronted with miles of sun baked country lanes and a vacant passenger seat would do: I floor it. A woosh of induction noise and deep exhaust note follow me up through the gears, the slick changes meaning I can rush the box and sprint up to and over, ehem...59mph at fantastic speed. I’m already grinning, but as I approach turn one of my almost private Northamptonshire race track, a light flick right sees me confronted with some grin stretching, tail-wagging action. No dogs here, the Fiesta was more than happy to follow my steering line with the lift of an inside wheel and a small amount of rear slip. I’m drifting in a supermini; bloody fantastic.

This being Britain, no matter what angle of slip you like to travel at, you will meet several pot holes on your journey. Pleasingly though the ST shows no signs of strain over the bumps at high speed, soaking up cracks and broken surfaces as well as remaining entirely composed when thrown left or right. It’s here the electric steering feels impressive, with a nice amount of weight and great amount of accuracy. As I approach a corner I know I can turn the nose comfortably towards the apex; that in itself is a very satisfying feeling.

The new Fiesta ST thrives on the limit

The most satisfying feeling, however, has to be backing the little ST into a corner. With the car’s stability control initially set in Sport mode, I decide to switch off electronic assistance entirely. Instead of becoming a completely different animal though, the Fiesta’s playful character manages to show itself even more. As I approach a corner I step on the brakes, pedal feel still being fantastic and bite instant, whilst the weight of the car flies towards the front axle and the rear begins to squirm left and right. As a result, the smallest input of steering sees the rear begin to slowly hang out, meaning instead of waiting for the nose to turn in, I’m straight back onto the power and using the front-wheel drive to drag me through the corner. Jason Plato eat your heart out, I’m backing a Fiesta through the roads of Northamptonshire.

Six or seven miles along the road when my face hurts from smiling, I’m suddenly confronted with 30mph zone signs and have to stamp on the anchors, the Aston’ish nose diving down once again. As I allow the revs to drop I can’t help but hear the little Fiesta sigh, and not being one to disappoint this orange rocket I of course decide to throw in a U-turn and head back to my race track. I mean come on, it’s not often the sun is shining so brightly on Old Blighty.

After my afternoon sprint in the ST, I’ve had time to gather my thoughts on the new hot hatch. I can now explain exactly why I love this car, and why it is so much bloody fun; it’s simple really. Unlike its grippier Renaultsport 200 Turbo rival, the ST allows you to touch its limit at road speeds. When you reach this limit, instead of sitting you on a knife-edge and spitting you into a hedge, slides are progressive and grip is consistent meaning you can play without constant fear of firing off the road. And the smooth torque curve and revvy nature of the EcoBoost engine, mean even in slippery conditions it’s easy to extract every last bhp with maximum effect. Engine and chassis combined, it really is a great all round performance car. Plus with its starting price of £17,995 (in ST 2 spec as tested) and combined mpg figure of 35.8 (not that I ever achieved that on my run), it’s great value for money too.

I was never a fan of the Blue Oval’s recent performance attempts, but after today I’m a changed man. Today has been a great day, all thanks to a little orange supermini.

The 2013 Fiesta ST: One for the wish list

Clio Renaultsport 182 Video Review

So here it is, the video that could set me on a course to stardom. Well, probably not, but still. Here's my incredibly cringe, slightly funny video review. My first video review in fact, so please excuse the occasional fumbling and poor editing skills.

Things can only get better. I'm on the phone to McLaren about doing a P1 next. You never know..

Test Driven: The 2013 Renaultsport 200 Turbo

The latest RS Clio brings comfort to hot motoring with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and two extra doors. But does this mean the new Renaultsport 200 Turbo lacks its predecessor’s ‘Va Va Voom’?

Climbing into the surprisingly well-finished cabin of the 200 Turbo, as you become surrounded by RS logos, red stitching and orange details, that sports-car style start button urges you to press it. You’re in the latest generation of hot Clio you see, a car that is part of a family widely regarded as reaching hot hatch perfection with its outgoing 200 Cup model. But this is the latest member and it approaches the market at a completely different angle, so the only way to find out if it can live up to its family’s name is to take it for a spin.

Sliding into the leather seats, you notice that Renaultsport finally have a car that offers a low and purposeful driving position. Thanks to a reach and rake adjustment, it’s easy to place the steering wheel exactly where you want it. But without a conventional gearstick to the left, you’re faced with two silver paddles behind the wheel, connecting fingertips to Renaultsport’s latest EDC semi-automatic transmission. It’s time to see if this semi-auto can really live up to the job.

Orange details and RS badges hint at sporting pedigree

Unfortunately, it can’t. Not at low speed anyway, as gear-changes are delayed and the gearbox unresponsive. Renault's suggestions are to toggle the gearbox back into full auto mode at this point, and this feels like your only choice because at low speed the manual shifts feel cumbersome. But when left to its own devices and allowed to make the decisions, the auto box does a perfectly good job at being an auto box. It feels slightly joltier than old autos, but perfectly fine to comfortably pull you to your destination. Added to the soft touch dash, piano black centre console and roomy interior, there’s little doubt that the 200 Turbo would be a pleasant and practical place to be on the daily commute.

But this being the Renaultsport model, it is more than likely that owners would want to occasionally leave the traffic jams and find an exciting road to sprint along. So when you do manage to venture onto a country road, you can happily click the gear lever into manual and press the RS button located just behind it, switching the car into ‘Sport’ mode. The dash’s Renaultsport changes into yellow, and then, then nothing. Until you touch the accelerator.

RS button engages 'Sport' mode

There’s no doubting it, this thing is fast. With a 0-62 time of just 6.7 seconds, this is the fastest production Clio to leave Dieppe since the 255bhp V6. And boy do you feel it, all 177lb-ft of torque seeming almost instantly available thanks to the 1.6-litre engine’s turbocharger, pushing you back into your seat with its 197bhp, forcing you to speed through the gears faster than you would expect. It’s here that the dual-clutch gearbox feels quick and purposeful, giving you the ability to maintain full focus on the road ahead and maximise steering inputs with both hands planted on the wheel. As you click through the six gears the engine’s momentum is maintained, meaning acceleration feels endless and harsh. Would you miss a gearstick at this point? Probably not.

It’s not until you approach something that requires you to stamp on the left pedal, the EDC gearbox’s ability to frantically rush down the gears still leaves you feeling like your left foot is a little wasted. The exhaust does let out a racing car like snort as it passes each cog, but it’s definitely not as satisfying as knowing your inputs have directly created this dirty orchestra. Nevertheless, when you open up the steering and press hard on the throttle it does become clear that without having to worry about shoving a stick back and forth, you can really commit to driving fast, utilising the cars e-diff to effectively drag you out of the corners.

Longer wheelbase enables greater stability

The Clio’s forced induction woosh is addictive too, whilst this model’s Cup suspension keeps everything planted and its electric steering, although lacking in natural feel, provides just about enough weight to enable precise inputs. Overall grip is phenomenal, with this car’s optional 18-inch alloys being wrapped in performance spec Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, which bite well on the sun-heated tarmac in all the situations you can ‘legally’ throw at them. Sprint along British B-roads like this and the Clio will barely break sweat, and its lengthy 2,589mm wheelbase helps the chassis absorb the broken surfaces of Britain’s roads without too much upset either.

Of course with this being Britain the B-road will come to an end and you will arrive back in a queue of traffic. But before the car gets a chance to stumble on changes, you can easily flick the gearbox back into full auto and click the RS button back to select ‘Normal’ mode. Suddenly the car feels less urgent, quiet and fairly smooth again. To be honest it’s like an entirely different car. Renault claim that in this mode the car can achieve an impressive combined 44.8mpg, emitting as low as 144g of CO2/km. This means the 1.6-litre unit is far cheaper to tax than the old, dirtier, naturally aspirated Renaultsport’s, as well as requiring fewer trips to the petrol station; as long as you stay out of the boost zone that is.

Cheaper tax, lower emissions, but a less involving drive

The 200 Turbo is therefore a completely different animal to older generations. At speed it’s a real weapon; something that would be a force to be reckoned with on track. But on the road it is almost too effective, requiring its driver to push beyond what would be sane before offering any of that light movement and pointy front end its predecessors were famous for. In town it becomes comfortable, offering a less hot and more conventional hatchback experience that its siblings were never able to do. It therefore manages to shift away from being purely an enthusiast’s pocket-rocket, to a much wider market position of attracting those seeking affordable thrills without compromising practicality.

That’s not to say that people won’t like the cheaper tax, better fuel efficiency and increased cabin space, there’s no doubt that more people are interested in these things than out and out raw driving characteristics. The 2013 Renaultsport Clio would certainly be a mature choice for a buyer looking for practical thrills under £20,000, but unfortunately it probably can’t quite meet the expectations of more enthusiastic drivers. Even with its aggressive styling and race-style gearbox, the car lacks the overall involvement many drivers would have expected after driving the marque’s older cars. So despite the fact it is the quickest of the bunch, this car could be the first to see Renaultsport lose the hardcore hot hatch crown.

Specs

Engine turbocharged 1618cc, 4cyl, FWD

Gearbox EDC 6-speed, dual-clutch, semi-automatic

Power 197bhp

Torque 177lb-ft

CO2 144g/km

Top speed 143mph

0-62 mph 6.7secs

Combined mpg 44.8

Manufacturer’s OTR price £19,995 (for LUX model as tested here)