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New Suzuki Swift Sport to be lighter and torquier

The Suzuki Swift Sport has been one of the most interesting hot hatches of the last decade, well at least outside the United States. Its first iteration was released in 2005, leaving behind its crummy Geo Metro guise in favor of something more in line dynamically with the segment best. Though it may have been an underdog from day one, the Swift Sport proved itself to be both fun and reliable The new car promises to up the ante with a stiffer structure and a footprint increased courtesy a 20 mm-longer wheelbase and a stance that's 40 mm wider and 15 mm lower. Power comes from a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder Suzuki cheekily calls the Boosterjet, ditching the old 1.6-liter naturally aspirated inline-4. The downsized, intercooled 138-horsepower turbo engine gives the Swift Sport only four more horsepower than the old unit, but there is a lot more torque available and at lower revs. Another major improvement is a weight loss of nearly 180 pounds -- definitely a big deal in a small car like this -- as the new model tips the scales at less than 2,140 lbs. Suzuki says the feel of the six-speed manual shifter has been improved, too. "It's lighter, sharper, quicker. It's more aggressive and emotive, but we've also refined the elements that make it practical to use every day," said Suzuki chief engineer Masao Kobori. "The clutch feel, the manual transmission shift throw, the seats and steering wheel -- everything that puts the driver at the heart of the experience." Sounds neat, though with Suzuki gone from the U.S. market, it'll remain forbidden fruit for American customers. On the other hand, you can apparently rent these in Germany. Nurburgring rental anyone? Related Video:

Suzuki Chapter 11 bankruptcy plans approved by US court

It's pretty much a done-deal now, folks. A US bankruptcy judge has approved Suzuki's plans to wind down its operations in the States. As part of Suzuki's Chapter 11 proceedings, its automotive unit will cease to exist in the US, leaving the motorcycle, ATV and marine units to function as Suzuki Motor of America.
It's not clear how many vehicles are left on the 219 remaining Suzuki dealership lots - the company reported sales of 1,764 in February - but the automaker has assured customers that warranty service and parts will remain available. Suzuki made an investment of $45 million to ensure its past and current customers aren't completely left in repair-work limbo.
Check out the complete announcement from Suzuki below for more information, and please join us in mourning the loss of the Kizashi sedan and SX4 hatch, two vehicles we are legitimately going to miss when this whole sordid affair is done and over with.

Suzuki, please come back and bring the Alto Works with you

The list of JDM vehicles we'd love to see imported into the United States keeps growing. But if there's one we could wish for in 2016, we dare say it's the one you see here. It's called the Suzuki Alto Works, and it looks like an absolute riot. The Alto, for those unfamiliar, is a tiny little Kei car. It rides on a 97-inch wheelbase and weighs less than 1,350 pounds, which makes it not only smaller than a three-door Mini, but also about half its weight. All it needs is a 660cc inline-three to pull it around the streets of Tokyo. And perhaps best of all, where the previous Alto adopted rounded, cutesy styling, the new model introduced in Japan a year ago takes a more squared-off, industrial design that looks much better to our round eyes. Suzuki made a punchy little Alto Turbo RS version (which you can scope out in the extra gallery below) that increased output to a still-puny 64 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque. And it won multiple awards for its compact, fun-to-drive nature. But now the Japanese automaker has made the Alto even more enticing with the new Works model. It's based on the aforementioned Turbo RS, but packs some key upgrades. Where the Alto Turbo RS was only available with an automatic, the new Alto Works can be had with a short-throw five-speed manual – driving either the front wheels alone or all four. Suzuki also boosted output modestly to 74 lb-ft, improved the throttle response, and recalibrated the steering for better accuracy. New 15-inch wheels are fitted to a retuned suspension with KYB shocks. It's all done up in a gunmetal finish with black trim, red-painted front calipers, and an interior with Recaro racing buckets, steel pedals, red stitching, and a boost gauge that changes color from white to red as it spools up. All of that can be had from only 1,509,840 yen, which may look like a lot, but translates to just $12,500 at current exchange rates. If only Suzuki still sold in the US market, because it does some of the best little hatchbacks around. And the new Alto Works looks like it'd be a hoot to drive.