2005 Suzuki Swift: another cool small car that Americans won't get to drive

Suzuki Swift

Unless they are on vacation in Europe or Japan, I mean. This little guy is another Paris Motor Show debut-er, developed over a couple of years from the Concept S prototype. If you want to know why the U.S. won't see the Swift, the engine numbers should explain it— the two gasoline offerings will be a 1.3 liter making 91-hp and a 1.5 liter generating 102-hp. It's not that these kinds of numbers couldn't work on U.S. asphalt, it's simply that our power-hungry culture dictates that a vehicle must have at least 3.0 liters of displacement and 250-300 horsepower to be perceived as "worth it," despite the fact that 40-60 percent of that kind of power probably goes unused on our crowded roads anyway. Recall: it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slowly.

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Autoblog Podcast #156: Paukert comes back for more! 

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