Under the Swift GT/GTi's steeply sloped hood you'll find a silky-smooth engine that redlines at 6800 rpm with the responsiveness you'd expect in any great sporting machine. The magic numbers to remember here are 2, 4, 100 and 83. If you haven't already guessed, that stands for 2 camshafts, 4 vavles per cylinder, 100 hp and 83 lb-ft of torque. All this from a light weight all-aluminum alloy engine that displaces a mere 1.3 liters. And it doesn't need a turbo charger, supercharger, or any other kind of charger to make the magic happen. We're talking efficiency that was designed in at the beginning, not added on after the fact.

Big numbers alone aren't the whole answer, however. Real performance comes only from a flexible engine. No we don't mean one made of rubber. Just take a look at the power and torque curve. You've go most to the torque available right where you need it mots -- at low rpm's to get you off the mark in a hurry. And the curve stays practically flat all the way up to the fun zone. Horsepower comes on smoothly -- more and more of it as you need it right up to escape velocity

Suzuki makes all this happen by concentrating on the essentials. And the essentials start right where the fires are stoked -- the combustion chamber. Its pentroof design and centrally located spark plug ensure a fast, clean burn, squeezing every atom of fuel for all the energy it's worth.

But Suzuki didn't sotp there. To make sure the engine maintains its volumetric efficiency, in other words its ability to breathe freely, each cylinder is given four valves -- two intake valves and two exhaust valves. The benefits of this value arrangement have been demonstrated on countless Sunday afternoon drives -- at places like Le Mans, Monaco and Indianapolis. Four valves allow the engine to inhale air and fuel, and exhale exhaust quickly. What that means to you is instant throttle response.

To harness all that power and torque and deliver it to the ground, the engine is mated to a slick-shifting 5-speed manual transmission. The gear ratios are spaced to keep the engine right in the fat part of the power and torque curve, the part that provides the most power and best fuel efficiency.

Just to keep everything honest, an electronic microprocessor controls fuel delivery and adjusts ignition timing. Each of the four electronically-controlled fuel injectors is located close to the intake valves so that the atomized fuel doesn't get a chance to condense and "puddle up" in th intake tract. What that means is a smooth-running motor that's as stingy with gasoline as Ebenezer Scrooge was with money. But don't just take Suzuki's word for it. The EPA estimated mpg for the GTi is 29/36 City/Highway and the GT is 28/35 City/Highway. The Swift GT/GTi doesn't just pass almost everything on the road; It passes a lot of gas stations, too.

Hard Driving Without the Hard Knocks

Underneath that luscious body lies a suspension that thrives on twisty roads. At the same time, it doesn't punish you body over every bump and dip in your path. We're talking balance here. To accomplish this task, the GT/GTi uses an all-independent suspension. In addition, you'll find an anti-roll bar on each axle rather than just on the front. Two anti-roll bars help reduce body lean, improving handling and traction.

The coil springs are tunes to provide firm control during transient response but also yield generous wheel travel and good compliance. This kind of tuning provides agile handling without compromising a good ride.

Sporty without being harsh, the suspension provides plenty of road feel and directional response-on-control, even on demanding roads.

Crisp, precise and responsive, the suspension is calibrated for the kind of driver who'd rather take the long, snaky road home than the highway.