A car that offers straightforward and lightweight fun is an increasingly rare thing these days. Ever-increasing expectations on performance, tougher safety requirements and a race to provide more and more luxuries – among other things – have all played their part in causing cars to both become heavier and more complicated.
Just pursuing power alone, which seems needless in many cases, often results in surges in kerb weight. Power goes up, torque rises, acceleration times fall and top speeds climb; but at the same time, the components used in the powertrain, chassis, braking and steering have to be tougher and often heavier, while additional cooling requirements result in further porkiness. These factors and countless others all result in spiralling weight figures.
Even hot hatches, which should be light and serve up easily enjoyed performance, haven’t been exempt from such shifts. Take Citroen’s oft-overlooked AX GT, for example. When it arrived in 1987, it exemplified hot hatch design of the era. The company took an already featherweight and compact hatchback, tweaked the suspension and made superb use of a simple, eager engine.
But we think the AX has a modern spiritual successor, the Suzuki Swift Sport. This article explains why.
Suzuki Swift Sport: True Successor to the Citroen AX GT
The Citroen AX GT: a Lightweight Original The Citroen AX GT's Compromises Enter the Suzuki Swift Sport Suzuki Swift Sport Interior Buying a Citroen AX GT Mk2 Suzuki Swift Sport: a Middle Ground
The Citroen AX GT: a Lightweight Original
The naturally aspirated 1.4-litre, four-cylinder engine in the Citroen AX GT may have only produced 83bhp and 85lb ft, but the AX weighed just 712kg according to contemporary reports.
Consequently, it was capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in a suitably quick 9.0sec, while its low weight, pliant suspension, good grip levels and unassisted steering served up compelling and engaging handling. It was also affordable, clocking in at around £6,900 in the UK market at launch.
The fabled Peugeot 205 GTi of the same era, on the other hand, was heavier and costlier; even if you went for a lesser 1.6-litre version, you’d pay £9,835, and you’d also have to endure the burden of an extra 176kg. Even the 205 XS, the diminutive Citroen’s more direct rival, weighed in at a higher 814kg and cost almost £300 more. All in, the AX was accessible and an outright hoot to drive on public roads, just like any good hot hatch should be.
The Citroen AX GT's Compromises
The downside to the AX GT's featherweight status was that its interior felt every bit as lightweight as the rest of the car: this was not a car you wanted if premium-feeling build quality and solidity were important to you. There wasn't much in the way of creature comforts, either.
ABS? Look elsewhere. Power steering? Dream on. And when it comes to crashworthiness, well let's just say it's best not to think too hard about it: there's certainly no room for an airbag in the slimline steering wheel...
Enter the Suzuki Swift Sport
Spool forward to more recent times and the majority of modern compact hot hatches are far bulkier beasts. Even the highly regarded Ford Fiesta ST of a few years ago, which is by no means a big or heavy car, tips the scales at a substantial 1,262kg.
There is, however, one notable exception to the rule of ever-increasing kerb weights, and that's the Suzuki Swift Sport. The third-generation version, unveiled in 2018, weighed in at just 975kg; remarkably, that represents a 70kg reduction in kerb weight compared with its predecessor. That also meant it weighed a significant 287kg less than the contemporary three-door Fiesta ST.
Suzuki Swift Sport Interior
It’s not like the Suzuki is a tiny, poorly-equipped car, either. There’s room for four adults inside and it’s also packed to the gills with creature comforts - including climate control, adaptive cruise control, sat-nav and myriad safety features – which proves that you can still build light, fun cars without massive compromises.
Modern equipment aside, the Swift Sport does deviate from the AX GT’s classic sporting hatch set-up in one key way: its 138bhp 1.4-litre engine is turbocharged. This concession to modern economy demands and emissions regulations does blunt its appeal to enthusiasts a little, but its more flexible nature does make the car more relaxed in day-to-day use.
That appeal was blunted still more in 2020 when Suzuki introduced a mild-hybrid version, which cut power to 127bhp and hampered the handling and performance due to increased weight, though it remained a highly entertaining small hatch by most standards.
Buying a Citroen AX GT
If all that talk of hybrids and modern cars just doesn’t float your boat, and you fancy a slice of unfiltered 1980s hatchback fun, finding an original AX GT may test your mettle. Only a couple of hundred AXes of any flavour are left on the DVLA’s books, many of which are off the road, but they do occasionally pop up for sale. They certainly won’t dent your bank balance as much, given that serviceable GTs can be had for around £5,000, and low-mileage examples do pop up for sale every now and then as well.
