BIG on power, low on weight - a simple but effective formula that's being brought into play with the new Suzuki Swift Sport.

Just a few laps of the track of Ireland's Mondello Park circuit proved that this so-called warm hatch has more about it than the statistics dictate.

Sharp handling - even close to the limit - and masses of mid-range pull make this a car to savour.

At full bore it whisks through its paces in no uncertain terms with a feel that belies its 0 to 60 time of 8.1 seconds and 130mph top speed.

At £17,999 it is the flagship of the new Swift range and comes fully kitted with sat nav, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and a host of other safety features built in.

Compared to the previous Swift Sport it's a breath of fresh air - and comes in thousands cheaper than alternatives.

Of the current crop of warm to hot hatches only the Volkswagen up! GTI can give it a run for the money - and that's a much smaller car.

The Swift Sport is of similar proportions to the VW Polo and comes dressed to look the part with carbon fibre-effect finishes all round and a tailgate spoiler.

And in a nod to the GTI pack, Suzuki has decked out the interior of the Swift Sport with plenty of red highlights in the trim as well as some comfortable sports seats.

With a weight of just 975 kg it is some 70 kg lighter than before and makes use of Suzuki's latest 1.4 Boosterjet turbo engine that develops 140ps with a plentiful amount of torque on tap - 230Nm to be precise and that's more than 40 per cent up on what you got out of the previous version.

Sitting on Monroe shock absorbers the Swift Sport makes full use of its power as you move through the gears yet fuel economy is rated at 50.4mpg with emissions of 125g/km.

And that's no idle boast for out on the road we managed to average 46 to the gallon without having to try.

Even on the track it returned fuel figures in the low 30s and that is impressive.

Sitting on 17-inch alloys and with six paint finishes, none of which cost extra the Swift Sport stacks up well compared to the opposition.

As sporty hatches go it's on the roomy side. Four can sit in a modicum of comfort, five adults is a squeeze, and boot space ranges from 265 litres to 579 with the rear seats down.

Yes, there are some quirks such as the red back colour to the rev counter and a G-meter and power-flow readouts in the instrument panel but some will like those.

As well as a full suite of safety systems which use a combination of camera and laser systems, the Swift Sport also comes with high beam assist which automatically controls the headlights for maximum illumination.

In addition to the adaptive cruise the car is also fitted with a lane departure prevention function and a weaving alert system.

From the connectivity point of view, the Swift Sport has full smartphone compatibility hooked up to the car's systems via a seven-inch touchscreen.

In every way this is up with the best. The Swift Sport is high on value, good to drive and most importantly - it's fun.