Page 65 - Motor Trend (May 2020)

LIMITS

DELICIOUS FORBIDDEN FRUIT IS HIDING SOUTH OF THE BORDER

The interior is dominated by a 7.0-inch
touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto. The lack of a volume knob
reminded me of the pre-refresh Hondas,
but thankfully the D-shaped leath-
er-wrapped steering wheel does have
volume controls. Up front, the red trim
on the door panels, center console, and
dashboard matches the red stitching and
“Sport” embroidery on the seats. Once
you start driving, you’ll notice the lack of
an armrest and proper center console.
The Swift is only 153.1 inches long,
about 7 inches shorter than a Kia Rio
hatchback, so there’s just enough space
for four adults. The low headroom in the
rear could be a problem for tall passen-
gers, but legroom was just enough for my
6-foot frame.
Overall, the Suzuki Swift Sport is a fun
subcompact hatch that offers an enter-
taining driving experience for a low price.
That we don’t have anything close to it
here makes us miss Suzuki on this side of
the border.

The Dodge Neon’s small touchscreen lacks
It’s back! Well, not really. The Dodge any kind of smartphone compatibility,
unfortunately; the list of both standard
Neon is technically a rebadged Fiat Tipo,
and optional features is limited.
and it arrived in the Mexican market
in 2016. Although there were rumors it The Neon’s transmission shifted update much of its equipment before its
could make it to the U.S., those rumors smoothly and mostly at the correct rpm, arrival—thus driving up the price from
died once the Big Three abandoned heroically working with the down-on- its $16,600 starting sticker (per current
sedans in America. But in Mexico, where power engine, though downshifts were exchange rates) in Mexico. But as FCA
the sedan segment is big and healthy, a ponderous. has walked away from sedans, especially
car like the Neon works well. Body roll was pronounced on twisty compact ones as seen with the rapid exit
Its spacious cabin and affordability are roads, but the suspension capably of the Dodge Dart/Chrysler 200, don’t
its biggest assets, but it would be much absorbed the rough pavement. The quiet expect to see the Neon back on American
nicer if it came with a more powerful ride was unexpected in this price range. soil unless it has Mexican plates.
engine. We sampled the 1.6-liter E-torQ Because the Neon is an economy car,
that develops 110 hp and 112 lb-ft, the its list of amenities isn’t very attractive.
punchier of the two available mills. The 5.0-inch touchscreen with Uconnect
That’s simply not enough juice for is pretty basic, and it lacks any kind
driving in the city. Nestled in a valley in of smartphone compatibility. A four-
the center of the country, Mexico City speaker audio system is as much as you’ll
stands at over 7,300 feet elevation, and get for your music. And because rearview
the Neon was a victim of the altitude; it cameras aren’t mandatory in Mexico, the
struggled every time I went uphill. medium-spec Neon we drove came only
The six-speed automatic only helped a with rear parking sensors.
little under manual mode, but the lack of Had the Neon made its way back into
power was evident from the beginning. the U.S. market, FCA would have had to

MAY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 65