IN my book, the little Suzuki Swift Sport is still the best-looking supermini currently on the market.

While a raft of other offerings came pretty close to matching it in the looks department, for me the Japanese marque's little supermini introduced in 2012, just piped the best of the rest by a whisker, for it was just one of a small band of motors that looked the part from any angle.

In three-door guise, the Sport added extra visual appeal, with its lower slung stance, 15-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured roof spoiler and side sill covers, large front grille and finned fog lamp bezels, all helping to add to the car's sporty-looking character.

Under the bonnet was honed a revised 134bhp edition of the previous Sport model's 1.6-litre engine, but it offered more power, increased torque, lower emissions and improved fuel economy, aided by a slick-changing, six-speed gearbox.

Top speed came in at a respectable 121mph, while the zero 62mph dash could be accomplished in 8.7 seconds, more than a match for most competitors in its class.

The Swift Sport was a fabulous little gem to drive. Thanks to its wide track and short wheelbase, there was oodles of grip matched by great amounts of body control which helped give confidence through tight bends.

As expected from a hot hatch, the ride was somewhat on the firm side, but not so hard that it would rattle the fillings out of your teeth.

Inside the cabin there was a remarkable amount of space for such a small car and the rake and reach adjustable steering wheel, coupled with a height-adjustable seat, meant the driver couldn't fail to get comfortable.

When it came to cabin design and quality of fittings it was hard to find any serious fault in the Sport. Ok, some of the plastics could be classed to be somewhat on the hard side, but that didn't really detract from the overall ambiance of the interior.

The five-dial dash certainly looked the business and the leather-covered steering wheel contained the switches for the cruise control, sound system and Bluetooth, keeping them all at the driver's fingertips.

All Swift models excelled on the safety front and the Sport continued that trend. Seven airbags - including one for the driver's knees - were fitted as standard, along with stability control, ABS, ISOFIX child seat system, projector headlamps with wash function and side impact protection beams.

For used car buyers, the Swift is a nifty piece of kit to put on the driveway, It sits in insurance band 8 and its 44mpg fuel consumption figure means it won't break the bank to keep on the road.

A 2012 12-plate three-door Suzuki Swift Sport with 40,000 miles on the clock will cost between £5,150 and £7,200, while a 2013 13-plate model will cost from £5,955 to £8,215.

Five-door models were introduced in 2013, with the slightly more practical machine on a 13-plate being just slightly more expensive at between £6,040 and £8,335.