The Suzuki SX4 has been a revelation in Europe with excellent sales. When you have seen what it does, how it looks, and its cost, I am quite confident you will want to be there considering one.
The SX4 is built in conjunction with Fiat in a brand new factory in Hungary; Fiat actually sells the vehicle with it badged as a Sedici.
It is a stylish vehicle with class leading fuel consumption figures. It is difficult to compare it to other small SUVs, because there is very little like it, but it has a superb pricing structure and with a choice of petrol or diesel engines and either a GL or GLX for your trim choice, so there could be a vehicle for you.
The SX4 is a great city car which is comfortable and very easy to both drive and live with, and if the going gets semi tough on certain models you can have a 4×4 drive mode in addition to the conventional front wheel drive vehicle.
The SX4 is not just stylish; it is a versatile vehicle as well. The designers have lowered the height, made it greener and made it leaner.
It looks more like a car than an SUV but it has the advantage of being a dual purpose vehicle and on GLX and 4 Grip versions by a simple switch within the vehicle it transforms itself from inner city car to countryside rambler.
A 1.6 litre petrol engine or Fiat’s 1.9 litre multi-jet diesel are the power sources available. The 1.6 litre engines are Suzuki’s own, but the diesel unit is sourced from Fiat.
The petrol is claimed to produce 107 bhp and should reward you with 39.8 mpg on the combined figure, and has as standard a five-speed gearbox. The 1.9 litre diesel is equipped with a six-speed gearbox and produces 120 bhp; the comparable fuel figures increase to 42.8 mpg on the combined cycle.
Top speeds are, I appreciate academic but I am aware that certain people do like to be made aware of them, so the 1.6 litre is capable of about 106 mph, the diesel should achieve slightly more at 112 mph.
From a driving perspective, life with the SX4 should be quite pleasant and rewarding. It is 1,755 mms wide, 1,620 mms high and 4,115 mms long so this makes it just a little shorter and a little lower than the average SUV.
It has a nice long wheelbase of 2,500 mms and this means that you literally have a wheel at each corner, so there is no discernable overhang to upset potential off-road performers and this also translates to good on-road performance.
The driver has a slightly raised position and this gives excellent all round visibility. Instrumentations are clearly laid out and the Suzuki designers have thought about the ergonomics of the vehicle and it works very well. The cabin itself is spacious and it is somewhat generously proportioned.
The 1.6 litre engine in my test car needed to be worked considerably to get any sort of performance. My choice, if I were a buyer, without doubt would be the 1.9 litre multi-jet diesel.
That having been said, I have never been one for thrashing cars, but fifth and fourth gear meant it was a little on the lazy side and to make reasonable progress, especially on twisty hilly roads the use of third was more of a requirement.
However, the five-speed gearbox was quite a delight to work, it was quite slick and positive in its action.
Off-road the SX4 performs very well indeed. Let’s get one thing clear, this is not the true, big Land Rover type off-roader, but where the SX4 scores is if you decide to visit a car boot sale, gymkhana, country fair or whatever which will necessitate taking you off tarmac and on to that muddy field or that car park in a farmer’s field for a show. Then the SX4 will reward you.
I had the opportunity to test the mechanism when the car boot sale car park I attended proved to be a little more muddy and slippery than I first anticipated. A small switch on the centre console was all that was needed and a flick of the switch moves the vehicle from spinning front wheels, we’re stuck, to four-wheel-drive lock, and amazingly the vehicle just drove out as if it was on terra firma.
Safety features on the SX4 are extensive both passive and active safety. There is a complete range of air bags on the vehicle. The front passenger air bag, I am again pleased to report, can be de-activated so that junior’s car seat can be safely fitted in the front. As you would expect Isofix fitments are there and ABS and EBD are also features.
The level of specification is quite high within the two model range. The entry level GL for example is equipped with four air bags, remote central locking, electric windows and electric door mirrors, electrically powered steering, a decent radio and CD player with eight speakers which do give excellent sound reproduction.
The GLX introduces automatic air conditioning, alloy wheels, and electrically operated rear windows, in addition to other cosmetic features.
The SX4 is priced at a very competitive £10,499 for the entry level 1.6 GL; a mere £500 premium allows you to purchase the GLX version which has the benefit of 4WD and air conditioning.
The top specification 1.9 diesel 4 Grip is £14,799.
By Bob Hickman
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