Suzuki SX4 2008 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: (Hatch) 3.0/5.0
X-factor: (Sedan) 2.5/5.0

Suzuki has been quietly building quirky, hard to pigeon-hole cars for decades. Usually reliable, long-lived and fuel-efficient, they have, at times, offered a combination of features not available in more mainstream rivals. The current SX4 Hatch is no exception with a unique approach to space utilisation, high hip point, driver vision, compact size and style.

The base SX4 is to the sub-$20,000 bracket as the entry Ford Territory is to the sub-$40,000 bracket. By starting with a reasonably tough, high-rider softroader SUV then stripping away 70kg of all-wheel-drive hardware, roof rails and black plastic body additions, Suzuki presents one of Australia's very few two-wheel-drive small car contenders based on a small wagon/hatch softroader. (The Honda HR-V AWD would have got there first in 1999, if it had been offered locally in its overseas front-drive only spec, but the honour belongs to the Hyundai Tucson.)

Suzuki's strategy is a move that mirrors the latest flat-bar road bikes -- fast, easy-going bicycles that combine the more upright seating position and comfort of a mountain bike without the weight and fat wheels.

It is an approach just as relevant to cars, when losing the all-wheel-drive application (in the SX4's case) drops the base weight back to just 1215kg; one of the best in class. Yet the tougher, higher body stays and is powered by the same powerful 2.0-litre engine as the AWD version. It delivers 107kW/5800 and 184Nm/3500, which again, is up there with the class bestsellers.

The latest Toyota Corolla which starts at $1000 more than the SX4 offers 100kW/6000rpm and 175Nm/4400rpm to haul its starting weight of 1225kg. Not big differences on their own, but together they are more than enough to give the SX4 a livelier, more agile feel from the moment you release the clutch pedal.

There are other key differences that will either cause you to delete the SX4 from your shopping list or embrace it.

Its softroad origins dictate a wheelbase of 2500mm; about 100mm shorter than the norm in this class and a length of 4135mm compared to the Corolla's 4220mm. This has the potential to restrict cabin space but it doesn't. The critical dimension is the SX4's height which is 1585mm compared to the Corolla's already tall 1515mm (by comparison the tallest Falcon sedan sits at 1444mm). The SX4 is 30mm skinnier than the Corolla which is also some way short of the widest in its class.

Together, these dimensions generate a very different small car package and feel. The hip point for occupants is significantly higher than most passenger cars, placing driver and passengers in a more upright seating position -- as such legroom is not the issue it could be. For less agile drivers, getting in and out is simply a matter of sliding across.

For vertically-challenged drivers, the driving position is higher than normal offering a vantage point more like a softroader. For tall drivers, it creates more headroom. Coupled with the forward sloping side window line and large glass insert in the front pillars, there are not too many current models that can offer the all-round vision of the SX4.

The SUV-derived styling is also less gender-specific than most small cars -- though it won't be at the top of the list for a teeny bopper's first car.

At this point, these qualities might already be enough for some buyers to head to a Suzuki showroom while for others it might be too far removed from the lower, semi-reclined seating positions of a modern passenger car.

Because the SX4 Hatch is more like a truncated wagon (with its almost vertical rear window) than a hatch, the luggage compartment will swallow much taller objects without fear of the hatch glass slamming down on the contents. Coupled with the SX4's dual rear seat folding arrangements -- where you can simply drop the seat backs or tumble the rear seat cushions forwards for a much deeper load platform -- the SX4 can be quite a handy little load lugger.

The drawbacks? Despite its WRC debut, the SX4 doesn't look or feel sporty -- a prime requirement for so many small car buyers -- and the ride, while good, doesn't quite have the sophistication of the Corolla.

Some suggest the handling is not as good either except this might simply be a product of sitting up higher. Under most conditions and local speeds, the differences are not significant enough to swing it one way or another.

The SX4 dash is refreshingly free of gimmicks but has a quality feel and the instrument calibrations are a lesson on how it should be done. There is no left footrest and cabin storage is pretty basic but the high-mounted centre vents won't freeze your hands before their 'contents' reach your face.

There is a water temperature gauge, good grab handles (just as well, when some older buyers will need them to get up and in), a neat bag hook on the passenger seat, rear parcel shelf, ambient temperature and fuel consumption displays, eight speaker CD with steering wheel controls, all-wheel disc brakes and 16-inch steel wheels.

Aided by the vision and grunt, the SX4 is a hoot to drive in traffic when it takes up so little space and provides such a clear view ahead.

Our testing revealed it may be more economical than the official figures indicate after we achieved 7.0L/100km in a loop where other small cars with lower claimed figures have used more.

This is not unexpected when the official figures are generated by an artificial dyno test where not a wheel hits the road -- this simulated test doesn't always generate a car's optimum real world figure while in others it can be too optimistic. If the official fuel consumption figures are still a concern, it might be worth conducting your own test on a demo if an SX4 otherwise meets your needs.

So that leaves the SX4 Hatch meeting a set of parameters quite different to most other small cars.

SX4 S Sedan
If the SX4 is exactly what you want, then spending the extra $3000 on the S could be worth it when it brings alloy wheels, fog lamps, side and curtain airbags, climate control, cruise control, keyless start and leather steering wheel.

This brings us to the SX4 S sedan which we drove back-to-back with the Hatch.

Unlike the Hatch, the SUV styling simply doesn't work for the sedan and it looks awkward with a boot grafted to the rear. It might add extra luggage space but it looks too similar to the Nissan Tiida sedan or the old Toyota Yaris/Echo sedan to be treated seriously. Indeed, it looks too tall and narrow to pass any kerbside beauty contest.

It also misses out on the flat load platform of the Hatch and the folded rear seats leave a pronounced step in the load area.

To maintain price parity with the Hatch, the rear discs have been swapped for drums and the hatch's 16-inch wheels drop back to a smoother-riding higher-profile 15-inch wheel and tyre combination. This says something about the customer Suzuki is targeting with this model.

Otherwise, it comes across as a practical and relatively roomy sedan although its high tail and extra 375mm length cuts vision and makes it less wieldy in tight spots. The Sedan's rear impact protection could potentially be an improvement over the Hatch's rather abrupt rear section, but that's our observation only. Only comparative crash testing will tell the full story.

The S model's auto worked well with its neat dogleg selector pattern -- for most drivers it should be more useful than a sequential shift as it is so easy to flick between second and third without looking. Pulling it out of Drive and into third for some extra acceleration or engine braking is also an intuitive movement.

The engine has more than enough grunt to cover the basic four-speed auto's shortage of ratios but our testing revealed it did generate a penalty in fuel consumption consistent with the official figures.

One of the most useful technological advances over the last five years has been keyless entry systems which can sense if you have the right key unit in your pocket and will then let you unlock, start and lock the car without touching a key or key pad. Brilliant! To see this feature reach this market entry point so soon in the SX4 S levels is a real treat.

Again, most buyers would order the S just for the climate control, alloys and cruise control leaving the extra safety and keyless entry as a bonus. Alas, there is no ESP even as an option.

So that's the front-wheel drive SX4 in both its guises. A quirky softroader spin-off that makes a better shopping trolley than most small cars, yet is still tough enough to go beyond the bitumen when the Hatch boasts a healthy 175mm ground clearance and the Sedan is not far behind.