Suzuki SX4
I’ve heard great things about Suzuki since they entered South Africa in the passenger vehicle market. Even the blokes in Europe rather enjoy the modern generation of products the little Japanese manufacturer produce – and impressing that lot is no mean feat.
When I finally got the call from Suzuki to say I’d been approved to receive their test vehicles I was actually rather chuffed. Finally I might get to see what all the fuss was about.
Unfortunately the one I really wanted to test is the little Swift, more specifically the Sport version. Like all young blokes, no matter what I’m driving I want it to say “Sport” on the back and I want to drive it like my pant are on fire, all the time.
But alas, the only one they had an offer was the slightly bigger SX4, which doesn’t say “Sport” on the back, but rather 4×4. Which is an interesting concept really. The first small hatch back I know of that had four wheel drive is the Fiat Panda. I guess this was to deal with the snow and ice found in Europe. In South Africa though, I’m not so convinced of it’s need. Unless maybe you live in an area with particularly bad pot holes, which for the record I don’t.
Not like the four wheel drive is there for safety purposes either. It’s not a permanent system, which means it only activates when the car thinks it’s necessary – so when there’s snow and ice around for example. Which in sunny Durban would be hard to find without a trip to the ice rink.
I was a bit apprehensive at the idea of taking the SX4 properly off road. I mean look at it, hardly shouts rough and ready. All this contemplation ended in my concluding that there is in fact no reason, conceptual or otherwise, to have such a feature in the South African market. This little bit of wisdom just saved you some R20,000.
Now that we’ve got that out the way, lets look at the rest of the car. Well the 2.0 litre four pot doesn’t produce quite enough power to deal with the bulk of a four wheel drive system. Actually it was so poor that before checking any specs I thought it was a little 1.6. This doesn’t help when pushing on a bit as the revs struggle to rise with any vigour. All this has lead to Suzuki not publishing a 0 – 100 time, probably to save embarrassment.
From a comfort point of view, the Suzuki is up there with it’s class rivals. The six speed manual transmission is smooth and the clutch is light enough to be comfortable in traffic, but not so light that there’s no feeling whatsoever. You don’t crash about over bumps and ruts and there’s plenty of space throughout the cabin for both people and their belongings.
The build quality was probably the most impressive side to the vehicle. I’d say it was easily comparable to the more
established brands such as Ford and Opel – maybe not quite to German spec just yet. The dashboard and other interior bits and bobs were aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing, which is a lot more than you can say for other Asian manufacturers.
When it comes to the question of looks, I think the decision must be left up to you. Personally I feel it’s a bit far off the ground and slightly quirky looking – especially with the extra bits of glass in the windscreen pillar. I highly doubt I’m Suzuki’s target market though, rendering my opinion invalid.
And at R213,900 (for the two wheel drive model) the SX4 is pretty good value too. There are no optional extras, everything from climate control to ABS and airbags come standard, unlike it’s mainstream competition. The SX4 really is a viable alternative in the hatchback market.
Price: R 233,900
Engine: 1995cc DOHC
Power: 112 kW
Torque: 190 Nm
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): Not stated
Top speed (km/h): 184
Fuel consumption (l/100km): 7.6 (claimed)
Miles Downard
Photo Credit: Motorpics