Written by: Martin Ward
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 

Although the north of England press launch for the SX4 was just a few miles north of Leeds, and on a good day is only 40 minutes from home, the journey took around three hours on the day due to the black ice that brought the area to a standstill. It was a standstill if you were lucky, as those that were moving were generally sliding into another car or into a ditches or walls.

 

At the event I got the chance to drive a couple of the new, facelifted Suzuki SX4 models. I drove the 1.6 litre petrol and a 2.0 litre diesel 4WD and took the off-roader into a snow covered field. The SX4 is a car that very few people have heard of or considered, as it is rarely advertised and a Suzuki showroom is not a place that many potential customers go into. This is a real shame as Suzuki produce some good small cars; they are a little niche, but the Swift is probably the best known car in the range. The 2010 SX4 has received minor cosmetic changes to the exterior and interior, and you really have to put the old and new together to spot the differences.

 

One positive change is that the SX4 is now badged in the same way as most other Suzuki models, using the simple ‘SZ’ grading structure. The SX4 will be available in SZ3, SZ4 and SZ5 4WD models, with prices starting from £11,640 on the road. The main changes to the SX4 are under the skin, where there have been improvements to the MPG, CO2 emissions and the power output. However, it is the extra sound insulation that is the most noticeable improvement. Thicker carpets, extra bonnet sound deadening material and additional sound insulation throughout the cabin makes the new SX4 an extremely quiet and refined car.

 

The SX4 is built at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary, in a joint development agreement with Fiat Auto. The equivalent Fiat model is the Sedici, which is probably equally as unknown as the SX4. Suzuki say the SX4 is a combination of SUV and passenger car, and is also a crossover, but for the majority of buyers it really is a five door B sector hatchback. It competes with the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo and Seat Ibiza, but unlike any of its direct competitors, it is available in both 2WD and 4WD versions. This makes it almost unique in this size and price bracket at the moment.

  

The 1.6 litre petrol model produces 120ps, goes from 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds and has a CO2 emissions figure of 143g/km, which seems to be a little high for this type of car. Whilst driving it on the motorway, it had more than enough power and again the most noticeable thing about the car was just how quiet it was. The 2.0 litre diesel with 4WD was taken off-road into a snow covered field to test its capabilities; I was just hoping that I didn’t get it stuck. The 4WD system is very easy to use as there is a small rocker switch in front of the handbrake and it has three modes: 2WD, auto and lock. In normal driving you select 2WD and if you want the 4WD to engage when the car feels as if it needs some extra traction, just select auto and it will go into 4WD at speeds of up to 39mph. As I approached the field I selected lock, which holds the car in 4WD mode. It went across the field as though it was on tarmac and proved beyond any doubt that it is a very capable cross-country car. Suzuki hasn’t yet decided if they will be bringing the diesel 4WD to the UK. They currently only offer the 1.6 litre petrol with 4WD; it is not known if the 2.0 litre diesel 4WD will be available as yet, but if they do offer this improved engine then it could prove popular if it is priced correctly, as the previous 1.9 litre diesel was noisy and unrefined. After the past couple of weeks’ weather and the possibility of future winters taking a similar pattern, 4WD models in any sector or price range could be making a bit of a comeback.

 

The Suzuki SX4 has only sold 15,100 units in the UK since its launch in mid 2006. The expected sales this year will be around 3,600, which is not a lot for this good looking, well specified, well built B sector car. It also looks like good value for money so would be worth having a look at one.

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