2007 Suzuki SX4 Review

Coloring Outside The Crossover Lines

When a new vehicle debuts the first thing most auto writers try to do is categorize it so that they can compare it to rivals in the market place, a process that helps us come to some sort of a value equation. But once in a while something comes along that doesnt really fit into any given mold, a niche product with few direct competitors. While niche products are always unique they normally target a small, select market segment, but occasionally the vehicle in question will have mass appeal. And in the case of the new Suzuki SX4, while filling a niche due to a void in the market, it has the potential to be very, very popular.

Yes, just when you thought that the people who create new cars had run out of niches to explore, Suzuki has just created a new one - a crossover that fuses the economy, nimbleness and size of a city car, with the running gear of a 4X4. Its sort of like a modern-day alternative to the old Subaru Justy, but with more visual spunk, and much improved engineering.

The SX4 is a mixed breed, in classification and composition. Its basic underpinnings are shared with the critically acclaimed European-market Suzuki Swift (not to be confused with the GMDAT-designed, Korean-made Canadian-market only Swift+ a.k.a. Chevy Aveo that you may have seen if traveling across the 49th parallel), although it has been stretched substantially in all directions. Its bigger and beefier than the Yaris or Fit, but smaller than true compact cars, like the Corolla, Civic and Rabbit. Development of the SX4 took place with Fiat, but, you wont find any Italian engineering, instead, the Sedici - Italian for 16, or 4X4 (groan) - exists as the byproduct of a trade. Suzuki received Fiats JTD turbodiesel engines for the European market, and Fiat got a niche product of its own. Like most of Suzukis other vehicles, the SX4 will be sold on the global market; and is built at more than just one plant - Asian and North American market cars come from Suzukis home country of Japan, while the European cars and Fiats come from the Magyar plant in Hungary. And, if that information isnt enough to take in all at once, the SX4 also replaces the Aerio Fastback for model year 2007, although the Sedan will carry forward for another year before it is replaced.

I, for one, like the way that the SX4 looks very much; it stands out of the crowd - partly because its taller, longer and wider than the cars it competes with, but mostly because its just plain good looking. It has a European flair to it, but then again, thats because it is European; styling was done in collaboration with ItalDesign, which was hired to pen the Fiat version. While it does have the same tall roofline that most modern hatchbacks feature, it doesnt look like a vehicle thats been framed around the elementary principles of cargo-carrying, like the old Aerio Fastback. But, perhaps the best part about the SX4 is its faux off-road cladding, and the way it was integrated into the design from the very beginning.

In the European market, the SX4 competes with countless other compact and subcompact cars from Volkswagen, Citroen, and, in previous years, Rover, that feature elevated ride heights, all-terrain tires, and chunky, matte-black plastic bumper trim with fake skid plates. Ive seen pictures of all of these cars, and for the most part the extra gear looks silly and out of place, but it doesnt on the Suzuki.

The SX4 is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four with dual overhead cams and sixteen valves that produces 143 horsepower and 135 lb-ft of torque. Its essentially a smaller displacement version of the Aerios 2.3 liter I-4, and it is the biggest engine that the SX4 is offered with globally; in other markets the top of the line engine is a 1.6-liter inline-four that makes about 110 horsepower, and then theres the 1.9-liter Fiat turbodiesel. At first thought, the idea of such a big engine in such a small car seemed a bit excessive, but as the SX4 is heavier than most other subcompact cars, and has the capability to deal with the wilderness, the additional power and torque makes sense. The SX4 definitively delivers more punch than anything its supposed to rub shoulders with, but it comes at the cost of fuel consumption. Over the course of the day, our test vehicle averaged in the 24 mpg range. Logic says that this is to be expected from a car with an engine of this size, plus four-wheel drive and a fairly wind-resistant shape, but its hard to convince the mind, which identifies the SX4 as being small, and therefore thrifty to feed.

Standard to the SX4 is a five-speed manual gearbox; the shifters action is actually quite good with a positive feel and short throws, but the lightly weighted clutch lacks progression and has the quirky characteristic of causing revs to hang - and in some cases climb - when shifting in a hurry, which took me back to the days when I was first learning how to drive manual. Theres also a four-speed automatic available, which shifts with surprising smoothness, when driving in a relaxed manner. It could do with a fifth gear, though, as the first three ratios are stacked quite short for brisk acceleration, but the last gear has been selected as a cruising gear for improved fuel economy. While the automatic is quieter on the highway, the engine is spinning well out of its power band; overtaking requires the car to drop a gear, which is a pretty big step down. On the whole, automatic models are more efficient than their manual counterparts: 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway for the slushbox versus 23 city and 31 highway for the stick.

What makes the SX4 so different than others is that it makes four-wheel drive standard across the line. Its not a Mickey Mouse gimmick, either, as the system is actually advanced enough to be considered sophisticated. Called i-AWD (I for Intelligent, of course), it uses an electronically controlled system that allows the SX4 to get out of some pretty sticky situations. The driver controls the system via a little thumb-switch located to the right of the handbrake, and the system has three modes: 2WD, which renders the SX4 a front wheel drive car for improving fuel economy, AUTO, which is the general four-season mode, and LOCK, which locks the front and rear differentials when the going gets really tough. The system itself uses a variety of sensors including the ABS sensor and the on-board computer to monitor throttle position, wheel-spin, and the difference of wheel speeds between the front and the rear axle. When the 4WDs brain detects a disparity in front and rear wheel speed, it directs the nine-plate clutch system to clamp down, and shift up to 50-percent of the power to the rear wheels. LOCK mode is really what separates the SX4 from anything else on the market; its a simple function that locks the front and rear differentials to turn at the same speed, but allows for a certain degree of clutch slippage to allow for enthusiastic cornering without the typical wooden feel and grinding gears, but to prevent damage, it automatically disengages to regular 4WD auto-mode once 40 mph is reached.

The SX4 might be a road-going city car with four wheel drive bits grafted on to its underside, but the package is so well integrated that it shines brightly when you take it off paved surfaces. To test its mettle, we were given the chance to play around in a muddy, rally-cross outlined in cones that consisted of on-road and off-road sections. The difference between 2WD and 4WD on dry surfaces is just about undetectable, but heading out into places where one might otherwise start to slip, the 4WD makes its presence known. From pavement to grassy mud, the system engages seamlessly, sending appropriate amounts of torque to the rear wheels without hesitancy or any shunting, allowing the little SX4 to dig in and grip. But the really impressive bit is that the system is geared to allow you to have fun; given the right combination of foot and hand-work, the SX4s tail end will rotate right around, creating some fairly showy drifts in true rally car style, provided the surface is loose or slippery enough for the meaty 16-inch tires to break traction. During the product presentation, Suzuki announced that it would be competing in the World Rally Championships with the awesome-looking SX4 WRC. It all makes sense now…

When four-wheel drive and Suzuki are tossed together in the same sentence, its exceedingly easy to think directly of the little off roaders that Suzuki is famous for. With good ground clearance and ladder frame construction, SUVs like the Samurai, Sidekick and Grand Vitara, which were great off-road, come to mind, but their tippy nature made them pretty hopeless on pavement. Thus, with great excitement, I can report that the SX4, with its four-wheel drive system has excellent on-road dynamics - and thats not just in the realm of the Suzuki nameplate. Sharing many of the key components from the European-market Swift, such as the floorpan, the suspension and steering systems has really benefited the SX4. On the road it felt solid, and strangely planted for something so small, with steering thats surprisingly sharp and quick witted, but most importantly, the rest of the car can cope with it. You can attack corners with some pretty aggressive angles, and although body roll is more pronounced than in a regular hatchback, it never feels anything less than stable. Not once, even at the limits of its grip during a simulated emergency lane change or slalom did the SX4 feel as if it would topple over, which allows you to drive it like a little sports hatchback, though it lacks the zest and fervor of the old, Swift GTI because of its weight.

And while Id normally criticize weight as the mortal enemy to any sort of automotive engineering, the additional heft actually helps the SX4 to feel more stable on the road. The suspension, which consists of McPherson struts in front and a torsion-beam in rear tightropes the line on firmness; its comfortable, yet it doesnt roll excessively, or wallow. And, given the brevity of the SX4s wheelbase, the extra weight smoothens out the ride over rough surfaces, which would otherwise send an equivalently sized car into a fit of vibrations and jitters. By comparison, the SX4 is remarkably composed and settled, even over less than smooth surfaces such as unfinished gravel roads, grass and snow, surfaces that Suzuki expects its owners to be treading on.

Though a diet would help put a bit more pep in the SX4s step, its brakes cant be faulted. Sizeable four-wheel discs with standard ABS brakes stop the little car with ease; pedal feel is also quite good if a little sharply calibrated. As far as safety features go, the SX4 comes standard with ESP, six airbags (front, side, curtain) as well as three-point seatbelts and headrests for all passengers.

One of the most pleasing aspects of SX4 ownership is bound to be its cabin. Not too long ago, Suzukis cars and SUVs were constructed of only the cheapest and most basic materials, but, like the Grand Vitara, the SX4 is on a completely different level. The new Suzuki has a quality feel to it; the upgrade steering wheel on the JLX model features class-only stereo and cruise control buttons, and is thickly wrapped in soft leather. The fabrics that trim the seat and accent the headliner and doors also feel good, the console has a minimalist look to it, with a slickly integrated stereo system, and faux, metal-look climate control knobs twist and push with impressively smooth action. At night, everything, from the chrome-ringed instruments to the dash-top display glows a cheeky, vivid red which matches the cars character perfectly, and gives the car an expensive, Audi-like ambience. Only the dashboard and door castings feel a tad cheap; given a knock they sound hollow and are easily marked, nevertheless, this is perfectly acceptable, because it looks good, with an appealing crackle-grain finish, and consistently tight gaps with no sharp edges. Even on the bumpiest, roughest roads of the day, the SX4 didnt creak or chirp, which is always a good sign.

Outdoor gear aside, the way that the SX4 conveys its crossover is through the driving and seating positions. The bubble-dome shape of the SX4s cabin gives it an airy and spacious feel, which is nothing new in modern subcompact and compact cars, but you do sit higher up than normal for a better view of the road with a fairly upright seating position. Its a bit of a shame that the view out is compromised by the thick fairing around the A-pillars, despite Suzukis efforts of hollowing them out with an additional pane of glass. The 4WD running gear eats away at the useable interior volume slightly; the transmission tunnel makes the middle passenger on the rear seat ride with legs splayed, while the 9.5 cubic foot trunk space is a bit on the small side. Suzuki does offer split folding seats, but they dont fold flat. Instead, they tumble upwards, and are latched from the headrest support columns, liberating more floor space but it isnt completely flat, with protruding seatbelt latches. Although something like the Fits MagicSeats probably couldnt be accommodated, sliding and reclining rear seats (Yaris, Versa, Caliber/Compass) to optimize passenger room or cargo volume would be a welcome addition.

On first thought, the SX4 seemed to me like a pretty silly idea. Who