2008 Suzuki SX4 Review

Specifications

Small cars are more popular than ever these days. Now, it’ssavvy to go green; people are getting wise to the rising price of fuel and conscious to the state of the environment. Brands such as Suzuki, which didn’t exactly prosper during the jumbo-sized SUV craze, are now starting to see better sales thanks to this new trend. Depending on where you reside in North America, Suzuki’s car (not SUV) range is anywhere between three and five vehicles, a combination of vehicles it developed itself and ones it piggybacked with Korea’s GMDAT (previously Daewoo). In the U.S. there’s the the SX4 (kind of a 5-door crossover), the Aerio, the Forenza sedan and wagon, and the Reno liftback, while north of the 49th parallel Canadians enjoy the Swift+ (a.k.a. Chevy Aveo), the Aerio and the same SX4. Soon, buyers across the continent will have another choice in the Japanese brand’s lineup, the SX4 Sedan.

The SX4 is gradually replacing the brand’s Aerio compact car. It’s smallerin all dimensions, bridging the subcompact and compact segments, and as before, it is unique in that it offers all-wheel drive, something you can’t find on any other subcompact vehicle. The SX4 is also sold globally, and was developed with Fiat, who sells a version called the “Sedici”, Italian for 16, or 4X4. We first drove the SX4 last summer and it left a positive impression. Its 2.0-liter motor had plenty of pep with 143 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, and for the money it has a nicely styled and well built interior. The Aerio, mind you, was a two-model car that was available in both sedan and wagon form, so, to please buyers who prefer trunks, Suzuki will be launching a sedan version later this year.

In front of the A-pillars, there’s nothing new about the SX4 Sedan. Its wraparound headlamps and grille have a European look, while the rounded shape of the roof helps to provide a greenhouse effect, yielding good visibility. Where the SX4 Hatchback was penned by Italdesign, we’re not so sure who created the back end of the Sedan. From some angles, the overhang looks too long, and it’s got an upturned rear bumper which makes it look like it’s sticking its tail up in the air, but then again, very few subcompact cars originally designed as hatchbacks look good when converted to sedans. Overall, the SX4 Sedan is 14.7 inches longer than its five-door counterpart, much, if not all of it behind the rear wheels, which should allow for a very large cargo area.

Where the SX4 Hatchback has a sort of utilitarian chic look with its plastic cladding, roof rack and raised ride height, the SX4 Sedan is going straight for the city street style. At the car’s launch, which took place during this year’s New York International Auto Show, the SX4 was shown with a body kit and 17-inch wheels, giving it a very sporty look. While the body kit, wheels, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and six airbags are standard equipment.

One aspect of the SX4 Sedan that really interests us is the name. SX4 stands for “Sport Crossover 4WD”, which is fine for the hatchback model that sports the segment’s only switchable all-wheel drive system and, like previously mentioned, kind of looks like a mini SUV. But from the initial information available, it looks like all-wheel drive won’t be fitted to the four-door. And very clearly, as you can see, it’s not much of a crossover either. Perhaps they should’ve kept the “Aerio” name around, or dropped the “X” and simply had an S4… hmmm, Audi might not have appreciated that last one. Nevertheless, the SX4 Sedan will be arriving later this year as a 2008 model, and will be available with the same engine and gearbox options as the Hatchback. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Preliminary Specifications (SX4 Sedan):