Suzuki is pretty nifty at making small cars like the brilliant Swift but is the new 1.6 litre four-door SX4 a good buy?
Against the likes of the Corolla, Nissan Tiida and even the stylish Mazda3, the SX4 looks the part and can hold its head high especially as it cost way less at just €17,495.
The new saloon has a chunky exterior and enough design detailing to please most buyers of small saloon cars. The rear even features more than a hint of Saab - yes you read correctly! The front end and side view reflect Suzuki’s youthful design philosophy. The glass area is large and enhanced by an interesting dipping bodyline behind the A pillar. Large headlight clusters dominate the smooth front end where there is more than an echo of Grand Vitara & Swift.
Inside the cabin is spacious and well equipped. Again if you’ve been in a Swift or Grand Vitara lately you’ll feel at home. As you’d expect there is lots of black plastic but the cabin is a pleasant place all the same. Rear seat passengers get decent room and the boot is surprisingly vast too (515 litres!). Air conditioning is standard as are steering wheel mounted stereo controls. The driver’s seat is height adjustable as standard also.
Unlike the SX4 hatch, which comes in a choice of two or four-wheel drive (iAWD) the saloon is bred for tarmac use only. The front-wheel drive car has 107bhp on tap and is capable of making adequate progress when provoked. 0-100km/h can be achieved in less than 11 seconds using the 5-speed manual gearbox. Underneath the suspension is independent at the front and ‘Torsion’ beam at the rear, so a Ford Focus it isn’t, but buyers in this very ‘Irish’ sector aren’t after driving involvement, just practicality.
The ride quality is on the firm side without being harsh. There is little in the way of feedback through the wheel but then again this is a small saloon not a sportscar. This car replaces the Liana saloon you may remember from BBC’s Top Gear. The little Suzuki leaped to stardom when Jezza and Co put celebrities in it to race around the test track in the item called ‘A Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’. Now the stars must do their lap in a Chevrolet Lacetti that funnily enough comes in a 1.4 with the same asking price as the SX4 saloon.
The hatchback SX4 (and its sister car the Fiat Sedici) has been with us for a while and its cross over styling is popular with younger buyers. The saloon is in a sector where its price and good looks should see it do well, relatively speaking.
Suzuki Ireland expects to sell about 500 SX4 saloons next year. A 1.6 diesel is on the way but sadly as yet there is no indication of a smaller engine option.
SX4 saloon is an interesting car but is handicapped for the moment by its large engine. Until a smaller 1.3 or 1.4 becomes available in Ireland, it will be a niche player.
Michael Sheridan
