RoadTest: Suzuki SX4
A friend of mine can best be described as a bulimic shopper. She will scurry out of her office at lunchtime; credit card in hand and feverishly buys shoes, handbags, skirts and tops before returning a day or so later to return the whole lot - labels intact.
The thing is that she doesn't want the clothes; she just loves the thrill of shopping. I reckon the Suzuki SX4 could be right up her street.
Everyone wants an SUV at the moment, but the thing is that few people really need the ability to go off-road. Truth-be-told most buyers just like the rugged looks and the elevated driving position. They might like the idea of an SUV without necessarily having one.
This SUV-esque theme has filtered its way down to the supermini segment of late and the SX4 is the latest of these to don its hiking boots and waterproofs without any intention of going climbing.
Based heavily on the award-winning Swift supermini, the SX4 is designed for the "freestyle approach to life" which sounds a little bit like the questionable sexual morality of the 1960s but I am guessing that means you can use the car for various tasks such as going to work or to the shops, but with a surfboard on the roof.
To be fair, the SX4 has within its range a vehicle that does have some off-road ability. Coming in January will be a 1.6-litre petrol version that will have an automatic torque-on-demand four-wheel drive mode that can provide up to 50 per cent traction to the rear wheels if the front wheels start to slip.
Up until then there are two 1.5-litre two-wheel drive petrol versions on offer. The entry-point is the 1.5-litre GL version, which is more passenger car in appearance, with fewer of the 4x4-like elements. We have been driving the 1.5-litre GLX version, which gets the 16-inch alloy wheels, wheel arch mouldings, side and under protection mouldings, under spoilers and skid plates to make the SX4 look like it means business even if it is as scared of getting dirty as any regular supermini.
Visually, it has to be said that the SX4 is not a bad looking car at all. Dressed up in all its GLX camping gear it looks quite chic - urban chic in fact, which we would assume is the look that they were going for.
It is a step away from the oh-so-cute looks of the Swift and also thankfully more stylish than the ignorant-looking Ignis. Compared to rivals such as the Ford Fusion and Citroën XTR it is certainly sportier.
Suzuki cars used to appeal to pensioners. With the SX4 they might just reduce their customers age profile dramatically. Although the older generation will like the high driving position and the wide door openings in the SX4, which makes ingress a lot easier. The cabin itself is a bit of a mixed bag. There is a mixture of cheap feeling, but hardwearing interior plastics, especially on the doors, mixed with nylon upholstery. But then again the value offered counteracts this.
There is plenty of headroom, legroom and shoulder room in the front, it is a little tighter in the back but kids won't grumble and the boot space is not bad either - 270-litres is adequate if nowhere near class leading. But it has more than the 213-litres offered by the Swift.
Our test car featured steering-wheel mounted audio controls, a useful air conditioning system and electrics all round. One small point we did notice was that in harsh light conditions, as you will get on autumn mornings, it was quite difficult to read some of the displays within the car, such as the audio and trip computer.
On the road, despite the higher nature of the car the SX4 feels really well planted. On the motorway there is a little bit of engine roar when you work the 1.5-litre engine hard, but around town this is a really easy car to manoeuvre and park.
The slightly thick A-pillars make visibility tricky coming out of junctions at times, but such is the nature of the modern day Euro-NCAP tested car. The gearbox is very slick but then we have come to expect this from the Swift anyway.
In terms of handling, the SX4 is not as entertaining as its smaller sibling but it is predictable and won't do anything too surprising if you push it on. The overwhelming impression from driving the SX4 is that you are in something quite substantial and even this 1.5-litre version feels more like a C-segment car than a B-segment car.
Purely from public reaction Suzuki could well be on to something with the SX4. It drew glances and second looks from just the type of buyer it hopes to lure.
The value offered, the high levels of standard equipment and its rugged charm will appeal to anyone who is not quite ready for Rav4 or Hyundai Tucson ownership but wants something to get them there. The logical side of our brains could conclude that you could spend your money on a supermini such as a Peugeot 207 or Ford Fiesta and have more change, but then the SX4 is not aimed at this sort of customer anyway.
For this reason, we think the 1.5-litre GLX model will be the one to choose. We have tried a four-wheel drive version earlier this year in the sister car, the Fiat Sedici.
Sure, there is a need for it in rural areas and there are safety applications to having it too. But in this car it is likely to add anything up to €3,000 to the price tag and unless you really need it then you are better off sticking with the 1.5 GLX version. Fiat's Sedici starts at €22,400 and comes with four-wheel drive only. They also have a 1.9-litre diesel version costing €26,400, but at that stage you are into Hyundai Tucson money.
Taking the SX4 as it stands at the moment, as a two-wheel drive rugged-looking small family car, then at €18,995 it is a shrewd and rewarding purchase. Don't expect to see the SX4 in vast numbers on Irish roads in 2007, but those who do buy one will be pleased with their buy even if they stray no further off-road than a multi-story car park.