By Reilly Brennan
www.windingroad.com
Issue 19, April 2007
It's not a hybrid, it's not a Scion, and it's not a plush toy. It's a Suzuki SX4, although it looks like it could have started life as any one of those three. Instead, what you see here is the cheapest all-wheel-drive car in America, which means that power at all four wheels is no longer the exclusive birthright of the well-heeled and thin-wristed. Sure, the little Giugiaro-designed hatchback (which is also sold in Europe as the Fiat Sedici) is inexpensive, at about $15,000, but that's not its only advantage. It's a cut-price Subaru Impreza in fun and drivability.
That's a bold statement to make, but if you can overlook the car's relatively dismal fuel economy (23 miles per gallon in the city, although a heroic test drive can bring the average well below 20 mpg), it's entirely true. The SX4 has a snappy steering feel—tight and fit for holding a fast line on an entrance ramp or cutting through traffic. It goes like a swimming sperm cell. Its five-speed shifter is proletariat-perfect. And it responds to changes in weight transfer like a small car should—easily and without much fanfare.
While the all-wheel-drive system doesn't act as a real contributor in the performance process, as in an Audi or Subaru, it is available for adverse conditions when a driver would want to lock the differential into place for up to a 50-50 split from front to rear. Otherwise, and at speeds over 36 miles per hour, it's typically 95 percent front-wheel-drive-biased in normal AWD mode, or entirely so in 2WD mode. The little switch sits between the front seats, next to the hand brake. The best fuel economy can be found in 2WD mode, but of course you carry the system's weight around all the time, regardless of your rallying schedule. Buyers of the Suzuki should not expect a fuel-efficient city car. They should expect a high-greenhouse high revver with as-needed all-wheel-drive capability. At over 2800 pounds, the SX4 is hundreds of pounds heavier than a Ford Focus or Nissan Versa. But, should that matter if it helps the car's stability? A more philosophical and macroeconomic question (please, stay with me) should be: if Suzuki can offer all-wheel drive for under $15,000, shouldn't everybody?
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