By Gary Witzenburg
AutoMedia.com
Japanese auto and motorcycle maker Suzuki has been on a roll, especially in the U.S. American Suzuki sold more than 10,000 vehicles in May, 2007, its best-ever May, led by a 31 percent increase in SX4 and Aerio small-car sales. The SX4 was also one of five econocar finalists for Ward's Auto World magazine's "Interior of the Year" award.
Ten thousand cars and trucks in May projects to 120K annually, not a lot in this 16-plus million-vehicle market. But it is a continuing upward trend in a year when a lot of other makers, domestic and import, are struggling to stay even. And, no, the SX4 did not win that Ward's Interior award, but being a finalist in that competition is a worthy accomplishment. The SX4 ("Sport crossover for four seasons") boasts a handsome, Italianesque five-door hatchback body, standard all-wheel drive, crisp dynamics and a lot of safety features at an affordable price. It is the U.S. market's most affordable all-wheel-drive vehicle, yet. Thanks to its bold, SUV-like wedge shape, a low, rising waistline, large, triangular windows forward of the front doors and strong fender shapes, it is more stylish than the average subcompact.
It is also reasonably well motivated by a 143-hp 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC four coupled to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Our automatic-equipped test car felt lively off the line but delivered leisurely 11.8-second zero-to-60 mph acceleration. It averaged 24.9 miles per gallon in a mix of mostly suburban, some city and some highway driving vs. EPA ratings of 24 mpg/city and 30 mpg/highway. That is thirstier than similar-size competitors, mostly due (we suspect) to the added weight of the standard all-wheel drive. That system is dubbed "intelligent" all-wheel drive (i-AWD) because in Auto mode, it reacts to input from traction sensors at all four corners and can distribute up to 50 percent of available torque to the rear wheels when the fronts begin to slip. The other two modes available via a console-mounted switch are 2WD, to optimize fuel economy on dry pavement, and AWD Lock to optimize traction on slippery surfaces. In Lock mode, 30-50 percent of the torque goes to the rear wheels before the system automatically switches to Auto at 36 mph.
The SX4's body and chassis are evolutions of the earlier Suzuki Swift, which earned numerous awards, including "Car of the Year" in Europe and Asia. It features a rigid steel unibody structure on a front MacPherson strut/rear torsion beam suspension fine-tuned in Europe for good stability, handling and braking along with minimal body roll. The relatively wide tracks and standard 16-inch wheels and tires enhance the car's ride and handling, while large four-wheel disc brakes snub it down impressively from speed
Active (accident prevention) safety features include daytime running lights, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and (with the XSport trim) Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with traction control. ESP uses selective light braking and engine torque reduction to help the driver control front- and rear-wheel skids. Passive (during and after a crash) safety equipment includes a reinforced body with front and rear crumple zones, six standard air bags (advanced driver and front passenger, side-impact and side curtain), front belt pretensioners and force limiters and rear belt emergency locking retractors.
The SX4's 90 cubic-foot interior compares to those of Audi's A3 hatchback and Subaru's Impreza wagon. With wide door openings and "theater-style" rear seating, Suzuki says it offers "generous" room, even for rear-seat passengers." That depends on who they are. We found it legroom-challenged for six-footers in front and much more so in back. Inside the cabin are smooth, curving forms and a flowing center stack in keeping with the car's sporty character. The dark, two-tone interior features black cloth seats, brushed metal-look accents and generally quality appearing materials. The large three-ring instrument cluster sports red night lighting, and the ergonomically arranged instrument panel offers a trip computer and intuitive, easy to operate controls. The only slightly low-rent touches are the plain-looking three-spoke steering wheel and a cheap-feeling automatic shifter.
There are plenty of handy storage compartments, the doors have large pockets and bottle holders, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seats can tumble forward to increase cargo capacity from 9.5 to 22 cubic feet. The center stack houses a standard AM/FM/CD/MP3 four-speaker audio system or available six-disc in-dash CD AM/FM/MP3 nine speaker (including subwoofer) audio, along with climate and other controls. Both audio systems are XM Satellite Radio-capable, and a fully integrated iPod2 system, which works seamlessly through the radio with playlists and song information on the radio display, can be dealer-installed.
The 2007 SX4 comes in base and Sport models. The $14,999 base car comes with power windows, locks and mirrors, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio, tilt steering wheel, 16-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, fender flares and silver bumper cover plates. The $350 Convenience Package adds cruise control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls. The $1,149 Rally package includes those plus a front center armrest, a sport shift knob (with manual transmission), body-side cladding, a rear-deck spoiler and chrome exhaust tip.
The $16,449 SX4 Sport model adds the leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and such upscale features as ESP with traction control, SmartPass keyless entry and start system, automatic climate control, nine-speaker audio with six-disc CD changer, heated mirrors, cruise control, silver color roof rails and fog lamps.
Suzuki improved from a lowly 34th out of 36 U.S.-market brands in the 2006 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey (which covers the first three months of ownership) to a more respectable 28th in 2007 -- ahead of fellow Japanese brands Mitsubishi and Mazda, domestics Dodge, Jeep and Hummer and Europeans VW and Land Rover. Like all 2007 Suzuki automobiles, the SX4 carries a 100,000-mile/seven-year limited powertrain warranty and three years/36,000 miles on the rest of the car. A stylish SX4 sedan will be added for 2008.
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