Suzuki may not be the biggest Japanese automaker, but it may be one of the more agile. The same could be said about the relatively new SX4; not Suzuki's largest offering, but certainly one of its most agile.
Suzuki might be known better for its motorcycles and marine engines in the United States. It wasn't unit 1985 that Suzuki first started selling four-wheeled cars in America. Motorcycles have been sold here since 1963, Like Toyota, Honda and Nissan/Datsun beforehand, Suzuki focused on small-sized cars when entering the U.S. market. Unlike the Japanese big three, Suzuki has primarily focused on fuel efficient vehicles during its time in the states, with no minivans or full-sized pickups in the lineup. In 2008, Suzuki dove into the mid-size pickup truck segment with the introduction of the Equator, a joint venture with Nissan and a product borrowing the underpinnings of the Nissan Frontier pickup.
The 2009 SX4 is a cute, affordable, fuel efficient mode of transportation that's a safe bet no matter what the price of unleaded fuel lists for at the corner filling station. Two body styles are available: a four-door sedan (SX4 Sport) which debuted in 2008 and a five-door wagon (SX4 Crossover) bowing one year earlier. Suzuki bid farewell in the 2008 model year to the Forenza and Reno, two compact vehicles which did little to create a buzz with the general public. Dollar for dollar, the spunky SX4 costs significantly less than a comparably equipped Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, two compact sales leaders.
Besides the obvious body style, the key difference between the SX4 sedan and crossover is the sedan is exclusively front wheel drive while the crossover is offered in both automatic on-demand all-wheel-drive and front-wheel drive. The SX4 Crossover holds the distinction of being the lowest priced all-wheel drive vehicle sold in the U.S. Another first for both SX4 body styles in 2009 is a standard navigation system. Suzuki becomes the first automaker to offer a Garmin touch screen navigation system standard in a vehicle starting under $16,000. It's also portable. The device can be moved from vehicle to vehicle.
Three trim levels are available in the SX4 Crossover: Base, Technology and Touring. All wheel drive is standard in all three trims while front wheel drive is optional in Base and Technology. We got our hands on a SX4 Technology trim for a weeks worth of driving. Starting price was $16,789 with a bottom line of $17,223 including destination charge. A Base SX4 Crossover starts at $15,289.
For a compact offering, SX4 comes well equipped with air conditioning, power windows, rear defroster, keyless entry, power outside mirrors and compact disc player. Satellite radio and iPod interface are dealer-installed options. Also standard are traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, front seat side air bags, side curtain air bags and child safety rear door locks. Cruise control is standard in Technology and Touring trims.
The sole engine available in sedan and crossover body styles is a 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine delivering 143 horses. Fuel economy checks in at 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway with all-wheel drive and four-speed automatic transmission. Highway mileage tops 30 mpg in offerings with front-wheel-drive. The fuel tank holds 11.9 gallons of regular, unleaded fuel.
At night, the instrument panel, along with the rest of the dash, features attractive red backlighting. The flat instrument analog panel has a large central speedometer flanked by two smaller gauges. Two circular air vents reside on the far sides of the dash while square vents reside front and center. In between the front bucket seats are dual beverage holders, transmission shifter and hand-operated parking brake. Also in the area is a switch where drivers have a choice of selecting two-wheel or all-wheel drive. No arm rest/storage bin is available, but both seats have slender, fold down arm rests. |