Word of Mouth Buzz & Good Reviews for New Suzuki SX4

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Note: Although GM cut its stake in Suzuki from 20% to 3% last March, their partnership continues.

SUZUKI SX4 REVIEW ROUND UP: "A Hell of a Deal; the potential to be a WRX-killer"

The SX4’s on-demand AWD system is a particularly pukka party trick, reminiscent of Subarus of yore. For daily duty, the SX4 is a front-driver. Flip a switch near the handbrake and i-AWD kicks in. In this mode, 95% of the SX4’s torque is routed to the front wheels. Should either of the fronts lose purchase, up to 50% of the power is sent to the back wheels. If you get stuck in sand (posing for the requisite PR lifestyle surfer dude pictures), you can switch to full-time four wheel-drive and lock up the transfer case for an even split.

And if you have to split in a hurry, the SX4 is a corner carver par excellence. The base model’s blessed with fat 205 tires (the same size as a BMW 328i’s hoops) and a smartly-tuned chassis; the Sport version gains stability control (unique to this class). Surprisingly, body roll and grip are never an issue. Even better, the SX4’s rack and pinion steering is a revelation; the tiniest tiller inputs deliver an instant change of direction. Running in i-AWD I tackled my favorite corners as fast as I could in my (gulp) Subaru WRX.

And the hits keep happening. With a 2.0-liter DOHC I4 harnessing 143 scrappy little fillies, this little Suzy has some guts. To gain access to the mill’s 136 pound-feet of torque, your hand never leaves the stick shift knob but A) you’re only fighting against 2800lbs. and B) it’s fun. Short gearing ensures that the engine is constantly on the boil, while the user friendly clutch makes downshifting a breeze. OK, you can’t call a zero to sixty in 8.3 seconds car fast, but it ain’t slow neither.

For roughly the same money as a Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit or Nissan Versa, the Suzuki SX4 provides a larger, more powerful wagon — “crossover” with AWD, distinctive styling and hoonery. If Suzuki creates more driver friendly vehicles like the SX4, they’ll finally be building a brand worth remembering.

Source: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2901

For a company known more for its sport bikes than its cars, having a solid “normal” car is a big deal. The SX4 shows that Suzuki is a real car company that builds real cars. Excuse us for a minute… we still can’t get over just what an improvement this car is over past models.

For just $15K fully-loaded, the Suzuki SX4 is a hell of a deal. We came in fully expecting to be disappointed in this car but came away from it with a healthy amount of respect for it. We’d fully recommend this car to anyone looking at a Fit, Yaris or even a Civic. If the aftermarket picks up on this thing, the SX4 will have the potential to be a WRX-killer. You can’t say that about the Fit.

Source: http://evo.blogsome.com/2007/01/08/suzuki-sx4/

What makes the SX4 so different than others is that it makes four-wheel drive standard across the line. Its not a Mickey Mouse gimmick, either, as the system is actually advanced enough to be considered sophisticated. Called i-AWD (I for Intelligent, of course), it uses an electronically controlled system that allows the SX4 to get out of some pretty sticky situations.

When four-wheel drive and Suzuki are tossed together in the same sentence, its exceedingly easy to think directly of the little off roaders that Suzuki is famous for. With good ground clearance and ladder frame construction, SUVs like the Samurai, Sidekick and Grand Vitara, which were great off-road, come to mind, but their tippy nature made them pretty hopeless on pavement. Thus, with great excitement, I can report that the SX4, with its four-wheel drive system has excellent on-road dynamics - and thats not just in the realm of the Suzuki nameplate. Sharing many of the key components from the European-market Swift, such as the floorpan, the suspension and steering systems has really benefited the SX4. On the road it felt solid, and strangely planted for something so small, with steering thats surprisingly sharp and quick witted, but most importantly, the rest of the car can cope with it. You can attack corners with some pretty aggressive angles, and although body roll is more pronounced than in a regular hatchback, it never feels anything less than stable. Not once, even at the limits of its grip during a simulated emergency lane change or slalom did the SX4 feel as if it would topple over, which allows you to drive it like a little sports hatchback, though it lacks the zest and fervor of the old, Swift GTI because of its weight.

And while Id normally criticize weight as the mortal enemy to any sort of automotive engineering, the additional heft actually helps the SX4 to feel more stable on the road. The suspension, which consists of McPherson struts in front and a torsion-beam in rear tightropes the line on firmness; its comfortable, yet it doesnt roll excessively, or wallow. And, given the brevity of the SX4s wheelbase, the extra weight smoothens out the ride over rough surfaces, which would otherwise send an equivalently sized car into a fit of vibrations and jitters. By comparison, the SX4 is remarkably composed and settled, even over less than smooth surfaces such as unfinished gravel roads, grass and snow, surfaces that Suzuki expects its owners to be treading on.

Source: http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Su...oad-test/2061/

Also See: Samurai's Return? Suzuki SX4 Review

[genjy]

Great little car.

I think Suzuki's niche in North America should be performance subcompact/compact cars. Bring the Japanese Suzuki Swift over and let the Yaris have the econo-subcompact crowd.

[guitarlix]

I've seen this car in person and it's really ugly. Maybe that's why it appeals to Subaru drivers.

[bobojay]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

I've seen this car in person and it's really ugly. Maybe that's why it appeals to Subaru drivers.

My wife and I totally disagree with that statement about the "look".
If this was a GM product, we'd jump on one in a minute for an in town runner..........

[Slideways]

I've driven both the auto and manual versions. On some twisty roads the stick version is a blast. I agree with the reviews. It might not look like one, but it feels like a race car.

[Butz]

When GM gets healthy and makes loads of $$ they gotta buy Suzuki and Isuzu back!

Even though I don't like the design on this Suzuki, I know that it would appeal to a lot of people and I can see why.

[ChevyOptra5]

So it seems to me that the AWD system in this $20,000 (CDN $) or so compact car is better than those found in the Equinox, Vue etc. or the other GM vehicles that use the "on-demand" or Versatrak AWD systems. I can see the point that it is more efficient to just have to wheels turning and only have all four going when the system detects loss of grip of the two main drive wheels. But there is something about knowing that the system is on and turning all four wheels, especially with some of the winters that we get up here in Ottawa. If Suzuki and the likes of Kia can have on-demand AWD systems with a switch that locks all for wheels, why can't GM? And with the elimination of the Trailblazer/Envoy, GM no longer has a 4x4 SUV at the low-end price area, here the Tahoe 4x4 starts at around $45,000, where the trailblazer is around $35,000. Thats quite the difference.

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Originally Posted by guitarlix

I've seen this car in person and it's really ugly. Maybe that's why it appeals to Subaru drivers.

If I had to buy a car in this segment, I would only look at two cars - Kia Rio and Honda Fit. The Rio because it's actually a very nice car and in this segment, price is very important and you get a lot of car for your money with the Kia. The Honda Fit because it's a nice car to drive and it's the car I'd personally want to own in this segment if price weren't an issue.

[atomicshark]

I think the SX4 is a great little car. It is better looking than the Fit or Yaris and it has i-AWD standard. I am glad it is getting good press and word of mouth. This car is an excellent deal for what you get.

I hope Suzuki can muscle in on Toyota and Honda's small car turf. Variety on the low end is a winning proposition for everyone looking for a good low cost commuter.

[Michael_S]

WRX killer?

On price, sure. The WRX (not the STI, just the WRX) is $24,000.

On performance, you have 2800 pounds and 143 horsepower versus 3200 pounds and 224 horsepower.

[carscomblogger]

http://research.cars.com/go/crp/rese...ection=reviews

My review of the SX4

It is a tremendous little car with interior quality far above some new compacts like say the Cobalt.

it's cargo area/configuration isn't ideal because of the stadium rear seating setup but otherwise I really liked it. Plus its very well equipped right at the starting price.

[Suzuki Phil]

At first glance I didn't like the SX4 but after seeing the SX4's at the SEMA show I changed my mind. There appears to be two body trim versions - Europe and NA. The European version in my opinion is better looking, it doesn't have the black fender moulding and looks like a different front lower fascia.

Plus there's plenty of room in the engine compartment for a turbo charger. Might not be a STi killer but with proper tuning it might be right behind it.

SP

[Ming]

Originally Posted by Suzuki Phil

At first glance I didn't like the SX4 but after seeing the SX4's at the SEMA show I changed my mind. There appears to be two body trim versions - Europe and NA. The European version in my opinion is better looking, it doesn't have the black fender moulding and looks like a different front lower fascia.

Plus there's plenty of room in the engine compartment for a turbo charger. Might not be a STi killer but with proper tuning it might be right behind it.

SP

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of unpainted plastic either, but at least the side moldings (wide and thin) are optional (you can go bare). And the headlights and taillights are not my favorite design - the GMDAT cars look better.

I do have to agree with some articles I've read about it looking like a MINI from some angles though, especially with some optional trim. And while funky, I do like the triangular window space up by the side mirrors.

[01cavalier]

They aren't great looking cars by any means, but I wouldn't call them ugly either. I wish they got better mileage but having AWD is a definite plus to me. I didn't really expect it to be that great of a car, so that is a surprise to me. GM is really needing to get on board with something AWD in this category.

[mkaresh]

I'd like to drive one, but the dealers near me closed up in the last year--right before getting what appear to be some very good new products.

One of them is still listed on the Suzuki site. So maybe they just looked dead (no Suzukis on the lot) last time I checked...