Suzuki SX4 Review

Suzuki’s new ‘sport X-over’, the SX4, incorporates the sportiness of the Swift with the flexibility of the Grand Vitara.

The SX4 is a joint development with Fiat, with Suzuki responsible for the project management from concept to the finished article. The result is two cars and a case of ‘spot the difference’ between the SX4 and its doppelganger, the Fiat Sedici. Last year, some 60,000 units came off Suzuki’s production line in Hungary, 20,000 of which bore the Fiat badge.

In return, Fiat contributes its 1.9DDiS, diesel engine, which was in the test car, while the 1.6VVT, petrol engine is Suzuki’s own. This may be the one and only petrol unit available but it does come with the option of automatic or 5-speed, manual gearing; the latter allows for the 4GRIP, intelligent all-wheel drive system or i-AWD.

i-AWD is both an on-demand and a lockable system selected via a dial on the centre console. Under normal circumstances, in 4WD-Auto mode, the 145Nm of torque is directed to the front wheels only and to the rear wheels only when it becomes necessary, for extra traction.

The 4WD-Lock setting does what you’d expect, locking the system so that the pulling power is distributed to all four wheels. This works at speeds of up to 40mph, above which point, it reverts to 4WD-Auto. For times when loss of traction isn’t likely to occur, the dial also has a 2WD setting.