2007 Suzuki SX4

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.

Performance

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.