Suzuki SX4 Hatchback (06 on) - Review

The SX4 is available with three engines - one petrol and two diesels. Originally there was a 1.6-litre petrol with 107bhp and a 1.9-litre diesel (provided by Fiat) which is the most powerful in the line-up with 120bhp. The 1.6-litre needs to be worked quite hard to get decent performance, especially in four-wheel drive models, plus it lacks a little pulling power low down. However, it's still quick on paper with a 0-62mph time of 10.7 seconds. The 1.9 DDiS model feels much stronger when accelerating in gear and is more relaxing to drive as it doesn't need to be revved as hard - it's also fractionally quicker from 0-62mph than the 1.6-litre petrol. A second diesel was added in 2008 in the shape of a 1.6 DDiS with 90bhp. Unlike the other two it's only available with two-wheel drive, but it's by some margin the most frugal option with fuel economy of 53mpg (compared to 45mpg in the 1.9-litre diesel). Four-wheel drive SX4s come with a manual gearbox with five speeds on the petrol engine and six on the diesel. An four-speed automatic is an option on the petrol model.

Despite the name, the majority of SX4 models around are actually two-wheel drive, but even if you choose a 4x4 version, both handle in a similar fashion to the excellent Swift hatchback. So even with the higher ride height and rather tall stance, it's very agile and corners with minimal body roll. The steering is equally as impressive with decent feel plus there are good levels of grip. All this combined make the SX4 an easy and enjoyable car to drive. It gets better as the ride is exceptionally good and copes as well when soaking up country lane bumps as it does with city street potholes. Where four-wheel drive is fitted, a button allows the driver to select from three settings. In Auto mode it's front wheel driven but will divert power to the rear wheels if they lose traction. There's 2WD for cruising and finally a Lock mode which keeps it in four-wheel drive up to 40mph. The SX4 is a capable off roader and will no doubt easily cope with the light demands made on it by the majority of owners. An electronic stability control system is an optional extra on any model, but works particularly well with the four-wheel drive system and would be a good investment for those who will make regular use of the SX4's all-wheel drive capabilities.