Suzuki SX4 1.9 DDis 4 Grip 4WD 5 Door Road Test Report

Performance

Suzuki’s ‘sports crossover’ model is available with either two wheel or selectable four wheel drive and a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines. We tested the 1.9 DDis model fitted with the ‘4 Grip’ intelligent all-wheel drive technology, and a six speed gearbox. This engine packs a punch when pressure is applied to the throttle, which may come as a surprise in a car that is such an odd amalgamation of a 4x4 and small family car. Yet performance-wise the SX4 is slick and capable, with smooth and accurate gear changes and an official 0 – 62mph time of 11.2 seconds, it proves a joy to drive around on the national speed limit ‘B’ roads. Equally driving on the motorways should prove no struggle either, as it will happily cruise along at 70mph with little road and wind noise. The 1.9 engine generates 206lb of torque at 2,000 revs and offers a top speed of 112mph, which compares well enough with the performance offered by some of its pricier rivals such as the Renault Koleos or the Ford Kuga.

Ride & Handling

The ride of the SX4 could have benefited from a little more thought being plowed into overall comfort as the seats are a little on the hard side. The raised ride height, offering the driver a commanding view of the road and great visibility all round, should help to distract you from the slightly uncomfortable base to your throne though. The downfall of the SX’s tallness is that it is combined with a short wheel base and narrow dimensions, making it ungainly in its handling and cornering ability rather clumsy. However off-road is where it really shows its true abilities, managing rough terrain with ease. Even for everyday use, it handles the pot-holed roads of Great Britain happily enough; which is just as well they are in abundance! Body roll is well maintained despite its height but cornering at speed is not for the faint hearted!

Build Quality & Reliability

Built in Hungary, the SX4 shares the same platform as Fiat’s Sedici. With Suzuki at the helm of this joint project there should be no squeaking mice or rattle snakes to be found and just as you would expect from a Suzuki, the SX4 is implicitly reliable. The interior is fairly stylish and well finished. Once you’ve got the hang of the sound system, you’ll find reasonable sound from the speakers. The duplication of the buttons on the steering wheel is a convenient addition.

Safety & Security

The SX4 does not come with an option for an alarm, but benefits from remote central locking and immobiliser as standard. Isofix child seat mountings also come as standard and other safety features such as driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags are included. ABS with EBD, intelligent all wheel drive on the 1.6 GLX and the 1.9 DDis models, seat belt pre-tensioners, side impact protection bars and deadlocks all helped it gain four out of five stars for adult protection and three out of five for child safety in the Euro NCAP crash test.

Space & Practicality

Within the cabin of the SX4, there is an airiness about it, thanks in part to the large windows and simple interior styling but also the generous height at 1605mm. The Fiat Sedici is actually a bit taller at 1620mm but shorter than the SX4, with 4115mm compared to the latter’s 4235mm. The extra length in the SX4 means it is spacious enough to accommodate the whole family but the boot space on the other hand could have benefitted from being a tad on the larger side, with a paltry minimum of 270 litres space. However with split-folding rear seats as standard, the SX4 at least proves flexible in its use.

Ownership & Value

The Suzuki dealer network is still sparse, so you may have to travel for the SX4’s check ups and with servicing intervals every 9,000 miles and running costs fairly high you may find this to be a significant bugbear. With this said you should not really have to make visits in between, thanks to Suzuki’s sturdy engineering. With an OTR price starting from £11,295 for the 1.6 GL petrol engine rising to £15,395 for the top of the range 1.9 DDis we tested, you really do get a lot of SUV for your money with good kit as standard. Emissions on the 1.9 DDiS sit at 170 g/km in Band H, so £175 road tax for the year, which is reasonable. Opt for the two wheel drive, 1.6 DDis though and emissions drop to 139g/km CO2 pushing it into tax band E where tax costs £120. With insurance group six across the range except for the 1.9 which sits in group seven, the SX4 beats the Sedici on insurance costs, the Fiat model has insurance group of seven for most models rising to group 8 for the 1.9 engine models. In terms of miles to the galloon and on the road price too, the SX4 is better option in most cases, with combined mileage on the most frugal 1.6 DDis standing at 53.3mpg or 44.1 for the 1.9 DDis. While the most frugal Sedici 1.9 diesel engine achieves slightly more at 42.8mpg, at worse the Sedici 1.6 petrol engine achieves just 39.8mpg. The Sedici entry level model beats Suzuki’s at £10,505 compared to £11,295 although Suzuki throw in electric rear windows for this. Higher up the range and Suzuki take the lead, with price differences and kit becoming more marked in its favour. The best comparison for the SX4 is its own kin and here it seems the better deal but if you are looking for a flexible MPV with four wheel drive, you could look at the Renault Koleos £22,805, the Ford Kuga at a starting price of £20,445 or the Nissan Qashqai Acenta for £19,050. You do get more car in these models but for significantly less. So for a budget option, you can’t go wrong with the SX4.