Yet the SX4 Sportback ("S" for sport and "X" for crossover) has an almost-twin brother called the SX4 Crossover that gets all-wheel-drive, .6-inches more ground clearance and some plastic fender flares.
So is the SX4 Sportback a crossover or what?
*SX4 shape – It sure looks like a five-door hatchback with echoes of an SUV, yet its footprint is a bit smaller than a Honda Fit in a shape penned by ItalDesign. It was called “a cute little thing” by some who saw it. It replaces a rather boxy predecessor called the Aerio SX, starting with a short angular nose with slim plastic grille flanked by upswept headlights that rise into the fenders. The lower air intake gets an air dam splitter and big central intake planked by foglights. The windshield is swept back, while faux vent windows dip down aft of the pillars as a low, rising waistline angles up the beltline. The roof has a gentle curve that ends with a black-edged spoiler atop the rear hatch with rear side windows that look like they wrap around into the big rear glass on the hatchback. The rear overhang is minimal, the taillights big. The SX4 rides on 10-spoke alloy wheels with meaty 17-inch Dunlop rubber. It looks nice, cute even, with subtle changes from the SX4 Crossover like no roof rack, aero-tweaks to the nose and side skirts and the lower ride height.
*SX4 seating – Keyless entry lets you see the hard plastic gray-over-gray with a few pewter plastic and buffed steel accents around the center stack. The gray fabric driver’s seat is high enough to be like a crossover’s, with a nice geometric insert design. The driver’s seat also get a bit of manual height adjustment, the result a comfortable and fairly supportive perch that faces a tilt-adjust three-spoke steering wheel with stereo and cruise controls. That frames a central 140-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tach on the left and temperature and gas gauge on the right, all with pewter alloy trim rings and red illumination at night and a small trip computer inset with clock and bar graph instant mpg. Suzuki loves to tell you that their SX4’s come with standard satellite navigation, and there it is, a hard-mounted Garmin that’s part of a pop-up dash-top door. You can manually tilt it to adjust for glare, but it looks like an afterthought, the screen tiny and requiring a reach to use its touch-screen; it even moves when you tap it. That said, the graphics and animation are good, a real-time traffic alert system verbally warning you, while it also has weather forecasts and radar, news headlines, local events lists, movie times, gas prices, stock updates, airline information, music and audio book upload-ability, plus on-screen Bluetooth text display. The factory-installed 8-speaker AM-FM-CD-XM-ready sound system worked well, but like a previous Suzuki we tested, FM reception was so-so and there is only a standard MP3 player input jack (iPod interface optional). More red-lit LED accents the stereo, and the single-zone climate control under it was powerful. But anything put in the two hard-plastic storage compartments at the base of the center stack slides and rattles. The glove box is OK; door map pockets have water bottle holders; and the front seats’ inboard armrests are at the right height. In back, there is real room for two adults, but my knees nudged the soft back of the driver’s seat. Those seatbacks split and fold easily, with a deep hidden compartment under the rear deck, a cargo net above and a door lock button on the hatch’s exterior.
Drawbacks – the high roofline means lots of sun, sometimes in your eyes, helped a bit by sun visors that have extenders.
*SX4 stamina – The good news is Suzuki ups the power under the hood from 143 when this model was introduced in 2008, to 150, hooked to a precise 6-speed (used to be 5-speed) manual that was light and slick enough. The SX4 Crossover with all-wheel-drive and auto box I tested a few years ago needed 13 seconds to hit 60-mph. Our 7,000-mile-old front-wheel-drive version was quicker at 10 seconds. This version also netted an average 26-mpg to the older version’s average of 23-mpg. A Honda Fit - 11 seconds; a MINI Cooper with manual - 8.7. There is no passing power in sixth – you have to downshift. But keyless ignition is standard.
Speaking of the MINI, there were some SX4 ads that compared it to the British import. Hmm, maybe, since Suzuki says they used some under-bits from the Euro-market Swift and SX4. The SX4 gets MacPherson struts up front and a rear torsion beam suspension, plus a firmer shock tuning and grippier rubber. The result was a comfortable ride, although it was a bit choppy over bumpy roads and a full load of four left back-seat passengers commenting about a bouncy ride. The SX4 also leaned a bit in turns, understeer apparent if pushed, stability control helping. Around town, the SX4 was commendably agile. The power steering was light and precise, with decent feel, but we had some kickback in aggressive turns. The four-wheel disc brakes had standard ABS and electronic brake-force distribution, and offered good stopping power with minimal fade and a great pedal feel.
*SX4 solvency - Our base SX4's standard features include power windows/locks/mirrors, leather-clad steering wheel, fog lights, six-disc CD changer, keyless start, climate control, aero body package, cruise control, upgraded audio, 17-inch alloy wheels, trip computer, six air bags and stability/traction control for a base of $17,949. Floor mats, premium metallic silver paint and Bluetooth/text display add up to make a final $18,513. A KiaRio5 has the same wheelbase and is close in length, at about $16,000; a Honda CR-V EX starts at $26,000; a Honda Fit Sport is $17,200; a Kia Sportage LX starts at $22,000; and a Toyota Matrix S is $19,600.
Bottom line: This is a roomy, cute-looking and relatively inexpensive compact crossover with decent fuel mileage and good around-town manners, even a bit of sportiness thanks to the rubber and 6-speed manual. It still lacks in overall handling crispness and real sportiness that a Fit or MINI offer. But it is nice for the price.
2010 Suzuki SX4 Sportback
Specifications
Vehicle type - Compact front-wheel-drive 4-door hatchback crossover
Base price - $17,949 (as tested: $18,513)
Engine type - DOHC 16-valve in-line four
Displacement - 2-liter
Horsepower (net) - 150-hp (up 7) at 6,200 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) - 149 (up 4) at 3,500 rpm
Transmission - 6-speed manual
Wheelbase - 98.4 in.
Overall length - 162.8 in.
Overall width - 69.1 in.
Height - 63.2 in.
Front headroom - 39.6 in.
Front legroom - 41.4 in.
Rear headroom - 37.6 in.
Rear legroom - 35.9 in.
Cargo capacity - 16 cu.in.loaded to ceiling/43 w/rear seat down
Curb weight - 2,822 lbs.
Fuel capacity - 13.2 gallons
Mileage rating 22 city/30 highway
Last word – Cute ‘n sportier
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