2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack Review

Review by Danny Chang

Pros

• Available with AWD
• Passes agility tests better than a Border Collie
• Gets you from point A to point B
• Don’t have to look for the bus pass
• Way better than a Yugo

Cons

• Slightly more powerful than a lawnmower
• Unimpressive styling even with new aero kit
• Underwhelming MPG




Introduction
I had planned a trip to Lake Tahoe a few weekends ago and when my editor told me there was a Suzuki SX4 available I jumped at it. Since Suzuki bills this SX4 as a crossover, I thought it’d be a great car to take it up to the mountains. The SX4 comes with an all aluminum 2.0 liter 16 valve DOHC in-line 4 engine that pumps out 150 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. Yeah, a little disappointing. But more on that later. The tester had the Touring package, which includes fog lamps, heated outside mirrors, a rear spoiler, and a Smartpass keyless entry and start system - a surprising, nice feature for an economy-built subcompact.

Driving Impressions
For 2010, Suzuki created the SportBack model based on their SX4 Crossover with the goal of creating something a little more sport-oriented. A bump in power, from 143 to 150 hp, was engineered into this hatchback along with all-wheel drive being given up for a simpler front-wheel drive system. Without all-wheel drive, the SX4 SportBack is lighter and more efficient, and without a roof rack, sitting lower to the ground, it figures to be more aerodynamic with its new aero body kit.

Surprisingly, the 2.0-liter engine felt really weak and the CVT transmission was not very smooth nor good at keeping the engine it its optimal powerband. The paddle shifters on the steering column set some pretty high expectations that are duly crushed in no time. Driving up to Lake Tahoe at night was already a challenging experience, having to constantly floor the gas pedal just to maintain speed and not get stuck behind semi trucks made the trip all the more exciting. Cornering and road grip felt above average in the SX4. Ride quality was stiff, but it’s exactly what you expect out of a subcompact from Japan with a sports-tuned suspension.




Build
The SX4 had fairly good build quality. The doors felt right for this size of car and shut with a sizable thud. Exterior panel fit was good, all the fixtures were installed correctly. Suzuki went cheap on the interior, though, with plenty of hard plastic pieces throughout the cabin. In these days where even compact GM cars are furnished with materials that feel more expensive than they are, the SX4 really underdelivers on the inside.



Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
The interior space on the SX4 is nothing too impressive, it’s what you expect from looking at it from the outside. The headroom is a little challenged due to the raking windshield and the legroom is adequate.

The rear leg room is on the smallish side, but again it meets your expectations since it has a short wheelbase. The trunk space also leaves you wanting more as well, but does fit two small roller suitcases without any issues. There’s some space under the floor boards where I was able to stow away and hide my laptop. That was cool. I do want to highlight how deep the front cupholders are, since my wife spilled almost half a bottle of Gatorade into it and nothing came out.



Performance
Nonexistent. I was surprised to learn that the SX4 had a 2.0 liter engine. I thought it was a 1.6 or something like that. Seriously, this car drove like a golf cart because I had to constantly floor the gas pedal. I did not feel the 150 ponies. Maybe they were half asleep. With such low power, you would expect the SX4 to have really good MPG…but it doesn’t. The FWD CVT automatic is rated at 23/30 MPG city/highway and I averaged about 26. Probably had to do with the drive all the way up to Tahoe and back, but I would have expected fuel economy numbers for such a small car and powerless engine to come in closer to 30.

True, you don’t buy the SX4 for high performance. But Suzuki’s TV commercials feature these cars in Superman capes, which kind of set high expectations.

Handling
The SX4 handled confidently on the road trip up to Lake Tahoe, over some pretty windy and steep roads. The suspension felt pretty tight and definitely not mushy. The short wheelbase makes this car very maneuverable all the way around. As I mentioned before, the SX4 gripped the road fairly well, I managed to keep all four tires on pavement throughout the entire weekend despite my best efforts to do otherwise. Handling is definitely one area where the SX4 exhibited a good degree of competence.



Styling
Quite forgettable. Styling has never been a forté for Japanese car companies, especially for Suzuki, the new Kizashi concept notwithstanding. There is a reason why almost all the promotional photos and shots on TV spots all show the car from behind. The tail view of the SX4 is the best angle on this car. The front end is… yaaaaaaaaawwwwwn …excuse me, boring. Like Brad Pitt told Matt Damon in Ocean’s Eleven about posing as a Nevada Gaming Commission inspector, “be specific but not memorable…he’s gotta like you then forget you the moment you’ve left his sight…;” the SX4’s styling does a great job at being forgettable.

The front overhang is way too long and makes the car look like the SX4 is sticking its neck out. The window between the A pillar and the front doorframe definitely improves visibility, but complicates the lines. The rear end on the SX4 is the best part styling wise, but even that’s extremely unremarkable. This car is not Suzuki’s best design work.


Value
Starting at $16,849, the SX4 feels a bit pricey, but it does have a well-equipped interior and more horsepower than a Honda Fit or Nissan Versa. Standard features included in the SX4, which are not available on either the Fit or Versa, are automatic climate control, rear disc brakes, and traction control.

On the flip-side the styling is unremarkable, the quality and material of the interior is less-than-great, and the lacking performance all make this a poor proposition. You don’t even get a whole lot of interior room for the $17k. Other subcompacts that offer you much more, such as the MINI Cooper, the Nissan Cube, the Scion xB, the Honda Fit, the upcoming Ford Fiesta, for example, all of whom beat out the SX4 on one or more of these attributes.

Conclusion
I would take a pass on the Suzuki SX4, or as my wife calls it, the Suzuki SuX4me. I was definitely less than impressed by its power, styling, utility and MPG. There are many more options for a subcompact these days, and Suzuki has not delivered a winner here. If you think I am wrong, tell me why and point out the true value of a Suzuki. I’m open to suggestions.

	Build	Interior	Performance	Handling	Styling	Value	Overall
Rating	4.0	3.5	2.0	3.75	2.0	3.5	3.1/C-

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