Suzuki SX4 Crossover: On the verge of greatness

MANILA, Philippines - It took long enough, but we finally got the model we’ve been waiting for. Well, almost.

A couple of years back, Suzuki Philippines brought in the rally bred SX4 right about the time when the company officially announced that it would be entering it into the World Rally Championship (WRC). Pulses raced and blood pressures soared as we gathered inside an air-conditioned tent in the reclaimed portion of Manila, only to find out we were getting the diluted sedan version.

I would be lying if I said we weren’t disappointed. I mean, here was a car with so much potential that had just been emasculated by the accounting department. Fast forward two years, though, and we finally get our hands on the hatch version that scored world championship points in the Rally of Montecarlo. Well, almost.

It looks like the WRC car that Suzuki driver P.G. Andersson finished 8th in, but the problem is that this is not the all-wheel drive version sold in other markets. Nor is it the punchy 2.0 liter job with a slick six speed manual transmission. Instead, for reasons mostly known to those who sign the checks, we get the 1.6 liter, front wheel drive, 4-speed auto version that is sold only in Malaysia and Israel.

It’s difficult to understand why Suzuki chose to bring in this variant over the 2.0 liter AWD version and market it as a niche vehicle instead – especially considering that they are not expecting this to be a volume seller by any standards. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this is not a good vehicle; my only argument is that it could have been great.

In markets like Australia, the SX4 goes head to head with the i30, the Mazda 3 hatch and the best-selling Corolla hatch, just to name a few. But only because all of them are sold as a 2.0 liter. Our local watered down version, however, straddles the fence between the Mazda 2 and 3, as well as the Jazz and the Focus only because of its power plant and price point.

At 899k, you’re basically getting a bigger Jazz, albeit with less power. The problem is, if its size you’re after you could easily upgrade to the Civic or Focus hatch for that kind of money. On the upside, it is certainly quite a looker, which is half the battle won, and is one of very few vehicles that are built in Japan, which counts for a lot. Plus it offers roof rails as standard and 16-inch rims. But I still feel it should have differentiated itself even more.

Driving dynamics wise, Suzukis have always been a treat (the Japan built versions at least) and this one is no different. It handles very well, which should come as no surprise considering it was built to take on more power, and comes standard with 4-wheel disc brakes, although it does crave for an extra gear. Fuel consumption from its variable valve timing 1.6-liter is decent but hardly comparable to the 5 speed 1.5-liter VTEC Jazz.

The interior is well thought out with a gorgeous leather wrapped steering wheel that does wonders to translate a feeling of quality throughout; plus there’s an MP3 compatible sound system with aux input and a whopping 9 speakers.

It’s a little difficult to put this car in a box. On one hand it’s got the biggish car feel, while on the other, it has trouble keeping up with the smaller ones. 110 horsepower may be respectable, until of course you drive the 120hp 1.5 liter Jazz. Forgive me if I come across as a tad harsh, its only because I know what this car is capable of. In the trim that God intended it to be sold, it has enough unique selling points to really put some serious pressure on the Focus and the Subaru Impreza, which I believe is its ideal fighting weight.

But in fairness, Suzuki does listen. After introducing the award-winning Swift here only with an automatic option, they eventually did bring in the manual version after enough whining on our end. They also beefed up the safety features of APV after we brought up our concerns and even bagged a C! Award for it.

And now, they bring in the SX4 hatch, which is a good little car that is on the verge of being great.