Suzuki takes aim again at the compact car segment

Suzuki takes aim again at the compact car segment

2008 Suzuki SX4 sedan
By: Jim Robinson

QUEBEC CITY: Suzuki is on a roll. From a maker of solid, but staid compact cars and CUVs, Suzuki changed its image and model lineup dramatically two years ago, starting with the amazingly improved Grand Vitara CUV, then the North American only XL7 seven-seat CUV. This was followed by the SX4 a compact hatchback with front- or all-wheel-drive that added greatly to Suzuki's sudden upward sales mobility in Canada.

At the recent launch of the 2008 SX4 sedan in Quebec City, new Suzuki Canada president Seiichi Maruyama said the brand is now number one in sales in places like Hungary and India and number three in Japan ahead of Honda. More to the point is that while industry sales in Canada rose two per cent last year, Suzuki was up 26 per cent and they ran out of models like the SX4 hatch, due to demand exceeding supply, a situation Suzuki is experiencing in many of its markets worldwide.

Suzuki now has two pressing objectives according to Maruyama: more new plants and more new models like the SX4 sedan. For instance, there is a new mid-size sedan coming next year and Maruyama would not comment on rumours of a small pickup truck.

He did say the Canadian compact segment remains Suzuki's main focus. Compact sedans are 47 per cent of the total car market in this country, meaning one in two cars sold is a compact. And while hatchbacks are 26 per cent of sales, sedans make up the other 74 per cent, so a lot is riding on the SX4 sedan.

While there are eight ways to mix and match transmissions, drive trains and trim with the five-door hatchback version, Suzuki is keeping it simple with the sedan, offering a base and Sport model with a choice of a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission.

Suzuki will not offer all-wheel-drive (AWD) on the sedan as it does on the five-door. Several customer clinics showed that prospective buyers could see the merits of AWD with the hatch, but not the sedan. It turns out compact sedan buyers are fundamentally different.

Thus Suzuki concluded SX4 sedan buyers are a focused lot who have checked the specs of the Suzuki and its main competitors and are looking for the most value for the least amount of money.

For instance, the 2.0-litre twin-cam, four-cylinder engine in the SX4 puts out 143 hp and 136 lb/ft of torque - that is more than Civic or Corolla. Likewise Suzuki claims class leading interior space (2.94 cu m or 104 cu ft) with theatre-style seating that can accommodate five adults. The trunk at 439 litres (15.5 cu ft) closes in on mid-size sedans for volume.

The base model starts at $17,195, with the automatic at $18,295. The Sport starts at $18,995 with the automatic at $20,095. In terms of the price range, the SX4 sedan starts where the top Suzuki Swift+ S automatic tops out at $17,395 and just below the base Grand Vitara JA manual at $25,595. And while the SX4 five-door has the exact same base price as the sedan, there is the option of AWD with five-door prices ranging from $17,195 to $23,795. So Suzuki has got the compact price spread covered.

Fuel consumption numbers for the base car manual are 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) city and 6.5L/100 km (43 mpg) highway, while the automatic returns 9.0L/100 km (32 mpg) city and 6.5L/100 km (44 mpg) highway. Interestingly, the automatic has marginally better mileage than the manual while the opposite is the norm.

In terms of trim, both share a lot of standard features like front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, power locks/windows/mirrors, tach and a neat driver information display on the upper centre of the dashboard that gives the time, outside temperature and overall or instant fuel consumption readings.

Having air and ABS as standard is a rarity in this segment which Suzuki is counting on to sway buyers to the brand.

The Sport offers climate control instead of standard manual air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels instead of standard 16-inch steel wheels with covers and four-wheel disc brakes instead of discs/drums on the base sedan. There are other minor differences like fog lights, eight-speaker upgraded sound system and heated outside mirrors.

Styling on the sedan, like the five-door is, well, stylish. The previous Aerio, while very competent, was odd looking with small tires and matching wheel wells that accentuated the high sides of the car making it look top heavy.

The SX4 looks more European than Japanese, which I found out, is intentional. SX4 incorporates fenders that extend out from the body envelope without unnecessary tack ons like rub strips, although the Sport comes with a standard aero body kit.

Suspension is coil over MacPherson struts at the front and twist beam at the rear that Suzuki has been using for a long time and well understands how to get the most out of it. For the SX4 sedan, the ride and handling were tested in Europe with emphasis put on stability and crisp response.

Maruyama, before coming across the pond a few month ago, spent many of his 16 years with Suzuki in Europe and one of his jobs was overseeing the ride quality of the SX4 sedan.

"This model started out in Europe with road conditions there in mind," he said. "I did much of the testing in Europe and Japan to make sure the car would come up to the standards we had set."

In fact the Sport with its bigger wheels and tauter handling is the direct work of Maruyama so you can thank him for the ride which, I found out, was light years ahead of the previous Aerio.

Suzuki chose the Quebec City area for this first look because it is in many ways like the European countryside with two lane roads and speed limits at 100 km/h not the 70 or 60 km/h we have in Ontario.

There were no base cars present and I did not get to drive the manual, but I did spend a lot of time in the automatic. The engine is willing with a robust feel to the torque curve. Hit the gas to pass and the automatic kicks down immediately and digs in to get the pass done.

Seating on the SX4 is midway between that of a CUV and a standard sedan so there is a good view of the road ahead. The trunk decklid is high so you have to be careful when reversing. The rear doors open almost 90 degrees, which helps getting in and out.

Because of the rising wedge shape, wind noise was low. Even with the windows all the way down on a spectacular Quebec fall afternoon, my co-driver and I carried on a normal conversation without the wind boom that can occur.

As the new Grand Vitara showed the new spirit and vigour of Suzuki in CUVs, the SX4 more than does this for its cars.

With an allocation of just 6,500 SX4 sedans slated for Canada for the year, Suzuki's biggest problem may well be getting enough cars to satisfy the interest it has created.

SUZUKI SX4 SEDAN 2008 AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: Compact four-door sedan.

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front-wheel-drive.

ENGINE: 2.0-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder (143 hp 136 lb/ft)

FUEL ECONOMY: Manual: 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) city, 6.5L/100 km (43 mpg) highway: automatic, 9.0L/100 km (32 mpg) city, 6.5L/100 km (44 mpg) highway.

PRICE: Base manual $17,195, automatic $18,295. Sport manual $18,995, automatic $20,095.

WEB: Suzuki.ca

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