2011 Suzuki SX4 Sport back Hatchback
MSRP $16,599
Suzuki does a pretty good job on personal recreational vehicles. Old-timers can actually remember when their spaghetti-western “Solo Suzuki” jingle and commercial accompanied a good reputation and solid presence in the market. Consequently, one would think that a compact, sporty hatchback would be perfect for their corporate direction and experience. More on that later.
The SX4 Sportback is the lowest of four trim levels for the hatchback version of the SX4. It has a 2.30 liter, 4-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, front wheel drive, and a 6-speed manual transmission. It is rated at 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
The Sportback comes with a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped tilt-only steering wheel, full power accessories, cruise control, 60/40 folding seatbacks, and a trip computer. The audio system has 4 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.
The Sportback has anti-lock brakes with brake-assist, traction control, stability control, side front airbags, and side curtain airbags. In government testing under 2010 standards, the Sportback received ratings of 4 stars out of five for all tests, with the exception of a perfect 5 stars for side impact driver protection. It got perfect scores of “good” all around from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
While other companies are updating their interiors, Suzuki is simplifying theirs. The materials are medium-grade at best, but the Sportback does look very uncluttered, both on the dash and in the rest of the cabin. The front seats have decent headroom and legroom, while headroom in the rear seats suffers a bit from the hatchback design. There is a lot of cargo space for a compact hatchback, though: 54 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.
The Sportback was well-conceived, but poorly executed. The steering and suspension would be great if this car was about 500 pounds lighter, but are mediocre at best in its current form. It combines the body roll of a heavier car with the firm ride of a lighter, sportier car. I don’t think this is what they had in mind.
If this car wasn’t being sold as “sporty,” it wouldn’t be as bad. Really, though, the best way to describe this car would be the following:
“A smaller, dumbed-down 2004 Ford Focus with a hatchback sold as a 2011 Suzuki at 2011 prices.”
The verdict: no, thanks.
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