This saloon is small but perfectly formed

Published on Tuesday 20 October 2009 19:36

THE Suzuki SX4 saloon will not be a massive seller, but not through any fault of its own. Small saloons just don't go down as well with UK motorists as they do elsewhere, which is why most family hatchback makers don't offer a saloon alternative.

Their departure from this market niche has led Suzuki to see a small but significant opportunity for a four-door version of its SX4 hatchback. That car, though no SUV, has an all-wheel drive option but the SX4 saloon, despite the promise of its name, is two-wheel drive only, marrying slightly awkward styling with good practicality, build quality and a big boot. The booted SX4 exists to cater for the markets in Japan, the United States and parts of Europe where small saloon cars are the things to have.

In Britain, we'd sooner take the extra practicality of a hatchback to load our shopping, but elsewhere, saloon versions of superminis account for a far bigger slice of the pie and Suzuki was keen to claim its share. The SX4 hatchback proved popular and Suzuki reasoned that as long at it was building the car, it might as well offer it here. The question is, should we take any notice?

The booted SX4 is based around the 1.6-litre VVT engine. The engine has variable-valve timing and develops 106bhp at 5,600rpm with maximum torque of 145Nm at 4,000rpm.

That manifests itself as performance that's more than adequate in a vehicle of the SX4's size and predominantly urban remit. The 0-60mph sprint takes 10.7 seconds and there's a 112mph top speed if you persevere.

The 4x4 elements of the SX4 hatchback go to make the saloon version quite an unusual proposition. Visually, it lacks the roof rails and the rear end is more sedate, tapering down to a modest rump, but at 1,545mm, it's noticeably taller than saloon cars based on conventional superminis.

The steeply falling front screen and the area around the A-pillar work less well with the elongated four-door shape than they do on the compact hatch but there are also advantages to the saloon's origins.

It inherits the hatchback's upright seating position and easy access while also achieving a tight turning circle of just 10.6m.

The boot is 515 litres in capacity, which is well up on the 270 litres you get below the parcel shelf in the hatch. There's also the option of folding down one or both of the 60:40 split rear seats to boost luggage space.

The SX4's cabin is simply designed and toughly built, with large buttons and dials that couldn't be easier to use. Some of the plastics are a little hard and there isn't too much to get excited about design wise but it all works well on a functional level.

Equipment levels on the SX4 saloon are based around those of the GLX hatchback, which means there's a generous haul of kit. Included are six airbags, an MP3 compatible stereo, air-conditioning, heated mirrors, 15in alloy wheels and keyless entry and start.

Compared to the hatch, the saloon loses the roof rails, side protection mouldings but it gains side-sill extensions to visually drop it a little closer to terra firma.

Unlike the SX4 hatchback, which has endless rivals in the Ford Focus-sized class, the four-door will be targeting the market for small saloons, which, on these shores, isn't a big one. There are less of these vehicles about today than in the past, which could be taken as a sign that other manufacturers have elected to stop flogging the dead horse.

Suzuki, however, being a "glass half full" kind of company, apparently saw an opportunity to step into a small but largely untapped segment. The SX4 saloon should have enough about it to give the Proton GEN-2 Persona a run for its money in the sales charts.

The 1.6-litre engine in the SX4 is on the large side for a small saloon and its 41mpg combined cycle economy is nothing special. Emissions of are measured at 165g/km, so overall running costs will not be particularly low. At least Suzuki's strong reputation for reliability should lead owners to expect a largely trouble free time of it.

If you're one of the few motorists in the UK with an interest in small saloon cars, the Suzuki SX4 saloon could be a sound bet. The SX4 hatchback, on which this car is based, is a very different proposition with its chunky looks and SUV-like styling, but the saloon adopts a more straightforward approach.

Visually, it's nothing to write home about but having adopted the easy access and upright driving position of the hatch, the booted version should be pleasantly user-friendly.