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2009 Suzuki SX4 Review
Imagine starting your car, punching a destination into the integrated navigation system's touch-sensitive screen, checking real-time traffic, then making a Bluetooth phone call. A four-door, five-seater luxury car, right? Actually, no. In this 2009 Suzuki SX4 review, you'll see the Tech and Touring versions of car's SX4 Sport sedan. Definite attention-getters in the entry-level vehicle segment that's ballooning faster than the tentacled monster on a diet of overweight suburbanites in a B-grade horror film.
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2009 Suzuki SX4 Interior |
The Japanese automaker has carved out what normally would be an expensive technology niche to make sure its youthful SX4 won't get lost in the crowd during its second year on American roads. Fat chance with Suzuki putting high tech on the line with the catchy acronym of T.R.I.P. (we don't pronounce the periods) wrung out of a mouthful of descriptors: Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play.
Suzuki might have fared just fine using high tech alone for the major appeal in its compact sporty model. But it didn't. The SX4 Sport is smart, trendy and attractive with a nicely balanced profile that doesn't scream "small car." Headlamps in the bold, uncluttered face sweep to each side from the honeycomb grill anchored by Suzuki's distinctive "S." The interior has the aggressive look of a top-line sports sedan, with overlapping gauges under a deep set overhang, and audio and comfort controls nestled comfortably in the center of the dash. Above it all, an information panel and flip-up navigation screen.
In three sedan and three sport sedan flavors, the top two get standard navigation for '09, while Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, keyless entry with remote start, and enhanced audio are optional. The front-drive SX4 Sport churns along on a 2.0-liter, 143-horsepower inline four, with 22/30 mpg earned from the four-speed automatic transmission. A five-speed manual is standard. Not bad for a price just below the $16,000 threshold (top two Sport models). And the bonus round? That's the 100,000-mile, seven-year warranty Suzuki can't help but brag about. |
