Suzuki comes in from the cold

ROADTEST SUZUKI SX4 2.0D GLX IAWD:In the aftermath of the big freeze, the Japanese firm hopes to cash in on motoring angst with its affordable four-wheel-drive SX4

GIVEN THAT the past few weeks have been monsoon-like and our winter weather made us feel as if we were living in Iceland rather than in Ireland, those who dismiss climate change are having a hard time standing over their beliefs.

Last winter was a wake-up call for many motorists, who realised that you couldn’t skimp on tyre rubber and hope to avoid the ditch. A good set of tyres is more than a luxury: it can be a lifesaver.

Motorists stranded on byroads, often minutes from their front doors, started to reconsider their motoring wishlist. Where once alloys or a rear spoiler made the top 10, these days many are starting to wonder if four-wheel drive might be more in order.

The problem is that most Irish buyers have neither the finance nor the desire for a big SUV. They seem too brash for our bankrupt nation. So what are the options?

This is where this latest version of the Suzuki SX4 comes into play. Not that the car itself has much that is new. The SX4 was introduced in 2006 in a venture between the Japanese firm and Fiat. Two small-car specialists making a supermini crossover in a market hungry for beefed-up cars. What could go wrong?

Not much, really, apart from the fact they never quite grabbed our imagination the way their rivals at Nissan managed to do. In a way they were before their time, too subtle for an audience eager to bulk up and beaten on the forecourt by the likes of the slightly larger Qashqai. The mix was too supermini and not enough SUV. In any event, Fiat shelved its version of the car last year, a model that was mainly sold as a four-wheel-drive version. We scoffed at the time: whatever made them think Irish buyers would want a four-wheel-drive supermini after all?

Roll on the big freeze and now Suzuki has the four-wheel-drive supermini market largely to itself. Fiat says it will have a four-wheel-drive version of the outgoing Panda in the next few months that will undercut this SX4’s price, but it won’t have either the space or performance of its Japanese rival. It’s also just a stop-gap until the completely new Panda model arrives next year.

But enough about corporate trysts: what’s this car like? Basically we have a SX4 with a bigger engine that manages to be cleaner and more fuel efficient than the smaller engines in the SX4 range and combines quite smartly with the four-wheel-drive system.

The system itself deserves credit, for it’s smarter and more effective than similar operations on some larger crossover SUVs. It operates from a simple switch next to the handbrake that lets you choose between three modes. Front-wheel drive is best for fuel economy and most normal supermini activities, while 4WD-auto is exactly the same as what most of the soft-roaders claim to be a four-wheel-drive system. Here the car remains a front-wheel-drive vehicle until there is noticeable slippage of the front wheels. At this stage the electric control coupling device sends torque to the rear wheels to secure grip and forward movement. It’s the same sort of system that helped many an Irish crossover owner out of the driveway last January.

The SX4’s system doesn’t end there, however. Unlike many larger offerings, this smart little supermini also boasts a 4WD-lock mode which keeps full four-wheel-drive traction up to 60km/h, when it automatically switches back to the auto mode. It’s a useful feature in the mud or snow.

Revolutionary? No. Useful? Probably. Timely? Definitely. Hats off to the boys and girls at Suzuki. No sooner had Fiat withdrawn its version than the snow fell, Irish attitudes towards four-wheel-drive systems changed and Suzuki looks set to reap the rewards.

Aside from the four-wheel-drive system there’s also a smart 2-litre diesel up front that is throwing out just 139g/km in emissions, keeping the annual motor tax down to €156 a year. It manages a decent fuel economy of 5.3l/100km or more than 53mpg when driven in front-wheel-drive mode. Run on 4WD-Auto for a while and you do notice the difference in consumption, however.

The ride is very much from the supermini segment: light and nimble in town, a little choppy over potholed roads. Take a corner at speed and the added height of 1.6 metres – just 10cm lower than a Hyundai iX35 – leads to a degree of bodyroll.

The best news about the SX4 is the price. At €20,950 it comes equipped not only with four driven wheels but also with features like air-con and cruise control. The interior is still a bit too dependent on rather cheap plastics and the bootspace is pure supermini and certainly not SUV. It might get you out of a snow-covered driveway but a big baby buggy will still beat it.

The reality, of course, is that the SX4 doesn’t perform miracles. It certainly gives you that added push of four wheels searching for grip and pushing you forward, but on the wrong tyres or with a heavy right foot and you still won’t get anywhere. It’s also limited in terms of off-roading by its limited height clearance. Hikers up the Sugarloaf need not fear being run over by an SX4 anytime soon.

What it does do is give you the extra push and momentum to keep moving in the snow or mud and for anyone who experienced the hell of being stuck within sight of home, it’s a blessed gift. For many buyers this summer, the fact you don’t have to spend €30,000 or more on a showy SUV will only add to the attraction. There are far better off-roaders out there and there are also superminis that will cope just as well as this when shod in winter tyres. But if the snow and ice are set to become more regular features of Irish winters then we can see why such a well-priced supermini with low running costs and that extra reassurance of four-wheel drive should be a surefire hit for Suzuki in the months to come.

Factfile

Engine1,956cc four-cylinder 16-valve diesel putting out 133bhp at 3,500rpm and 320Nm of torque at 1,500rpm with six-speed manual transmission and switchable three-mode all-wheel drive system

SpecificationElectric power steering; electric windows; remote central locking with immobiliser and deadlocks; auto air-conditioning with pollen filter; Radio/CD with MP3 connection and steering wheel controls; cruise control; front-seat passenger undertray; 60/40 split rear seats; front fog lamps; 16-inch alloys; roof rails; dual front, side and curtain airbags; ABW with EBD and brake assist; side-impact protection beams; Isofix child seat anchors.

Bootspace270 to 1,045 litres

L/100km (mpg)urban – 6.6 (42.8); extra-urban – 4.7 (60.1); combined – 5.3 (53.3)

Emissions (motor tax)139 g/km (€156)

Price€20,950