2009 Suzuki SX4 Adds Standard Nav for Under $16,000

Suzuki’s compact SX4 was already a pretty value-oriented car. Now the company is upping the ante as it rolls out the new 2009s. Both the four-door SX4 Sport sedan and a newly available front-wheel-drive version of the hatchback will come with a touch-screen navigation unit as standard equipment. Final prices haven’t been announced, but the company says it will be under $16,000. The current Sport sedan starts at $14,770.

The navigation unit will come standard, but to get features like Bluetooth and real-time traffic, weather and gas prices, buyers will have to upgrade to a different trim package.

The other news we get from Suzuki is that the SX4 hatchback will now be available with front-wheel drive as an option, with all-wheel drive still considered standard. However, AWD almost always adds to the MSRP. For 2008, the AWD SX4 started at a low $15,270, making it the most affordable AWD car on the market. We’d guess the FWD crossover would be less.

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Expert Review (Cars.com)
2007 Suzuki SX4 AWD Crossover Expert Review (Cars.com)

Friday Fleet Notes: 10.12.07

They may not be the sexiest of test vehicles, but a few of us got to check out two important entries for their respective brands. One other staffer also discovered why the Mini Cooper S is so beloved when it returned to our fleet for a short time after topping our Top 10 Urban Cars list.

Suzuki SX4 Sport

• I'd driven the SX4 Crossover before with the automatic transmission and thought it was OK, but not great. The SX4 Sport with a manual transmission was a lot more fun to drive. I didn't push it, but it was reasonably peppy away from stop signs and, given its small size, decent over rough pavement. The large A-pillar didn't bother me, but it did bother Mike Hanley when he had the car for a much longer time than I did, so it's something to check out. (I really liked the little window in the A-pillar, though it's more of a decorative than functional thing. It'd be even better if it were an old-fashioned vent window.) Sedans aren't my thing, but I left the SX4 Sport hoping I'd get the chance to put its Crossover brother, with a manual, to the Weekend Athlete test. — William Jackson, Buying Guides editor

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport

We’re not sure why Suzuki calls the sedan version of its SX4 the “Sport” instead of the “Sedan,” but we’ll go with it. Much like the Nissan Versa sedan, the SX4 Sport is the more traditional version of Suzuki’s popular SX4 hatchback and offers a lot of car for relatively little dough. Mike Hanley takes a close look at the SX4 Sport — did you know it comes with standard 17-inch wheels? — and even ends up a fan of the little Suzuki with a trunk.

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Expert Review

First Drive: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport

Following last year's debut of the SX4 hatchback, Suzuki has a new sedan version of the car, dubbed SX4 Sport, for 2008. Suzuki bills the Sport as a value-oriented yet sporty compact car, and after driving it for a day on winding country roads in northern Michigan, that statement rings true.

The sedan carves confidently through fast, sweeping turns with minimal body roll, and steering effort is relatively light; the Sport responds eagerly to your command, which furthers its sporting nature. Large 17-inch wheels and tires are standard, and the Sport is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 143 hp and 136 pounds-feet of torque. The engine provided decent power during the drive, but it's not a fire-breather by any means. It remains relatively smooth at high rpms, though the sound it makes near its redline doesn't encourage you to stay there for long.

2007 New York Auto Show: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sedan

Following on the surprise success of the SX4 hatchback, Suzuki is bringing a sedan version of the vehicle to market this fall. It features the same peppy 143-hp engine, but unlike the hatchback, it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. No mileage figures were released but we expect it to be significantly higher than the SX4 hatchback.

Suzuki is aiming at delivering a lot of standard equipment. We were impressed with the hatchback’s low base price, above-par interior and its long list of standard features, and that doesn’t change with the sedan. However, stability control is not being offered on the SX4 sedan. There are standard disc brakes on all four wheels and ABS. There are also front seat mounted side airbags as well as side curtain airbags for all passengers.

No prices were announced but the sedan should be expected to start for less than the $14,999 hatchback because of the lack of AWD, a costly upgrade. We’d guess the price will end up at least $1,000 less. Updated: New photos can be found below.

Big Apple, Small Car: Suzuki SX4 Sedan Set for New York Auto Show

Suzuki just announced that it will debut the SX4 sedan at the New York Auto Show in early April. We saw a few early images of the trunkified SX4 last month and speculated about it coming to the U.S., but now we have some more hard facts to report. The 2008 SX4 sedan is based on the popular Suzuki Swift which is sold overseas. We’re happy to hear the new model will have a competitive 143 hp 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine.  There will be a choice of five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions like in the SX4 hatchback. The SX4 sedan will go on sale stateside this fall with prices still to be set.

Related:
Suzuki SX4 Sedan Planned for Geneva Motor Show, Maybe U.S.

Reader Review of the Week

Since it’s a busy news day at Cars.com, we went with a short but sweet review this week. Sean from Bergen County, N.J., gives a brief report on his new Suzuki SX4, which we have for you below. After checking out the past SX4 reviews left by our readers, though, we can honestly say there is some interesting feedback from all of them regarding different transmission and trim levels. You can read them all here, and check out Sean’s award-winning comments below. Don't forget you can write your own car review anytime.

Suzuki SX4 Sedan Planned for Geneva Motor Show, Maybe U.S.

We hate to bring you news that isn’t complete, but sometimes web buzz dictates such. Today, MotorTrend brings us word that the new Suzuki SX4 — which we reviewed in a positive light — will add a sedan body style to its lineup. Currently in the U.S., the SX4 is an all-wheel-drive hatchback, and this sedan would only be available with front-wheel drive. For Europe, the new sedan will pack a smaller 107-hp four-cylinder engine. Like we said, we don’t have complete information yet, but we wanted to bring you these pictures of the sedan. An SX4 sedan would be a great replacement for the aging Suzuki Aerio here, if they gave it the 143-hp engine found in the hatchback.

[Suzuki Releases Photos of New SX4 Sedan Ahead of Geneva, MotorTrend]

Four Will Enter, One Will Leave: The Final Two

Our first installment pitted the all-new Suzuki SX4 against the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent. We put the Accent and SX4 to pasture in round one, leaving the Fit and Versa to duke it out. Who’s the last man standing? Read on.

Four Will Enter, One Will Leave: Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa and Suzuki SX4

At last week’s media rally, staffers Bill Jackson and Kelsey Mays tried four entry-level cars — the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Suzuki SX4 and Hyundai Accent. Since most people don't rush out and buy four cars, each from a different manufacturer, we thought we'd narrow the field down to an overall winner.

In true beauty-pageant fashion, we'll start with the third runner-up.