The new Suzuki SX4 looks like an interesting ride. The exit of Suzuki Automotive from the shores of the United States saddened many. They offered some interesting, affordable, quirky machines and they had a reputation for innovation. The SX4, Kizashi and Grand Vitara certainly had their moment in the sun, but they were never updated properly, thus, they languished and died.
Is this new Suzuki SX4 (S-Cross) worth noting? Is it something that might have sold well in the United States? Yes, it could have been a contender against the Subaru Impreza. The old Suzuki SX4 was a good all-weather vehicle and it came in at a lower entry point than the Impreza. It was, for a time, the cheapest all-wheel drive (AWD) car in North America.
The European all new Suzuki SX4 looks to be cleaner, more economical and affordable in the UK:
“Taking the SZ3 model as an example with its high standard specification of seven airbags, cruise control with speed limiter, air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels and Daytime Running Lights, Suzuki is offering a low rate PCP of 4.9 per cent APR over a 43 month period until the end of this year with payments of just £189 per month.
Move up the range to the SZ4 with Dual Zone automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, front fog lamps and rear privacy glass as standard and payments are just £10 per month extra over the same term.
Retained value is positive too as established Trade publication Glass’s Guide has listed an average residual value across the S-Cross range of 41 per cent after three years and 60,000 miles. Lower mileage owners can be ensured of an even higher retained figure when it comes to replacing the car
Personal Contract Hire is always a good option for Business Users and Suzuki Financial Services is offering a headline low rate plan of £179 per month for the SZ-T model over 42 months with a deposit of six monthly payments required. SZ-T is an ideal choice as it offers an even higher standard specification including Satellite navigation, DAB radio, rear parking camera and polished 17-inch alloy wheels.
With regards to safety, SX4 S-Cross is one of the best new cars on the market after the recent NCAP tests with five stars awarded overall and strong scores of 92 per cent for Adult occupancy protection, 80 per cent for Child occupancy protection and 72 per cent for Pedestrian protection which was the highest score amongst any current competitor Crossover.
It is an ideal choice for families as it offers seating for five, luggage capacity of 430 litres and a low cost of ownership with CO2 emissions of 127g/km 1.6-litre petrol (manual transmission) and just 110g/km for the 1.6-litre DDiS model.
Real World fuel economy has been commented as ‘exceptional’ by several of the Automotive magazines with this week’s Auto Express voting it second place in their Top Ten most efficient cars tested in 2013, the S-Cross DDiS achieved an average consumption of 59.6mpg.” – – Suzuki Media
So, it’s cheap to run, safe and clean.
It’s good to see Suzuki building good machines overseas. It’s a shame they let our market wither and die. Perhaps a partnership can bring Suzuki cars back to the USA? With China’s recent growth, there’s a chance Suzuki products may return to North America under a different name.
You never know.
Check out this introduction of the all new Subaru WRX!
