Suzuki went back to the drawing board for the new model and focused on creating an aerodynamic shape in combination with a more prominent front end that features a large grille and more modern headlamps that now feature LED technology. At the rear the tail feature a two-part combination that mixes colours and finishes to create a more visually appealing package. For instance, there are wide wheel-arch mouldings in contrasting black and metallic finishes for protective panels at the front, side and rear.
There is 180mm of ground clearance, meaning that a level of off-road ability has been added to the package. It is now 165mm longer with a 100mm increase in wheelbase while the width has grown by 10mm.
The interior now features more soft-touch surfaces and is accented by metallic highlights to offset the cabin’s charcoal overtone. Thanks to the exterior growth, the interior benefits from a 220mm longer and 35mm wider cabin which means more legroom, particularly in the rear. There is 430 litres of luggage space, which increases to 1 269 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.
The new SX4 features a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 86kW and 156Nm. The engine can be coupled either a five-speed manual gearbox or CVT automatic.
The standard SX4 comes in front-wheel-drive guise, although the top-end models can be specified with the AllGrip four-wheel-drive system. The system features four driving modes namely Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock.
The two-wheel-drive manual model uses a claimed 5.8 litres/100km of fuel and emits 137g/km CO2.
The range will consist of five models, which are all powered by the same engine but vary in terms of specification. There will be an entry-level front-wheel-drive version called the GL, two front-wheel-drive GLX models in either manual or auto and two four-wheel-drive models called GLX AllGrip with either manual or automatic transmissions.
Standard features include ABS brakes with EBD and ESP, seven airbags, cruise control and a Bluetooth and MP3-compatible infotainment system.
Pricing starts at R265 900 for the SX4 GL Manual and goes to R341 900 for the SX4 GLX AllGrip Auto. All models come with a 3-year/100 000km warranty and 3-year/90 000 km service plan.
