Confusing Suzuki SX4

Car manufacturers are generally very careful when choosing car names, in case something is lost in translation. That’s why, for example, the Mitsubishi Pajero is known as the Montero for the Spanish market, and the Buick LaCrosse was originally renamed Allure in Canada to better appeal to French speakers.



The easy solution is to just use letters and numbers, although that didn’t work out too well for Toyota when its MR2 went on sale in France. And that strategy can also lead to a long string of nonsense, which is where Suzuki comes in.



Its SX4 has been around for nearly four years now. Sporting mini-SUV looks and that name, casual observers might be lured into thinking it has four-wheel drive - which it probably doesn’t. The latest model names just add to the confusion.

The entry-level version is known as the SZ3 (no sign of an SZ1 or SZ2), which features niceties such as four electric windows, six airbags, eight speakers but no four-wheel drive. There’s only one engine choice, a 1.6 litre petrol that produces 118 bhp (88 kW / 120 PS).



45.6 mpg (6.2 l/100km) on the combined cycle is good, as is a CO2 emissions figure of 143 g/km. However, it looks like economy has been the priority, as 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration takes a leisurely 10.7 seconds and the top speed is 115 mph (185 km/h). The UK on the road price for the SZ3 is £11,750.



Next up is the SX4 SZ4. Now you’d think that with all those 4s surely it must have four-wheel drive? But no… still front-wheel drive, and still just that 1.6 litre petrol on offer, although it can be had with a performance-sapping automatic gearbox. Additional spec over the SZ3 includes 16” alloys, keyless entry and start, side body protection and fully automatic air con. The SZ4 costs £12,395, with the optional automatic £1,025 extra.



Completing the revised line-up is the SZ5. This too is available with the petrol engine, although there’s also a 133 bhp (99 kW / 135 PS) 2.0 litre diesel on offer. The former comes with rear privacy glass, while the latter adds cruise control and a six-speed manual gearbox to the standard kit list.



The shocking news is that both have Suzuki’s i-AWD (intelligent - All Wheel Drive) system. This has three modes that the driver can switch between: 4WD-Auto, 4WD-Lock, and 2WD.



As expected, the SZ5 diesel is less thirsty than the petrol, achieving 51.4 mpg (5.5 l/100km) on the combined cycle. It’s marginally slower though, with a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).



It’s quite a bit more expensive, too. Whereas the petrol SZ5 costs £14,235, the diesel version is £15,995.