Suzuki SX4 Sedan 1.6 VVT Review - Would you like fries with that?

Not so impressive was the lack of acceleration at high speeds. Full throttle starts are good to say the least, with the Suzuki getting to that magic 100 in about 12 seconds with a full tank of petrol on a hot sunny afternoon. Once it goes past that figure, everything starts to slow down dramatically. You won’t find your way past 170km/h, but then again the average family guy doesn’t feel the need to venture past the speed limit, and neither should you.

The car remains extremely stable at high speeds, and the only thing that will rock the SX4’s boat would be strong crosswinds, huge buses and trailers should you overtake them too fast, too close.

Aside from engine noise at high rpms, this car cruises wonderfully well at normal highway speeds, and it will put most continental rivals to shame in this respect.

The instruments and dials are highly legible. Everything is in the right place should you call upon them immediately. Take for example, the air-conditioning knobs. Look down and left, and you straight away know the air conditioner’s temperature dial from that of the one that controls the fan speed - very important for a fussy person like me.

I like this car. Driving it proves to be a wonderfully cheerful experience, and for just $58,500, it presents itself to be really good in terms of value. I might have to add that I could hardly find anything lacking when it comes to it's performance abilities and equipment levels, especially when compared to the Mitsubishi Lancer EX 1.5, 4-speed automatic that costs $66,000.

Pair it up with cars like the Toyota Corolla ($63,988), Hyundai Avante ($60,398) and Nissan Latio ($60,000), and you get what we mean.

Perhaps the SX4 might not be as aggressive, or handsome as the Lancer EX, but for the buyer who doesn’t care whether a car has drum brakes out back or not, and besides, it might prove to be a bargaining point. This car goes beyond what one might expect simply by looking at it.

All it needs now, really, are bigger wheels, a slightly lowered suspension setup for the younger crowd, and a mean, aggressive set of tyres to complete the package!

Now how about that serving of Fries...

Credits: Text and Photos by Amery Reuben