SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the stories.

Launch report: Suzuki Auto has updated and extended its SX4 crossover range. We got down and dirty with it.

This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


Pics by Suzuki @ Motorpics

A family hatch with attitude

Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Suzuki Auto SA has enjoyed a very successful return to the local market, with three Car of the Year (COTY) Finalists in as many years and sales numbers that actually increased while total SA car sales declined by almost 22 percent.

A prime contributor to this success story has been its urban crossover SX4. I get confused too; think small hatch with dirt road attitude, sort of like that Cross Polo we saw a few years ago. Without progress we stagnate though, and it was felt that an update and extension of capabilities was in order. Enter the new SX4, launched in Gauteng recently.

Apart from changes to grille, front bumper, wheels, seats and interior, the SX4 boasts 25 under-the-skin improvements including an all-new J20B 2,0 litre VVT engine with improved performance.  Power is up from 107 kW to 112 and torque is up from 184 Nm to 190. It is cleaner, too, with emissions down by 15 percent and fuel economy improved by 13,1 percent. The automatic version with its new CVT transmission brags with even better numbers; emissions are down 19 percent with fuel consumption improved by 20 percent.

The power and torque increases don’t look very impressive, but the seat of your pants will confirm that something has indeed happened. The secret is in the VVT and other engineering improvements. Midrange and top end performance is noticeably better.

Added to the range with this launch, is an all wheel drive model with electrically selectable front-wheel drive, automatically variable four-wheel drive or four-wheel drive with lock up. This one also gains ESP and a sporty rear window spoiler to distinguish it from its two-wheel drive sisters. Suzuki points out that it is not a fully-fledged SUV. The four-wheel drive capability is simply there to assist in mud, snow and other unpredictable conditions.

Standard specification for the updated SX4 now includes a more luxurious and comfortable grade of trim for the door panels and seats, while the door armrests have been fitted with additional padding.

The integrated switches on the steering wheel for the audio and cruise control systems are now illuminated for improved visibility, while an entirely new instrument cluster is part of the upgrade. It incorporates a multi-function display that cycles a digital clock, outside temperature gauge, fuel consumption gauge and a driving range indicator, at the push of a button. CVT-equipped models also feature a gear indicator.

The keyless entry and start system has been retained, ensuring entry and exit convenience with greater parking lot safety. Equipment also includes electric windows and mirrors, pollen-filtered air conditioning with a new control panel for greater ease of use, power steering and cruise control. The audio system has been enhanced with an additional dashboard-mounted centre speaker to complement the previous eight-speaker configuration.

All models boast a full complement of airbags; driver and front passenger units, side airbags incorporated into the front seats, and full-length curtain airbags.  Dual integrated ISOFIX child seat anchorages, with additional tether points, are provided to ensure easy fitment of suitably equipped child seats. ABS anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (EBA) for the all-disc braking system is included.

"The Suzuki SX4 offers the ideal combination of style, space, performance and practicality," says Kazuyuki Yamashita, managing director of Suzuki Auto SA. "As a result, it has emerged as an ideal lifestyle choice for SA families.

"We expect the more stylish, more powerful and significantly more economical new SX4, and the launch of the versatile AWD version in particular, to boost the appeal of the range even further, while adding impetus to the growth of the Suzuki brand as a whole," Yamashita concluded.

Pricing

Suzuki SX4 2.0 Manual               R209 500

Suzuki SX4 2.0 CVT                    R224 500

Suzuki SX4 2.0 AWD Manual       R229 500

Prices include a standard six-year/90 000 km service plan and a three-year/100 000 km warranty with three-year roadside assistance.

To see a review of the awd version: 

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax. 

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

Comments?

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