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Suzuki SX4 Gallery
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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Though it shares much of its underpinnings and body structure with the Swift, somehow the SX4 lacks much of that model's verve.
It has a wide track and thus relatively low centre of gravity, despite its high ground clearance, but although it is stable, predictable and confidence-inspiring in its handling, it rarely feels overly sporty.
The gearbox (five-speed in manual models, six-speed with the diesel engine) is not as slick as it should be and the clutch is sometimes awkward when starting from a standstill.
The driving position is good, however, with the driver sitting higher than in most superminis, and all-round visibility is generally fine, though the thick A-pillars by the windscreen can obscure vision at junctions (a common problem with many new cars these days).
The four-wheel drive system's dead simple, though; there's a fuel-saving front-wheel drive only mode for normal road-driving conditions, or the Auto torque-on-demand mode, where up to 50% of the drive is sent to the rear axle if the front wheels start to lose grip. The driver can also 'lock' the system with a split of up to 42% of the power to the rear wheels, at speeds of up to 37mph, allowing for a quick getaway in slippery conditions and extra traction. Accelerating up to 37mph, the system then automatically reverts to the on-demand Auto mode. All the driver has to do is press a button by the handbrake lever.
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