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Suzuki SX4 Gallery
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There are a few supermini-based lookalike 4x4s around - the Volkswagen Polo Dune and the Citroen C3 XTR, or the late Rover Streetwise - but none of these actually have four-wheel drive.
Suzuki's SX4, however, not only looks the part, but comes with the option of a switchable three-mode torque-on-demand 4x4 system. It's not an all-out off-roader, but with its raised ground clearance and underbody protection, it could make a useful vehicle for country-dwellers who don't want a large, thirsty SUV. Think of it as the modern-day equivalent of the Subaru Justy, a long-time favourite of veterinary nurses, horse-owners and farmers' wives.
Or if you do just want the chunky bumpers and mini-station wagon styling, there are the Streetwise-style front-wheel drive-only versions; GLX versions of these can be dressed up with roof rails for full work-ready effect.
Models on offer in the UK from launch (April 2006) come with the 1.6-litre (107bhp) petrol engine: GL or GLX two-wheel drive versions, or the 4GRIP four-wheel drive. Models with the Fiat-supplied 1.9-litre (120bhp) diesel engine follow later in the year.
The Fiat connection goes a little further, too; the SX4 has a Fiat-branded sister model, the Sedici (reviewed separately), and both cars are built at Suzuki's factory in Hungary. Developed together, the SX4 and Sedici are based on the latest Suzuki Swift supermini, and they will also have a rally-going relative - the SX4 WRC car, proving the Suzuki four-wheel drive technology's worth when it gets slippery.
Prices: TBC, but around £10,000-£14,000
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