IN THIS FEATURE A 4WD Hatchback Ice doesn't slip it up Two wheel drive - why bother? Functional, rather than stylish SX4 appeal A promising little performer

Driving the Suzuki SX4 exclusively on snow and ice in Austria might not have been the best way to discover the finer nuances of its ride and handling - but it proved to be useful for demonstrating its four-wheel-drive system and the optional ESP.

Four driven wheels in a hatchback body are a rather odd combination: indeed, the SX4's only real rival is built on the same production line. It'll wear Fiat badges, is renamed Sedici and looks only very slightly different due to minor styling changes.

SX4 is a twin to the Fiat Sedici

Fiat will keep quiet about it but it's Suzuki engineering that underpins both the Sedici and SX4. Which should mean good reliability, though Fiat customers are likely to pay more for it on a like-for-like basis - making the choice a no-brainer for informed buyers. That they're both based on a stretched version of Suzuki's Swift platform can only be a good thing, Fiat contributing to the SX4/Sedici by providing its excellent 120bhp 1.9-litre Multijet diesel engine to the range. It'll join the Suzuki-built 1.6-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre petrol also offered in some markets (but not the UK).