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W
hen the Japanese car industry
was embryonic, it kept itself busy
manufacturing designs from the west.
Datson (as it then was, literally son of Dat)
started with a remanufactured Austin 7. But
there’s no shame in that, for BMW did exactly
the same in Germany.
Sadly, these car makes kept on developing
while those in England stagnated to such
an extent they all-but disappeared, at least
from British ownership. Some blame the
unions but the principal culprit was chronic
underinvestment.
Either way, Datsun, now Nissan, owns
Europe’s most efficient car plant right here in
the UK, while the biggest British motoring icon
ever, MINI, belongs to BMW. Ironic, really, but
MINI is the modern successor to the Austin 7.
The Japanese engineers were hard at work
while we basked in our shrinking glory.
They had already created some impressive
motorbikes and then Daihatsu (actually the first
Japanese brand imported into the UK – most
people think it was Toyota) hit us in the 80s
with the one-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine
in its GTti supermini hatchback.
British reviewers, and a smallish number of
buyers, were fascinated by its lionhearted
roar, the decibel-laced indication that here was
something a bit special. By the standard of the
day it flew.
That three cylinder format has stood the test
of time, probably far better than the car that
brought it to us. Major manufacturers are keen
to use it and so, too, is Suzuki. But when we
first saw the size of the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross,
which we tested in its original format with a
much beefier motor, we thought its one-litre
three-cylinder might be overwhelmed by the
combination of the physical size of the car.
However, this game crossover SUV proved us
wrong. Not only did it perform well, but it also
showed that the power-to-weight ratio must
have been about right as it averaged 48.6mpg
on a diet of unleaded. In a world where diesel
cars are being ostracised and their drivers quite
possibly face being hit with punitive taxes later
this year, the antipathy to diesel is palpable.
Maybe the secret of the SX4 S-Cross is
revealed in the engine’s name – Boosterjet. It
churns out 111bhp at 5,500rpm and only 113g/
km of CO2 pops from the end of the exhaust.
Perhaps its 48.6mpg achievable in real world
motoring will cheer up drivers who, instead of
getting zero road tax in the first year and £30 a
year bills thereafter, will now face a first year tax
bill of £160 and ongoing renewals at £140.
The new on the road list price is £19,749 after
the changes – but Suzuki’s cunning plan is to
offer three years’ extra tax back as an upfront
discount, which the buyer can then use to fund
the higher VED.
The SX4 S-Cross is quite a large car that has
just undergone a facelift. It’s difficult to tell if
that’s a good thing or not. Certainly the toothy-
looking chromed front grille could do with some
revision already. It just looks too much, but in
this Suzuki is no more guilty than many other
makers who all seem to want to adorn their
cars with massive grilles when a little more
discretion would be nice.
It’s a cyclical thing and as soon as one maker
is brave enough to shrink a grille all the others
will follow.
With its equipment list and price, it would
appear that the SX4 S-Cross is a range-topping
model, but in fact it’s only the second up from
the bottom. If you really want to splash the cash
at your local Suzuki dealership you could hand
over more than £25,000 and get a diesel-
powered model with even higher trim standards
and all wheel drive, too.
But most buyers will be content to go no further
than the SZ-T trim of the text car as it brought
more than enough to the party to keep everyone
entertained. More importantly, it brought
sufficient space to give its occupants lounging
room while the ride quality and seating, while
not magic carpet quality, ironed out the bumps
far more efficiently than might be expected of
a smallish car. There was also more headroom
than most people need, too, giving the lie to the
theory that smaller cars are cramped.
The SUV styling also delivered usable boot
space, an impressive 430 litres with the seats
in place and 875 litres with them folded, the
latter figure maybe not be as good as some
rivals, but it was at least sensibly shaped.
From the land of the Rising Sun
Car:
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T
Does it fit your ego...
0-62 mph:
11.0 secs
Top speed:
112mph
Bhp:
111 @ 5,500rpm
Torque:
125 lb ft @ 2,000 – 3,500rpm
...and your wallet...
Price:
£19,749
Combined:
56.4mpg
CO2 emissions:
113 g/km
MAURICE and ANNETTE HARDY find the Suzuki SX4 surprisingly roomy
Best bits: sensible small SUV from Suzuki