New 2014 Suzuki SX4 Compact Crossover

Seen in its final production outfit at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March, the new generation of the Suzuki SX4 has a couple of months before it begins arriving in showrooms across Europe in late September, so the Japanese company is freshening up our memory with a new collection of photos and the release of output and fuel economy figures.

While Suzuki held on to the same name as before, the SX4′s more mature replacementmoves up a category, from the B- (sub-compact) to the C-segment (compact) eyeing to compete against established mainstream rivals such as theNissan Qashqai, which itself, will soon give its place to a new model.

More than 160mm longer than the outgoing SX4 at 4,300 mm (169.3 inches) long, as well as 10mm wider and 10mm taller, Suzuki’s crossover rides on a 100mm longer wheelbase promising to offer much improved room for passengers as well as their luggage (430 liters vs. 270 liters).

Suzuki’s ‘AllGrip’ all-wheel drive system with four driver-selectable modes named, auto, sport, snow, and lock, will be available in conjunction with two engine options.

The first powerplant is a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel rated for 118hp (120PS) and 320Nm (236 lb-ft) of peak torque connected to a 6-speed manual and standard start-stop system returning 4.2 l/100km (56.0 mpg US or 67.3 mpg UK) and 110 g / km of CO2 emissions in the combined test cycle.

The other engine is a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated petrol, also delivering 118hp (120PS), but less than half the torque of the diesel at 156Nm (115 lb-ft). With the standard 5-speed manual (there’s an optional CVT with steering wheel paddles), the 2014 SX4 has a combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.4 l/100km, equal to 43.6 mpg US / 52.3 mpg UK.

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Suzuki to Import 2,500 Cars from Japan to Meet Increased Demand in the U.S

In November, Suzuki's automotive division in announced that it would be shutting down its operations in the United States. On Thursday, December 20, American Suzuki Motor Corp successfully filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in Santa Ana, California, winning permission to close its automotive operations, while re-organizing its motorcycle and boat businesses.



But that's not all that went down in the court as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Clarkson also approved Suzuki's request to borrow $50 million to import extra cars from Japan. Confused? Well, allow us to explain.

Suzuki saw its car sales jump 22 percent to 2,224 units in November, while the company's dealers reported that the sales are up in December as well, mainly due to big incentives and a seven-year warranty program, so the company decided to offer its dealers one last gift.

"When we told dealers, ‘We have one last chance,’ the dealers said, ‘Go get them,’" M. Freddie Reiss, Suuzuki's chief restructuring officer, told BusinessWeek. However, he added that, "No more cars are being manufactured for the U.S. market."

According to Reiss, this won't change Suzuki's decision to exit the car market in the U.S., as the company will only sell around 22,000 cars in the States this year, compared to 120,000 in 2007.

 

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