Just got an SX4 for a loan car for the morning while my van is in for service, thought id pass on some initial impressions having just driven 15 miles in it.
First thing I noticed is that the clutch is a bit spongey compared to my van, but my van is old tech so perhaps thats why.
Gearchange is pretty good although not the quickest.
Ride is composed but not exceptionally soft. It does deal with sharp bumps quite well but on the whole its harder than I would like, but acceptable.
Its quiet on the move but the engine gets a bit loud above 3500rpm. I found it quite tourquey so was no trouble to change up early and keep it quiet.
Handling is safe rather than fun, but grip is very good.
Interior has loads of space but this is a result of the car being much bigger than superminis of old, so its just aswell the external dimensions do offer something on teh inside! Rear legroom is expecially good. The boot however is quite small, a victim of plastic trim which makes it square, but small.
It feels quite big to drive aswell, more like an MPV which is confimed by the shallow windscreen which I should imagine is a pig to clean.
The dashboard is nice enough, modern looking and all easy to use. For those who that indicators on the right, they on on the left in this car.
Driving position is a bit upright and there is no adj on the wheel that I could find which was a real pain as it was at a very strange angle which meant I couldnt have the wheel about two inches from my knees which is where I like it. instead it was more like 3-4 inches.
Trim is plain but looks smart enough.
On the whole, its an average car which does a few things well and nothing especially badly.
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Stu, thanks for that review. I was worried you were going to say it was the best thing since sliced bread. While on leave during the summer, I went shopping for a new small 4WD for my wife as her last one had been hijacked by our daughter. The SX4 was on the list but I was horrified at the poor finishing on the model on display in the showroom. It looked tatty for interior as well as the panel finishing. Even the Ignis alongside looked better and had a more useable boot, and the Jimny looked positively pristine and well screwed together. Of course, none of them have probably been anywhere near Japan but the SX4 was so appalling neither of us could face a test drive.
The new Daihatsu Terios was on our list and looked very promising until I realised a diesel will be coming next year and could be near ideal for our purposes. In the end we bought a one-year old Jimny (Japanese-built auto) privately at a huge depreciation on new which I fancy will hit the SX4 as well. Anyone looking for a small manual 4WD would do better in my opinion to look at the Polish-built Panda. In the hilly bits of France, they are already being kitted with new springs and shock absorbers for extra clearance and look the better for it.
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Anyone looking for a small manual 4WD would do better in my opinion to look at the Polish-built Panda.
Funily enough while Fiat and Suzuki insist SX4/Sedici is built in Hungary, this summer I got stuck for many miles on a narrow, westbound road towards Olszyna/Forst crossing behind three trailers labeled something or rather "Tychy, Poland" full of brand new, unregistered Sedici's. So unless they choose very funky routes from Hungary, it looks like Fiats factory in Poland makes them too.
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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Not driven an SX4 but had a look around them.
I wouldn't describe the SX4 as a 'supermini' - it is more 'small family crossover'.
The steering wheel is adjustable.
I looked at a couple and the finish seemed perfectly good. It is put together in the same factory that makes the Swift, Ignis etc and the finish on the ones I saw was of the same standard - i.e. good.
Its not a car for me, but if you want that sort of niche model then its probably as good a choice as any.
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>> Anyone looking for a small manual 4WD would do >> better in my opinion to look at the Polish-built Panda. Funily enough while Fiat and Suzuki insist SX4/Sedici is built in Hungary.
So unless they choose very funky routes from Hungary, it looks like Fiats factory in Poland makes them too. --------------------
The Fiat models for the UK Market are made in the Suzuki Factory in Hungary.
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It may not be the size of a supermini, but its similar price so id look at it if I was looking at a mid-spec Fiesta going on price atleast.
I didnt think the interior finish was that bad really.
I can imagine the kind of people who will buy it would be those country types looking for a cheap Subaru alternative who perhaps bought a Subaru Justy in the past.
iI have to say, as much as I like the Jimny myself having driven one on a long journey, its not a universally liked car from a driving point of view.
On the subject of the Fiat, Im sure the car is ok, but as I recall its incredibly slow and I wouldnt want to deal with a Fiat dealer for love nor money.
The Suzuki dealer I dealt with today was exceptionally good and well worth considering in the car choice.
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Maybe the SX4I saw in the showroom was simply a bad example but it was really put in the shade even by the other Suzukis around it. I had been enthusiastic about seeing one, having read about it and the Fiat Sedici. The Ignis 4 Grip is the Justy replacement and to my mind has a more useable boot than the SX4 as well as being cheaper on asking price. Anyone thinking of paying anything like the list price for an SX4 should be trotting along to their local Daihatsu dealer and negotiating hard on delivery mileage, pre-registered or low mileage demonstrators of the new Terios which I suspect is not being shifted very quickly. Apart from the plastic juke box in the centre of the dash, it is far superior as a country vehicle: permanent 4WD, a Toyota 1500cc engine, reasonable but not exceptional ground clearance with everything underneath tucked up out of the way, and good finish. The few reviews I have seen highlight the fussy engine characteristics as a weak point but it is ex-Corolla (I believe) and this car is sold as the Toyota Rush in other markets.
Take the point about Fiat dealers but the Panda is a neat little package and with the Multijet diesel and a slight suspension lift makes a lot of sense for the Pyrenees. We were going to buy a 1000-mile one until the Jimny turned up in the local paper and looked more abusable for a dog and farm tracks. Now, whatever happened to the 4WD Fiat Doblo because that could get me back down the Fiat dealer again rather than Daihatsu if their diesel finally arrives.
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"whatever happened to the 4WD Fiat Doblo because that could get me back down the Fiat dealer again ".
I think I'm correct in saying, there has never been a 4x4 Doblo.
Before you go off worrying about the poor performance of the SX4, you should road test the Fiat Sedici diesel version, which is far better with its performance over the petrol versions, Suzuki or Fiat.
Also the Suzuki is FWD and the Fiat 4WD.
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Also the Suzuki is FWD and the Fiat 4WD.
You had better tell HJ and Top Gear magazine because they both think only the auto is FWD and the manual is 4WD.
Well done for bringing this to our attention autumnboy. Red faces at TG mag then?
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"HJ - SX4 road test
We took the 4-Grip diesel out first. It was a bit gruff if you pushed it through the gears (same engine as the Vauxhall Zafira recently tested) and ran out of useful revs at 4,000rpm."
I understood this Diesel engine to have been a Fiat unit as used in many of their models, ie doblo etc.
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"I think I'm correct in saying, there has never been a 4x4 Doblo."
Yes, you are right as far as the UK is concerned although there seems to be a 4WD variant in Brazil. Helps explain the transmission tunnel in a front wheel drive Fiat.
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