Suzuki SX4 - Lady, It's NOT A Truck

 

There's something oddly alluring and respectfully unpretentious about the Suzuki SX4; a vehicle that has as much visual charm as a reciprocating saw. Then again, the SX4 is not so much about visceral appeal as it about getting the job done as cost effectively as possible. It's cuteness more a function of its size more than a design cue. Much like a puppy is cute for no other reason than it's a small dog.   

 

 

This charming little bowling ball on four wheels has everything you need in a vehicle. Large, airy cabin, ample cargo space, small size for easy parking lot manuveribility, inexpensive to purchase, a reasonably fuel efficient engine, it's very well built and if not the most dazzling or refined of performers it does have something very important for us denizens of Northeast Ohio.

 

 

AWD or all wheel drive.

 

 

"AWD" gives the SX4 its adorable butchness since the bulky mechanism for driving the rear wheels is routed through the middle of the vehicle. Designers had no choice but push the vehicle up so the SX4 would have some semblance of ground clearance. In "SUV" guise, like our subject here, it works design wise but there is a sedan version that is flat out weird like those 4X4 AMC Eagles from the early '80's that looked like some hillbilly put a car body down on top of a pick up truck. Again, as a mini trucklet it looks downright manly. Raising the ride height, even on the sedans, also gives drivers an advantageous driving position.

 

 

The woman who owns this vehicle is a sweet natured but fairly salty, dogmatically practical human being who bought it new in 2009 because it was the most affordable four wheel drive vehicle that was "good on gas" that she could find at the time. She's also very petite so the size of this "truck" is perfect for her. I wasn't about to correct her when she referred to her SX4 as "her truck".  "Forgive me, ma'am but this is not a truck, it's a mini cross over utility vehicle..."

 

  

She wishes it had more cargo room but she knew that there were some compromises she have to accept to get the four wheel drive that was most important to her. She's also not had a moment of trouble with it in the five plus years and nearly 100,000 miles of ownership. Good for her.

 

Suzuki specializes in manufacturing automobiles, four-wheel drive vehicles, motorcycles, ATV's, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and other small internal combustion engines. In 2011, Suzuki was the tenth largest automaker by production worldwide and Japan's second-largest manufacturer of small cars and trucks. Certainly tiny compared to Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen and Hyundai overall but impressively big enough in many ways that they have stayed profitably in business since 1909 when Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Works building weaving looms for Japan's massive silk industry.