Back in 2008, Suzuki Philippines brought in the rally bred SX4 right about the time when Suzuki officially announced that it would be entering it into the World Rally Championship (WRC). Pulses raced and blood pressures soared as we gathered inside an air-conditioned tent in the reclaimed portion of Manila, only to find out we were getting the diluted sedan version.

I would be lying if I said we weren’t disappointed. I mean, here was a car with so much potential that had just been emasculated by the accounting department. Fast forward two years, though, and we get our hands on the hatch version that scored world championship points in the Rally of Montecarlo. Well, almost.

It looks like the WRC car that Suzuki driver P.-G. Andersson finished 8th in, but the problem is that this is not the all-wheel drive version sold in other markets. Nor is it the punchy 2-liter job with a slick 6-speed manual transmission. Instead, for reasons mostly known to those who sign the checks, we get the 1.6-liter, front-wheel drive, 4-speed auto version that is sold only in Malaysia and Israel.

Its difficult to understand why Suzuki chose to bring in this variant over the 2-liter AW D and market it as a niche vehicle instead, especially considering that they are not expecting this to be a volume seller by any standards, but this is not to say that it is not a good vehicle. My only argument is that it could have been great.

But expectations aside, I took the 5 -door hatch out for a pretty thorough thrashing around the newly opened Clark International Speedway and came back pretty pleased. Although Suzuki could not provide us with its pricing as of press time, which loosely translated means we won’t tell you until after the launch, all signs point to something similar to a top-ofthe- line Jazz, or the new kid on the block, the Mazda 2, which is pretty high risk territory.

The danger is that, on even money, the Suzuki really has its work cut out - which is all the more reason I feel it should have distanced itself. But on the plus side, compared to both its immediate adversaries, the SX4 can at least claim to have the most space. It is also a bit more rugged, considering it has been designed with mild off-roading in mind, what with its higher ground clearance and 4WD capable platform.

In markets like Australia, the SX4 goes head to head with the i30, the Mazda 3 hatch and the best-selling Corolla hatch, just to name a few. But only because all of them are sold as a 2-liter. Our local watered down version, however, straddles the fence between the Mazda 2 and 3, as well as the Jazz and the Focus only because of its power plant and suspected price point. This is why you get more space but less power, which can be good news for some.

So let’s take off the petrol head cap for a moment and explore that positioning for a while.

If it can price itself around 850k, that will basically mean that you get a bigger Jazz, albeit with less power. On the upside, it is certainly quite a looker, which is half the battle won, and is one of very few vehicles that are built in Japan, which counts for a lot. Plus it offers roof rails as standard and 16-inch rims.

Driving dynamics wise, Suzukis have always been a treat (the Japan built versions at least) and this one is no different, although you do look for the extra gear. Fuel consumption from its variable valve timing 1.6- liter is decent but hardly comparable to the 5 speed 1.5-liter VTE C Jazz. It handles very well, which should come as no surprise considering it was built to take on more power, and comes standard with 4-wheel disc brakes.

The interior is well thought out with a gorgeous leather wrapped steering wheel that does wonders to translate a feeling of quality throughout, and there’s an MP3 compatible sound system with aux input and a whopping 9 speakers.

Its a little difficult to put this car in a box. On one hand its got the biggish car feel, while on the other, it has trouble keeping up with the smaller ones. 110 horsepower may be respectable, until of course you drive the 120 bhp 1.5-liter Jazz. Don’t get me wrong: I actually do like the SX4. If I come across as a tad harsh, its only because I know what this car is capable of. In the trim that God intended it to be sold, it has enough unique selling points to really put some serious pressure on the Focus and the Subaru Impreza, which I believe is its ideal fighting weight.

But in fairness, Suzuki do listen. After introducing the awardwinning Swift here only with an automatic option, they eventually did bring in the manual version after enough whining on our end. They also beefed up the safety features of the APV after we brought up our concerns and even bagged a C! Award for it.

Then again, until pricing is confirmed, it is almost impossible to put this car into context. For now, let’s just say that the SX4 is a good little car that is on the verge of being great.

Counterpoint:

When we think of Suzuki, we usually associate the brand with small automobiles. It's what they're truly known for and their famous CUVs and subcompacts are what placed them in the automotive map. Much as it is their forte, Suzuki has to keep the ball rolling with new ideas. That's exactly what they did when they came up with the SX4. It's not the first time Suzuki has gotten out of their comfort zone. Nine years ago, they rolled out the XL7, though short-lived. But such ideas only demonstrate Suzuki's bit in trying to keep things interesting.

When I first heard that Suzuki was bringing in the SX4 hatchback, my initial reaction was, it's about time. I also wondered whether it would be a 1.6 or a 2-liter. But with the sedan version having the lower displacement, the 2-liter seemed like wishful thinking. As a 1.6-liter hatch, the SX4 should compete with the Hyundai i30 and the Mazda 3 hatchback. If it came in as a 2-liter, then it would go head-to-head with the Subaru Impreza and the Ford Focus, which would've been a juicy prospect since the three directly competed in the World Rally Championship at one point. Pity. Anything that has to do with the rally arena sells, and the SX4 would surely make the numbers. Just take a look at Ford and Subaru.

But let's put the rally pedigree aside and look at this SX4 in a rational manner. It’s certainly well designed and the stance is completed with 16-inch rims and disc brakes all around. The cabin is well thought of with a leather steering wheel that has a right amount of fatness, comfortable seats, a sound system that's more than decent with MP3 compatibility and an auxiliary input, and a generous amount of space. The 1.6-liter power plant is delightful and the handling and steering gives you good feedback. Overall, the SX4 is a sensible car. It has respectable performance, good looks, and space more than good enough for it to be the family car. But the question is the price. Until it's confirmed, we'll just have to wait and see. --Jason A. dela Cruz

+ : Build quality, expensive feel all throughout, cabin layout, respectable power, communicative steering
− : Not getting the 2-liter AWD version