Paul Tan's Automotive Industry News

Suzuki SX4 1.6 Auto launched in Malaysia!

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UPDATE: Suzuki SX4 Sedan also available in Malaysia, fully imported from Japan.

Suzuki SX4

The new Suzuki SX4 is now available in Malaysia in 5-door hatchback form, fully imported from Japan. The hatchback version is available with both normal low to the ground hatchback styling as well as a crossover-like design incorporating a SUV-like design language and raised ground clearance.

The one we are getting is the crossover design, and under the hood lies a more sedatedly tuned version of the 1.6 liter in the Suzuki Swift Sport. In this incarnation it makes 100 bhp (75kW) at 5,600rpm and 140Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. This is mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox, and while there are 4X4 versions of the Suzuki SX4 available overseas, we get the 4X2 version which will save some fuel and is more than capable enough for the type of roads this little hatch will tackle anyway. The power steering uses an Electric Power Steering System.

The SX4 ride on MacPherson struts for the front suspension and a torsion beam setup for the rear, and is built on a stretched and modified version of the Suzuki Swift chassis. The large 16 inch wheels with thick profile 205/60R16 tyres complete the crossover look.

Luggage capacity is 270 liters which is not too bad, but fold the seats down and you get 625 liters of capacity. The steering wheel is similiar to the one in the Swift and feature steering wheel audio controls for the MP3/WMA/CD player with 8 speakers. Safety features include dual front SRS airbags, ABS anti lock brakes, EBD, Brake Assist and side impact door beams.

The Suzuki SX4 has acceptable rear legroom - it’s not cramped and you can see a photo of someone sitting in the rear after the jump. For a fully imported unit, it has a very competitive price - RM89,987.50 OTR with insurance for the regular version and RM94,377.50 OTR with insurance if you wish to add leather seats and V-Kool tinting.

With the perceived quality of a Japan import, a decent equipment list, attractive “active” looks, a small and relatively frugal engine and a competitive price, I think the SX4 will definitely fly off the shelves! More photos after the jump.

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4

Suzuki SX4
Click to enlarge

Suzuki SX4
This is the non-crossover more conventional hatchback styling

Related Posts:
Suzuki SX4 WRC Concept
2007 Suzuki SX4 unveiled!
2006 Fiat Sedici - rebadged Suzuki SX4
Suzuki SX4-based sedan to be unveiled at Geneva
Suzuki SX4 Sedan photos unveiled ahead of Geneva

47 Comments »

  1. One92 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:17 am

    paul, when is the sedan version of this car going to be in malaysia?

  2. redwings said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 6:21 am

    Wow…I am looking excited for all other brands…Pls bring us more choices…Well done Suzuki Malaysia…
    How about Renault and Mazda? Looking forward for Megane, Clio and Mazda2
    Really bored with Vios and City…

  3. azrai said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 7:09 am

    Somewhere I realise it somehow look like Inokom matrix.The price is really competitive. Suzuki has done it again. RM109k for Vitara, RM71k for Swift.When will the CKD SX4 will be release.Maybe only RM76k.

  4. arcana said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 7:18 am

    if u read….its says 90k for basic up to 94k for some add-ons.
    very attractive price and style.
    but a main turnover is the engine….why the heck 1.6L still producing 100hp….the torque figures are not impressive either….
    if this the detuned version of the swift sport….its too much of a detune i’d say…since this thing its quite a size to move around.

  5. arcana said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 7:19 am

    sorry…..i misread myself….CKD at 76k? maybe….most likely at 80k.

  6. BigFish said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 7:23 am

    Look like we move toward free market with more value for monies in purchasing car. Looking to 2008 and beyond to see more new models come with more competitve price.

  7. xstan said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:05 am

    I was looking for the SX4 sedan version (was it) launched in Singapore & is actually priced lower than Vios & City. Tak ada ka..??

  8. haroldz said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:07 am

    we dun hv many suzuki dealer in sarawak
    only 1 in kuching i think..
    huhuhuuh

  9. xetronic said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:26 am

    even though it’s bit underpower (100hp for its size) but nonetheless it’s still good to see malaysia car buyers are getting more choices.

    RM90k is not a steal but still consider a deal.

    bravo to suzuki…

  10. tHe CuLpRit said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:45 am

    I guess its understandable to detune the Sport’s engine to give the SX4 better fuel economy.

    But i dont understand why such a drastic reduction. I mean, even the 1.5 Swift develops 101hp (correct me if im wrong).

    For a 1.6, it should’ve at least been 110hp, especially with that large diameter wheels. Oh well, still expect it to do well :-P

  11. tHe CuLpRit said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:53 am

    read the review…. http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Suzuki-SX4-1.6-VVT-GLX-2WD/219083/

    got good feedback, but their SX4 makes 106hp?

  12. drM said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 9:56 am

    this SX4 may be competing with Hyundai Matrix and ….. ? because of their resemblence in shape and quite tall of the head room..

    but yeah..good car. a car? dont quite sure. good vehicle. lol

  13. mits27 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:02 am

    I never had any experience with Suzuki engine, is that durable and also even it is 100hp, is the engine is still feeling strong, maybe some Suzuki Swift owner can give some comments and advises…

  14. mits27 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:06 am

    Btw, I just to US Suzuki site, their SX4 interior looks more luxury…

  15. mits27 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:08 am

    Btw, I just went to US Suzuki site, their SX4 interior looks more luxury…

  16. ndmervin said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:21 am

    Looks Matrix-y thanks tot he crossover concept… overall design is cool but needs some rugged colours to make it better

    Once again, the dashboard is quite boring.. ditto to the Swift

    Too bad the torque comes in at 4,000rpm.. better get the Persona with 148 @ 4,000rpm…

    Dont think its that fuel efficient with such engine, and with such big wheels…

    Good luck SX4

  17. joeysis said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 11:19 am

    at least Suzuki can deliver car FAST…no need wait until next year August rite…hehe

  18. White Jack said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 11:19 am

    Will it be the same as Lancer GT ? After heavy booking, they increase the price… haha

  19. olowokandi said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 2:41 pm

    Looks good, got style and fun factor here. a bit worry about the power/weight ratio…oversea market get 2.0 version with 148hp, far powerful than what we get here. anywhere, happy that another possible option added to my list.

  20. 90125 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 4:11 pm

    Yes…a made in Japan Japanese car, I like it..better than buying ‘under license’ not made in Japan Japaneses car!!!

  21. bobdbilder said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 4:51 pm

    I wonder how long the Japanese can maintain a cheap price to manufacture these in Japan considering their labour and material cost is high, not to mention the high cost of living. Even the Germans are relocating to East Europe.

    I mean, if it was a Lexus or Infinity, it would be ok because the high margin they get could cover the costs. But then again, it could be pre-assembled in Japan and exported out and maintain the ‘Made in Japan’ sticker.

  22. JiN said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:12 pm

    Great car, looks good both interior and exterior. 1.6 and 100 hp, is the horse power measure at the brakes or at the flywheels?

  23. avanza said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:23 pm


  24. drgn86 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:30 pm

    The Suzuki SX4 1.6 Auto Hatchback pictured here has an automatic gearbox which possesses a left-hand drive gateway configuration instead of a right-hand drive one, wondering if it’s a cost-saving alternative?

  25. drgn86 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:36 pm

    Oh, I’ve found out already, I think Paul has displayed the close-up picture of the auto gateway box of a left-hand drive version of the vehicle because he couldn’t find one for the right-hand drive version. In another zoomed out picture featuring the dashboard, steering and front seats, I see a different auto gearbox, meant for the right-hand drive vehicle.

  26. kingglim said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 5:41 pm

    Nice…definitely give vios and city a fight for $$. Very appealing to the young outdoor athletic gym-goer consumers. The CBU frm Japan label definitely very attractive.

  27. szw said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:03 pm

    its worth it !!!

  28. gey2718 said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 10:11 pm

    azrai said,
    December 13, 2007 @ 7:09 am

    Somewhere I realise it somehow look like Inokom matrix.

    hey azrai i don’t agree with u
    the cheapo matrix with a bowling-like tail light is far fa—-r lousier than suzuki, that one matrix is alien concept and sx4 is hothatch-crossover concept, don’t confuse urself!

  29. Paul Tan said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 11:19 pm

    hi guys, i’ve double checked with suzuki malaysia and confirmed this 1.6 liter is indeed producing 75 kilowatt or 100 horsepower only - it seems to be detuned compared to the overseas 1.6 engine

  30. nmh said,

    December 13, 2007 @ 11:20 pm

    it looks good actually….but i still prefer swift

  31. BW said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 12:28 am

    wah… quite nice le…

  32. dcwhz83 said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 12:37 am

    hi paul,

    it doesnt make sense to detune it…
    from what i understand 110hp/140NM is the overseas standard for this engine… but now we having 100hp/140NM doesnt make sense…

    many manufacturers tune their engine to have lower bhp but higher torque at a lower rpm, especially for a bulkier chassis like this to move it up to speed quicker… but detuning it to have lower horsepower and having same torque is not good… since this is CBU, i dont think SMA detuned it, but maybe they had to take some ‘leftovers’ produced in Japan that no other market wants to import it?

  33. dcwhz83 said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 12:44 am

    btw, the coloured brochure for the SX4 is having keyless entry feature… which I think should be a print mistake…

  34. mystvearn said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 1:03 am

    I think Swift is better, and cheaper too

  35. whodz said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 3:30 am

    I’ve already seen a Suzuki SX4 at Mines with no. plate WQT xxxx just few days back. I knew it was a new model from Suzuki and Paul quickly blog this. Paul is very informative guy. :)

  36. BrakeFader said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 7:11 am

    The Matrix 1.6L is about 103hp with 141Nm of torque. And it struggles uphill with maximum load. I can’t imagine how will this SX4 compares to it. I don’t understand why they have to detune it in Malaysia.

  37. 4G63T DSM said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 8:51 am

    Depends on what your definition of Maximum load. Malaysian definition it to pack it with 8 people…plus luggage. ;p

    Even with 5 adults and luggage you are looking at least an additional 300kg extra. A 1.6L engine isn’t exactly a big engine you know. To Americans, they should have thought the engine is used to power a lawnmower.

    Granted it does seem a little more “detuned” than i expected.

    For extra grunt, Suzuki has a peugeot 1.9L Turbo diesel. Not a bad engine. Co-worker in france has the same engine in his 307. Doubt that engine will be coming here though.

  38. dcwhz83 said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 9:01 am

    the matrix has kerb weight of 1285kg and the SX4 is 1240kg… quite similar… torque is the most important when going uphill…

  39. dr_carz said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 10:19 am

    Suzuki is yummy….. and now come this…
    Very good suzuki!
    I hope to own a swift, tapi duit tak cukup lah…
    ada sesiapa naki derma wang tak kui kui…

  40. Paul Tan said,

    December 14, 2007 @ 2:19 pm

    the diesel for the sx4 is from fiat, not peugeot

  41. azrai said,

    December 15, 2007 @ 7:01 am

    Dear gey2718,It’s just my opinion and observation that the SX4 really have some styling cues from Inokom Matrix especially the side profile. Yes, there are different headlamp and tailgate (for sure). I think you are just like the chinese manufacturer who gonna say that Daewoo/Chevrolet Spark is not even same with the Cherry QQ (although the door panel can be swapped easily vice versa). It’s common for cars from the same era share some styling cues.

  42. azrai said,

    December 15, 2007 @ 7:01 am

    Dear gey2718,It’s just my opinion and observation that the SX4 really have some styling cues from Inokom Matrix especially the side profile. Yes, there are different headlamp and tailgate (for sure). I think you are just like the chinese manufacturer who gonna say that Daewoo/Chevrolet Spark is not even same with the Cherry QQ (although the door panel can be swapped easily vice versa). It’s common for cars from the same era share some styling cues. Furthermore, Matrix was design by Pinnafarina.

  43. chanlman said,

    December 17, 2007 @ 9:07 pm

    This SX4 is now having a Roadshow at KOTA KINABALU…. WOoo Hooo… Can’t believe this new CBU made available at KK so soon. Test Drive should be available this week :)

    Well, first impression of SX4 crossover. It’s TALL and BIG. It’s like a 4×4 vehicle. Big Side Mirrors, Big Doors, amble of Head room, Back seats are so soft… Quite comfy sitting at the back and leg room is al right.

    Interior & Exterior nothing to shout about. Just if you are Crossover fanatic, this car has the LOOK.

    Now the engine part, personally, I thought this car is a bit overweight and underpowered. Only after test drive can tell. I looked at the Speedometer, Max is only 200kph. The salesman quickly say, you can never drive so fast one… Which in a way, not so true!

    Just some comparison of Hatchback 1600cc vehicles avail in Msia now:
    Suzuki SX4
    Max. Power (kW/rpm) 75/5,600
    Max. Torque (Nm/rpm) 140/4,000
    Gross Weight (kg) 1650
    Kerb Weight (kg) 1220

    Nissan Latio Sport
    Max. Power (kW(ps)/rpm) 80(109)/6,000
    Max. Torque (Nm(kg-m)/rpm) 153(15.6)/4,400
    Gross vehicle weight 16xx
    Kerb Weight (kg) 1177

    VW CrossPOLO
    Max. output, kW (PS) at rpm 77 (105)/5600
    Max. torque, Nm at rpm 153/3800
    Gross vehicle weight 1620
    Unladen weight (kerb weight) 1138

    Paul, what’s ur opinion on Power to Weight ratio for cross over vehicles like above?

  44. divacute said,

    December 24, 2007 @ 3:23 pm

    ahahkss..i’ve paid my deposit n grab the orangee sx4 last week..hope it will be a good choice..thought of to have vios but 1st look at sx4, i felt on it!! dear paul, hope wat written n ur comments abt sx4 r rite!!

  45. cecibo said,

    December 26, 2007 @ 2:08 pm

    Beautiful piece of machine this is. The style is just so good, sweet like candy, simple, cute, eye catching, affordable, the most good car came out at the end of this year.

  46. wileecoyote said,

    February 11, 2008 @ 4:58 pm

    Hi divacute

    Am considering the sx4 too. how’s your vehicle doing? assume you bought one as you said you were :-)

    Anyone else here with an sx4? I drove it, seemed lovely to drive, but then test drives are like courship, always lovely :-)

    Cheers & thanks

  47. Mart Thou86 said,

    April 16, 2009 @ 3:28 pm

    why now dude?
    in dis economi situation with dat price?
    sure tought for me..

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