The impressively funky Suzuki SX4 gets a sedan sibling

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What's Under the Hood

Suzuki will power the 2008 SX4 sedan with the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that's used in the current SX4 wagon (what the company is calling a crossover). Featuring dual overhead cams and 16 valves, the SX4's mechanical heart pumps out 143 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 136 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm, and is mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Details for the North American version are slim at this time, but it's fair to expect the sedan's underpinnings to mirror those of the current SX4, which equates to a MacPherson strut front suspension, a torsion beam rear suspension, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a rack-and-pinion steering setup.

What it Looks Like

From the front, the SX4 sedan mirrors the styling of the current wagon, but a side view offers a clear distinction between the two models. With features including swept-back headlights, creased flanks, short overhangs, and an abundance of glass the SX4 sedan carries a general resemblance to its current competition. Compared to the wagon, with which it shares an identical wheelbase, the new SX4 sedan loses more than two inches in height, drops an inch in width, but gains about 13 inches in overall length (thanks to the trunk and resulting rear overhang). The model pictured on the front page is the U.S.-spec car; subsequent pages feature a European-spec model with a slightly different front fascia and amber-less lenses.