Is the Suzuki 2.4 SDLX Manual the Best Car in the Land?
Number three in our countdown to the announcement of the winner of the South African Car of the Year title on March 14 is Suzuki’s compact middleweight sedan.
If there’s a COTY prize for the most dramatic name, it would have to go to Suzuki: ‘Kizashi’ sounds like some feudal call to arms and if you scream it at the top of your voice, it is bound to strike fear into the hearts of your neighbours - try it.
With that done, consider the size. At 2,7 metres between the axles, the Kizashi is better than par for C-segment sedans, but slightly more compact than D-segment offerings like the Mazda6 and Honda Accord. It is considerably shorter than its Japanese compatriots in terms of overall length though (giving it a rather appealing, pert rump), resulting in less boot space and marginally less cabin volume.
But that may be the car’s real strength: space which almost rivals larger and hence more expensive cars, at a price not far off the premium offerings a segment lower.
Chosen for COTY contender is the six-speed manual version rather than the CVT, or constantly-variable transmission, which is just as well. Like many CVTs mated to four-cylinder (as it is in this case) engines, the open road driving experience of the two-pedal Kizashi can be dominated by engine drone.
By comparison, the stick-shift model feels crisp and lively in its responses off the line, boasts impressive refinement when cruising and shouldn’t use much more than eight litres of unleaded per 100 km. The 2.4-litre four is an adaptation of the engine used in the Grand Vitara, but makes more power. Ratings are 131 kW and 230 Nm – enough to satisfy most people most of the time.
Handling and road holding is impressive, with an overtly sporty feel (there’s less scowl-inducing understeer than you’d expect), and a level cornering attitude, something it achieves without sacrificing comfort levels despite 18-inch alloys shod with 235/45 rubber. Find some twisty and bumpy quiet backroads - granted, increasingly difficult without driving for hours – and you can actually have some fun getting from A to B.
The Kizashi 2.4 SDLX – to provide its full name – is currently priced at a reasonably keen R302 900, a price which does get you a bunch of stuff including cruise control, leather, sunroof, rain sensing wipers, automatically-activated high-intensity headlights, electric adjustment on the front seats, and a sound system with all the device inputs you could want. Safety stuff is par for the course: six airbags, ABS with add-ons, stability control and ISOFIX tethers. While it is compact and manoeuvrable, parking sensors either end make it easier to judge distances and like many modern designs the Suzy’s high tail can make reversing tricky.
To be honest, the cabin is uninspiring and a little colourless (both literally and figuratively), but well enough laid out. It’ll appeal to traditionalists. A modern family, complete with teenagers, should have sufficient luggage and cabin space.
If there’s a major negative for the car in the context of COTY, it’s the lack of ‘wow’ factor and anything that can convince the judges that the car represents true excellence in automotive design.
