Monthly Motor - September 2014

More documents

Recommendations

Info

TEST DRIVE SUZUKI SX4 A Solid Contender Model Tested: Suzuki SX4 1.6 GLX AllGrip I must admit that it’s not every day that strangers make a point of admiring a test car that I’m driving and when they do it’s almost always something very fast, bold or exotic. In fact the last thing I was expecting was for the new Suzuki SX4 to garner any real public attention. Sure, it looks really nice and all that, but it doesn’t exactly break any new ground in design terms. Yet at least two strangers, on two separate occasions, gave a very enthusiastic thumbs up to the Suzuki SX4 that I drove recently, one lady even holding me captive for almost five minutes in one of those “I really love it, but should I really buy one” interrogations. Perhaps the bright Crystal Lime Metallic paint job played a part in making this particular unit stand out? 8 MOTOR SEPTEMBER <strong>2014</strong>
Now I realise that a sample of two people isn’t exactly going to hold much water in quantitative research circles, but for the purposes of this review it should at least indicate that the SX4 has enough street presence to hold its head above the modern crossover tide. PRICING Good thing, because this Suzuki is fighting for a slice of a really crowded market. Its other selling point is likely to be its price. Where most C-segment crossover start in the early Ksh. 3 Mill and creep towards the Ksh. 5 Million mark, the SX4 range is priced between Ksh. 2,800,000* and Ksh. 3,500,000*. Size-wise, the SX4 closely matches the Mitsubishi ASX and it is slightly smaller than a VW Tiguan. Where’s the catch, then? Well, that you’ll find under the bonnet, where the previous model’s brawny 2-litre petrol motor has made way a 1.6- litre unit and without having gained a turbocharger. Nonetheless, the vehicle is relatively light for a crossover, with the all-wheel drive model featured here tipping the scales at 1,240kg, or just 1,175kg in the case of the front-wheel drive. The 88kW/156Nm motor makes a decent enough case for itself around town and has no trouble keeping up with traffic but you might wish for a few extra ponies on the open road. While we’re at it, a six-speed gearbox would also be nice. As mentioned, my test car was a range-topping all-wheel drive model, fitted with Suzuki’s AllGrip system that features four driving modes: Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. It’s really not a necessity in a vehicle of this nature, but could be a nice addition if you’re into mild off-roading or if you want an extra safety net for downpours and gravel road MOTOR SEPTEMBER <strong>2014</strong> 9
Page 1: MONTHLY KSH 350/- SEPTEMBER 2014 AL
Page 4 and 5: from the publisher Checking Yoursel
Page 6 and 7: CONTENTS Santiusae demrae Volume 22
Page 8: Santiusae HEADLIGHT demrae Checklis
Page 14 and 15: Santiusae TEST DRIVE demrae AUDI S3
Page 16 and 17: TEST DRIVE litres. We all know car
Page 18 and 19: FIRST IMPRESSION Hyundai Elantra Ke
Page 20 and 21: Santiusae FIRST IMPRESSION demrae T
Page 22 and 23: WISH LIST Alfa 4C Feisty Italian Sc
Page 24 and 25: READERS’ CHOICE JEEP CHEROKEE Ref
Page 26: Santiusae READERS’ CHOICE demrae
Page 29 and 30: the test - I looked at the typical
Page 32 and 33: Santiusae REVIEW demrae Hyundai Gra
Page 34: REVIEW between the front and rear a
Page 37 and 38: sion out of the way, let’s take a
Page 39 and 40: ENGINES For the time being, the Qas
Page 41 and 42: For extra bling you can order the D
Page 43 and 44: model due to its 220mm ground clear
Page 45 and 46: EXPERIENCE THE BENCHMARK IN ONLINE
Page 47 and 48: features will assist with trying to
Page 49 and 50: The new X1 will be offered as a cho
Page 51 and 52: Mercedes describes the potential op
Page 53 and 54: already been recalled four times. T
Page 55 and 56: Verdict Even though BMW has concent
Page 57 and 58: Acceleration: 0-100kph in 8.7sec T
Page 59 and 60:
many cat faces while serenading the
Page 61 and 62:
But sometimes it pays to look aroun
Page 63 and 64:
plenty of electric adjustment, incl
Page 65 and 66:
modes to choose from, plus paddles.
show all

Monthly Motor - September 2014

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?