Those buying a 2009 Suzuki SX4, a car we generally like, will get a pre-paid gas card worth $270 for the sedan and $290 for the crossover. This is based on an assumption of 1,000 miles per month. It's not a great deal, but on top of a $2,000 bonus for people who buy the manual version it's not a bad one either.

SUZUKI ANNOUNCES "FREE GAS FOR SUMMER" SALES EVENT

BREA, Calif. (July 1, 2009) – To help motorists at the pump this summer driving season and generate additional traffic to U.S. showrooms, American Suzuki Motor Corp. has announced a nationwide sales promotion offering car buyers three months of free gasoline on retail purchases of new 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sedan and 2009 SX4 Crossover models. In addition, Suzuki is offering $2,000 in customer cash on all 2009 SX4 models equipped with manual transmission. The Suzuki "Free Gas for Summer" sales program, which kicks off July 1 and runs through Aug. 31, is expected to further build brand interest and bolster summer sales of its versatile SX4 lineup.

"Suzuki recognizes the economic challenges facing Americans and thought this promotion was a great way to provide relief for car buyers," said Koichi Suzuki, executive vice president, American Suzuki Automotive Operations. "Working through our U.S. dealer network, we're happy to extend this unique program to consumers across the country, providing potential buyers even more reason to consider purchasing a Suzuki SX4 during the summer shopping season."

Customers will receive a stored value debit card that can be used for fuel purchases. The amount of each stored value gas card is determined by several factors, including an assumed three-month timeframe for summer driving, the car's EPA estimated highway mpg, the Federal Highway Administration's estimated average of 1,000 miles driven per month and the U.S. national average price of one gallon of regular gasoline as determined by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

"Free Gas for Summer" Program
2009 Model
Free Gas Incentive (pre-paid card)
SX4 Sedan/Sport $270

SX4 Crossover $290

To learn more about Suzuki's "Free Gas for Summer" sales promotion, or to locate the nearest Suzuki dealer, please visit www.suzukiauto.com.

The IIHS tested seven 2009 model-year small cars and discovered most carmakers are doing a better job of keeping people from dying in their compact offerings. Every vehicle received a "Good" rating in the front tests, though received mixed performances in the side and rear tests.

The best performer overall was the Suzuki SX4, which received a "Good" side rating and a "Marginal" rear crash rating, followed by the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. The 2009 Ford Focus was the only car to achieve a "Good" rating in the rear crash test.

The worst performer, not surprisingly, is the 2009 PT Cruiser. Having been abandoned with no new model on the horizon by a sinking company, the PT Cruiser hasn't been brought up to modern safety standards and achieved a "Poor" rating in both the side and rear tests. The verdict from the IIHS is quite strongly worded:

In the side test, measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that in a real-world crash of similar severity, rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely, along with a possible pelvic fracture. The rear passenger dummy's head contacted the C-pillar during the test because this car doesn't have rear-seat side airbags. Measures recorded on the dummy indicate that serious neck injuries and a fractured pelvis would be possible in a crash of this severity.

If you're driving a PT Cruiser drive slowly or, actually, maybe a bit faster to avoid getting rear-ended.

The IIHS also tested the 2009 Mini Cooper, which is in a smaller car category. The new Cooper was awarded with a "Good" rating for both front and rear testing, but was merely "Adequate" in side impact ratings.

Full details in the press release below.

New crash tests of small cars: good ratings in frontal tests but many models need better side and rear crash protection

ARLINGTON, VA — Most new small cars now earn good ratings in frontal crash tests but not when it comes to side and rear crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently completed front, side, and rear tests of seven 2009 model small cars: Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Matrix. All earn the highest rating of good for occupant protection in frontal crashes. Only the SX4 and Matrix and its twin Pontiac Vibe also earn good ratings for protection in side crashes. Among seat/head restraints evaluated, only those in the Focus earn a good rating for protection in rear impacts. The Institute also tested the Mini Cooper, a minicar that earns good ratings for front and rear crashworthiness but not for side protection.

"Automakers have made big improvements to small cars to better protect people in frontal crashes," says Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan. "They've also added stronger structures and standard head-protecting side airbags to help in side crashes, which are tougher on smaller, lighter cars."

Eleven of the 21 current small car models the Institute has rated earn good ratings for side protection. "This is a huge improvement from our last comprehensive round of small car crashworthiness evaluations in 2006," Nolan says. "Then only 3 of the 19 tested earned a good rating in the side evaluation. Most earned a poor rating."

The Institute's side test is especially challenging for small cars because the barrier that strikes the test vehicle represents the front end of a pickup truck or SUV. Side airbags designed for head protection are crucial because the barrier crashes into the side of the car right at the head level of the two dummies that are positioned in the driver seat and in the rear seat behind the driver.

"Side airbags were mostly optional in the 2006 round of small car tests," Nolan says. "A major change is that side airbags are standard in all of the seven small cars we tested this time around."

Small cars have grown especially popular as gasoline prices fluctuate and consumers become more conservation-minded. Nolan cautions that even though current models do a better job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes than earlier ones, small cars inherently afford less crash protection than bigger, heavier vehicles. "There's no escaping the laws of physics," Nolan says. "People in larger, heavier cars fare better in crashes with other vehicles and in single-vehicle crashes than people in smaller ones."

PT Cruiser earns poor ratings for side, rear protection: The Chrysler PT Cruiser is the only small car in the recent test series to earn poor marks in both side and rear evaluations. In the side test, measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that in a real-world crash of similar severity, rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely, along with a possible pelvic fracture. The rear passenger dummy's head contacted the C-pillar during the test because this car doesn't have rear-seat side airbags. Measures recorded on the dummy indicate that serious neck injuries and a fractured pelvis would be possible in a crash of this severity.

The PT Cruiser's seat/head restraints are the only ones the Institute tested this time around that earn the lowest rating of poor for occupant protection in rear crashes. The seat/head restraint combinations in the Chevrolet HHR and Suzuki SX4 earn the next lowest rating of marginal. Looking at the larger group of 21 current small car models the Institute has rated, the PT Cruiser still has the worst seat/head restraint rating.

"The PT Cruiser doesn't offer the same crash protection level as other small cars," Nolan says. "For consumers who want to drive small cars, there are many good alternatives to the PT Cruiser, including the six Top Safety Pick winners the Institute announced last month. There are lots of good choices, too, among midsize and large cars."

Top Safety Pick recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also must have electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows significantly reduces crash risk. The 2009 small car winners are the Honda Civic 4-door (except the Si model), Mitsubishi Lancer, and Toyota Corolla, all with optional ESC, and the Scion xB, Subaru Impreza, and Volkswagen Rabbit 4-door, all with standard ESC.

ESC should be standard: Among the small cars in this round of tests, only the Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Vibe have standard ESC. It isn't available at all on the PT Cruiser and optional on the rest, including the Vibe's twin Toyota Matrix. ESC helps reduce rollovers, especially fatal single-vehicle ones. When ESC senses a vehicle is becoming unstable, it automatically engages to help a driver regain control and put the vehicle back in the intended travel direction. ESC lowers fatal rollover crash risk by as much as 70 percent. "Cars aren't involved in rollovers as often as SUVs and pickups, but when they do roll the consequences can be deadly," Nolan notes. "The smallest cars that most need this crash avoidance feature often don't have it."

Rear crashworthiness needs improving: Many automakers haven't paid as much attention to protection in rear crashes, compared with front and side, Nolan points out. Good seat/head restraints are key to preventing whiplash injuries. Neck sprain or strain is the most frequently reported crash injury in US insurance claims. When a vehicle is struck in the rear and driven forward, its seats accelerate occupants' torsos forward. Unsupported, the head will lag behind the forward torso movement, and the differential motion causes the neck to bend and stretch. The higher the torso acceleration, the more sudden the motion, the higher the forces on the neck, and the more likely a neck injury is to occur. Keeping the head and torso moving together is crucial to reducing whiplash injury risk. To accomplish this, the geometry of a head restraint has to be adequate — high enough to be near the back of the head. Then the seat structure and stiffness characteristics must be designed to work in concert with the head restraint to support an occupant's neck and head, accelerating them with the torso as the vehicle is pushed forward.

"In stop and go commuter traffic, you're more likely to get in a rear-end collision than any other kind of crash," Nolan says. "It's not a major engineering feat to design seats and head restraints that afford good protection in these common crashes." For example, when Toyota redesigned the Corolla for 2009 it incorporated active head restraints to help guard against whiplash injuries. Active head restraints are designed to move closer to the backs of occupants' heads in rear-end crashes.

Mini Cooper results: This minicar was redesigned for the 2007 model year, and it earned a good rating for frontal crash protection in a previous test. New side and rear tests were conducted to assess further design changes made for the most recent models. This minicar earns a good rating for rear protection and an acceptable rating for side protection. Measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that a fractured pelvis would be possible in a side crash of the same severity, but there's low risk that other significant injuries would occur to the driver. For the rear passenger, rib fractures and/or internal organ injuries would be possible. ESC is newly standard for the 2009 model year.

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/ head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.

[IIHS]

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: Yes
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: Yes
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: Yes
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: No

Also Consider:
*Honda Fit
*Nissan Versa
*Volkswagen Rabbit
*Used Subaru WRX
*Subaru Impreza 2.5i
*Mazda Mazda3
*Suzuki Burgman

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Suzuki
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $14,999
• Price as Tested: $16,870
• Engine type: 2.0L DOHC I4
• Horsepower: 143 @ 5,800 RPM
• Torque: 136 @ 3,500 RPM
• Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
• Curb Weight: 2,800 lbs
• LxW: 162.8" x 69.1"
• Wheelbase: 98.4"
• Tires: P205/60R16
• 0 - 60 mph: 8.3 Seconds
• 1/4-mile: 16.8 seconds
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 21/28
• NHTSA crash test rating: ****/**** (Driver/Passenger)

Also see:

• 2008 Suzuki SX4, Part One
• 2008 Suzuki SX4, Part Two

Acceleration:**
If I could change one thing about this car it would be the transmission. Though power plays into the equation, and the 143 horses tied together with Suzuki's version of variable valve timing try hard, the five forward gears are one shy of awesome and a reconsideration of the ratios could push this car into knock-out economy car territory.

Braking:****
The four-wheel disc brakes, front ventilated and rear solid, have an easy feel and would do well on a larger, heavier car. On the lilliputian SX4 they're perfect for creating a little stop-short moment with your lady friend.

Ride:**
For a big chunk of our bike riding adventure one of my passengers was facing down a sharp bike pedal. Though he made it out without a scratch, it got a little close. Suzuki made a decision to err on the side of handling, and though most would agree it was the right choice, there's a touch more bump than some economy buyers are willing to accept.

Handling:****
"Are our cars as exciting as our bikes?" Suzuki asks in its advertisements. I'm not a big bike guy, but I'm willing to guess no way in hell. But it's closer than you think. The best part of this crossover is how it handles when it needs to. The SX4 goes where you point it and the auto AWD system provides just a touch of energy when necessary. Even in slippery conditions the car maintains its composure and is, most importantly, easy to predict.

Gearbox:**
A sixth gear and an aluminum ring is all that's needed to make this an excellent gearbox. The throws are a touch long but the clutch works well even with clunky footwork and the placement is right in my sweet spot but it revs way too high in freeway driving, literally whining for that extra gear.

Audio:*
This is, without a doubt, the worst FM radio in any new car I've ever driven. Chicago is all buildings and, therefore, signals aren't at their best. But I constantly lost signals and rear passengers couldn't hear anything. Thumb controls are a nice touch, but they don't connect to a radio I'd like in my car.

Toys:***
The entire car is a toy, but we have to give credit to Suzuki for providing gimmicks like tumble-forward rear seats, a sharp center information strip with fuel range and external temperature and other smart touches. The AWD system, though lacking in low/high range (c'mon, what did you expect?), has a great "2WD/Auto/Lock" switch next to the handbrake that makes you feel like you're in a far more expensive ride.

Value:****
For $16,870 you get three-mode AWD, a six-disc changer, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, roadside assistance, six airbags, cruise control, power everything and even rear intermittent wipers. Throw in automatic air-conditioning that cleverly mimics climate control and you're hard-pressed to find another bargain for this MSRP. Oh, and it has keyless entry, though it requires carrying around a key fob that might be mistaken for a Sega Game Gear.

Overall: ****
It's hard to know what the Suzuki SX4 aspires to be, but it's not the usual SUV-car dichotomy that most crossovers try to fake. You're not going to mistake this for a Range Rover. The real question you have to ask when judging this car is whether or not it is an exciting bargain car or an exciting car that's a bargain, and though I'd lean towards the former, it's a question that doesn't even come up with other cars in this price range.

Also see:

• 2008 Suzuki SX4, Part One

Though the SX4 has a rather small footprint, the tall greenhouse and folding seats mean that it can hold all the active lifestyle accouterment we brought along, plus Jane and her fiance Kevin. I should clarify here, my gear was a pair of hiking boots, a camera and a cooler full of sandwiches. Their gear included two bikes, bike accessories, helmets, cleaning supplies, assorted hiking gear and another cooler full of snacks (biking burns calories). The SX4 swallowed all of this without too much Tetris, though Kevin was staring down a set of handle bars for the long drive out to the Palos Forest Preserve southwest of town.

When we got to the biking staging area we found some other, intense looking bikers and their assorted E-series vans, Saab wagons, WRX's and even an Aveo with a roof rack, thereby blowing a hole in my theory that only high school girl's drive Aveos as their first car. According to the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers site, Palos is the "grand daddy of the trail systems available in Chicago... The area has hills, rolling widetrack, tight twisty singletrack, climbs, fast descents and plenty more to keep you satisfied for hours." And this beats a Howard Hawks film festival how?

After unpacking the bikes and assembling them, we stopped to setup for some pictures. My conception of what you wear for an outdoor adventure was a little different from what they actually wear, as you can see from the picture above. I quickly changed back into my normal normal clothing and left them to their off road fun. For me, the fun was to be had on the roads.

This is where the SX4 abandons all the pretense contained in the black plastic wheel arches, metal-look skidplates and fog lights. The roads running through and around the forest preserve include a surprisingly engaging mix of gravely uphill curves, downhill straights and even a few esses that make you wonder why anyone gets out of their cars. Maybe because they aren't driving something as fun as the SX4.

The car simply drives with more poise than any vehicle in this class should. This particular model featured Suzuki's three-mode intelligent AWD system, which offers the option to send all the power to the front wheels, to all wheels on demand or to lock the transfer case into a full 50/50 split. I kept it keyed into the auto mode and found you had to push the SX4 hard into a corner before significant power was transferred rearward, giving the little hatch enough energy to propel it into the next straightway.

While Kevin and Jane attempted to find the limits of their abilities I tried to find the limits of the SX4 and was pleased to discover that this was a difficult task. There's not much noticeable roll when guiding what is essentially a tall wagon around the turns. The suspension is aggressively tuned for a small economy car that competes with Scions, but the ride isn't overly harsh. If there's one obvious complaint it's that the all-black, unadorned shifter looks like it's been taken out of the bargain bin at a Boy's Town sex shop, but the easy clutch action means you're not likely to be staring at it long.

In the lower gears there's a steady stream of manageable power to be had from the 2.0-liter, DOHC fourbanger, which puts out 143 horsepower and 136 lb/ft of torque. Though you may not want to race for pinks at your local drag strip, there's enough oompf left to keep you entertained in all but the longest straights. And entertained you'll be. All of a sudden I looked at the clock in the smartly designed info strip above the center console and realized I had to get back from, well, I wasn't sure where I was at this point. Thankfully, Kevin had packed an extra trail map for me and I was able to work my way back to the original staging area.

When I got there, Kevin jokingly asked if I'd like to "actually see nature" by going for a short hike. I agreed, not knowing a short hike meant more than an hour, and we loaded the gear back into the Suzuki. Here's where the SX4 really shines as an "outdoor lifestyle" vehicle. The ergonomic interior doesn't merely store all of our stuff, it manages to do so without getting damaged. The seats tumble all the way forward and the synthetic seat covers and interior plastics take a lot of abuse without damage, leaving every scrape and chunk of dirt to be easily wiped out.

The bikes once again stowed, we headed out for this "nature" everyone talks about. Though the hiking trails are varied enough to be entertaining and open up to a shallow lake rimmed by striking green grassland, I couldn't help but wish I was back on the road. That says a lot for this vehicle considering its fully-loaded test price is less than $17,000.

Though the SX4 does have its shortcomings, most strikingly the amount of cabin noise you're subjected to as the engine whines above 80 mph, you'd be hard-pressed to find another new vehicle for this price that not only gets you to your "off the beaten path" adventure, but makes getting there the fun part.

2009 Suzuki SX4: FIRST CAR IN AMERICA UNDER $16,000 WITH STANDARD NAVIGATION

• BREA, Calif. (April 28, 2008) - Establishing an auto industry first, and packing even more appeal into its bold and stylish sport compact, American Suzuki Motor Corp. today announced the addition of a fully integrated standard navigation system to the 2009 Suzuki SX4. The company's offering marks the first time a new vehicle under $16,000 will include navigation as a standard feature. The innovative navigation system will be included as standard equipment on both the four-door SX4 Sport and front-wheel-drive version of the five-door SX4 Crossover, propelling the 2009 SX4 to the front of the compact segment as the personal technology leader.
• The Suzuki SX4's integrated navigation system is the result of a partnership with Garmin and is available with a variety of advanced Microsoft Network-enabled features, including real-time traffic, weather forecasts, local event listings and a gas station finder capable of locating the lowest priced fuel in town. To further customize the system to reflect its "Way of Life" brand attitude, Suzuki will add a number of lifestyle-oriented, Suzuki-recommended destinations and landmarks to the system. The locations include hip music venues, popular surf spots, interesting road trip attractions and other activity-focused destinations that will be clearly identified with a Suzuki "Way of Life" icon on the navigation screen.
• "Aside from improving an already popular vehicle, this navigation system provides a unique opportunity to further express the Suzuki 'Way of Life' brand spirit and directly respond to SX4 shoppers' unmet needs," said Mark Harano, president of American Suzuki Automotive Operations. "We know that our customers are vibrant and adventurous at heart, so we've gone beyond a typical navigation offering to develop a system capable of enhancing driver experiences and activating a passion for living life to the fullest. Navigation makes drivers feel more confident and in control, and our customized navigation system is the perfect fit for Suzuki owners' on-the-go attitude and daily routine."

Suzuki based its decision to include standard navigation on feedback from current SX4 owners regarding their most desired features in their next vehicle purchase. In addition to improving overall favorable impressions of the SX4, Suzuki research showed the addition of a navigation system had a positive "halo" effect on a range of driver perceptions, including significant increases in drivers' "feelings of control" and "feelings of safety."
Referred to as the Suzuki T.R.I.P. (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play), the fully integrated system utilizes Navteq mapping software and includes a flip-up 4.3-inch touch screen display and Bluetooth hands-free calling technology that can receive and audibly play text messages. The system also comes preloaded with street maps that feature millions of points-of-interest, such as hotels, restaurants, gasoline stations and ATMs, and other Suzuki-recommended, brand-oriented destinations. A dedicated community Web site will be launched to support the sharing and downloading of user-generated recommendations for destinations and drive routes among Suzuki owners.
The touch screen navigation system included as standard equipment on the 2009 SX4 Sport and front-wheel-drive version of the five-door SX4 Crossover will come with a number of standard navigation features and millions of unique points-of-interest. Bluetooth capability and other enhanced Microsoft Network-enabled features of the system, including real-time traffic, local events, weather forecasts and a gas price finder, will be included as part of the SX4's upgraded trim package. The 2009 SX4 is scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms this summer.

Suzuki Makai

Concurrent with the arrival of the 2008 SX4 Sport production vehicle, Suzuki further expands its highly popular and media-acclaimed Suzuki LIVE Series (LIFE VEHICLES) - a line of brand-dedicated concept vehicles specially designed for life enthusiasts, adventurers and thrill-seekers.

With spirited colors and a playful design, Suzuki's newest LIVE Series offering, the Makai concept, is based on the all-new 2008 SX4 Sport and has a dedicated open-car bodystyle for breezy fun-in-the-sun motoring - the perfect ingredient for an exhilarating driving experience. Fabricated and painted by Andry Specialty Vehicles of Torrance, Calif., the Makai's potential is fully realized with its comprehensive list of imaginative, high-style features.

From the ground up, its large 19-inch CEC wheels, wide Michelin Pilot sport tires, four-wheel disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors and Rotora calipers further enhance the Makai's wide, aggressive stance. Adorned with multi-step sunset orange paint, custom body kit, styled exhaust, and LED taillights and running lamps, the Makai's exterior is sure to turn curious heads.

Beachgoers and surf aficionados will enjoy the ride to the beach just as much as the beach itself with Makai's custom surfboard mounting rack and dual matching sunset orange trimmed boards. A shaved windscreen and targa rear hoop further enhances the Makai's sporty open-air look.

The Makai's al fresco cabin is complete with custom interior components, including ventilated, suspended seats in all four positions, high output, beach party-themed VeaLink audio system with MTX speakers and components, dashboard-integrated Garmin® navigation system, Kinetik Power Cell battery, StreetWires audio/video install kit and cabling, Momo Sport steering wheel and color-keyed interior accent lighting.