Battling plummeting sales, Suzuki says it will offer three months worth of free gasoline to anyone who buys one of its SX4 small cars. The small Japanese automaker’s sales have been off well over 50 percent this year and were down 78 percent last month when compared to the year before.
Some of Suzuki’s drop-off in sales can be attributed to a thinning of the lineup that has seen the XL-7’s production go idle and the Forenza and Reno drop off the map entirely. Still, the Grand Vitara and SX4 slipped 69.1 and 53.2 percent, respectively, last month.
Suzuki will give buyers a gas card worth $270 for the SX4 sedan and $290 for the SX4 hatchback – good for what the automaker says is the equivalent of three months worth of driving.



07/02, 5:46 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
$270 is 3 months of gas for whom? More like 1 month.
07/02, 5:50 PM
posted by:
orangecones
Yey additional $300 rebate on a car nobody wants. Actually, that is almost too bad because suzuki is one of the more unique small car marques out there, and it would be a shame for them to close up shop on our side of the pond due to lackluster sales. Anyone remember Isusu, and how they went from a full-line (sorta) manufacturer to SUVs-only, to 1 SUV (Ascender), and then they sorta died? This is what I see happening here. The SX4 is a nice small wagon, perhaps give the ever-bloated Impreza a good swift kick in the ass..but americans don’t get small wagons as probably the best type of car there is.
07/02, 5:51 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
I don’t see how this a good deal at all!!!!
07/02, 6:06 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
What do you expect when nobody even thinks of Suzuki when they think of cars. No full product line + little advertising + bad economy = not very good for business.
07/02, 6:18 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
270 bucks…gas is ~2.50 where i am right now…that’s 108 gallons…if you estimate 25 mpg mixed driving that’s 2700 miles…that’s 3 months worth of driving for somebody driving 10.8k miles per year…on the low end of things…to drive that much per month would be over 30k per year…
07/02, 6:58 PM
posted by:
Borat
Yeah, but it is a well screwed car and Suzuki gives them now at advertised dealer cost already. Beside Suby it is only 4WD small car, that does not burn hole in your pocket. I test drove with manual it was very well put together car.
07/02, 7:01 PM
posted by:
Mutant@DCX
98L of Ultra94 @ $117 CDN lasts me 4 days of casual driving. I wouldn’t get out of bed for less than a $3000 gas card.
07/02, 10:21 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Screw that. 3 months of free beer and we’ll talk.
07/02, 10:42 PM
posted by:
Veda
They’ve stopped producing the XL-7 since 2005 here. Only in US Suzuki could get away selling a gas guzzler like the XL-7 that long.
07/02, 11:31 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
SUZUKI needs to roll out their WRC version of the SX4 and fast. This is a car that screams “Tune me” but only if SUZUKI shows what can be done with the car. It’s a sweet little number that deserves more play.
07/03, 1:44 AM
posted by:
Ring-Taxi
Shoulda stuck with motorcycles. That could’ve spared plenty of people a headache.
07/03, 2:07 AM
posted by:
Atticus13
Suzuki just needs to freshen up the Sx4. Haven’t driven one yet but if you go by consumer reports, they are extremely reliable so far. . . as in full red circles (that’s the best) for every category as far as reliability goes. The look grows on you too. They survive this economic storm and they could end up being something of an automobile company,. . . after all they are doing good elsewhere
07/03, 6:54 AM
posted by:
shifty
I bought an SX4 sedan last year and it has been a great car so far, average 31 mpg. for $14,999 out the door, it came with 17″ alloys, KYB struts, front and rear sway bars, 146 horsepower, 4-wheel discs, and the usual assortment of auto door locks, windows, a/c, etc. The only thing it doesn’t have is a trunk release on the key fob, have to either flip the lever under the seat or use the key, but no biggie, it saves them money I guess. Speaking of trunks, it is HUGE. I autocross mine and can carry my full set of race tires, tool box, floor jack, small cooler and chair in there, and still have plenty of room for little things here and there. It’ll hold its own in the Stock class with the Mazdas too with the 5-speed. Handles great for a sedan. But I’ve only seen 1 other sedan on the road here in Florida and have only seen a couple of the crossovers, so they aren’t big sellers. Plus my dealer went belly-up a month after I bought it, but there is another dealer here in town, so I’m not out in the cold.
07/03, 1:27 PM
posted by:
A4
SX4’s are awesome. Maybe its bland looking but it is damn near bulletproof. I would certainly take one over an Aveo, Caliber, Yaris – but the Fit is a different story.
07/03, 5:26 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
In NY, I’ve seen a lot of them. I guess they’re good in snow.
This is the only product Suzuki currently has that’s worth mentioning. Me thinks this is what has remotely kept them in the American market- even if they aren’t selling them by the bucketloads.
07/06, 11:10 AM
posted by:
shaver
SX4 is Underated and hurt by that dam window design.