SX4 could become a hero

If it comes to fruition, the Suzuki SX4 Sport, as the road car might be called, would be a direct competitor for the new Subaru WRX, which has been a dominant force in the performance small car segment for years.

But the new Rex (WRX) has lost its hard performance edge and is unlikely to appeal to its traditional audience. A Suzuki hot rod could be too tantalising for keen drivers looking for a Rex replacement.

It would be made in Japan, have rally cred, look the business and carry the Suzuki name which has a lot of respect.

And what would be really good for Suzuki is that Nobuhiro (Monster) Tajima, one of the most dominant drivers at the frightening Pikes Peak hill climb in the US, would have direct input into the road car.

It would be a finely fettled device to be sure and would quite possibly rattle the cage of good, many so-called performance models.

The WRC car, is due to embark soon on its initial foray into the title challenge, which has impressive specifications.

It runs a 2.0-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine delivering 235kW/590Nm output. That's equivalent to a good V8 in a small car weighing 1230kg. It has a five speed sequential manual transmission and a carbon clutch. Drive is to all wheels via an electronic centre differential.

The suspension is by struts using high quality adjustable dampers and the brakes are 370mm discs on the front with eight piston calipers, 355mm at the rear with four piston calipers.

It's a wild looking car with a huge multi-deck rear wing protruding from the rear screen and a low centre of gravity. The wheels are 18-inch diameter and carry Michelin tyres at present.

Tajima has used expertise gleaned from Pikes Peak on the WRC car so it should be able to cut it right from the outset. Tajima has built up and stored a huge knowledge base over the years and refers to it for the correct set up when racing.

Obviously, any road-going version of the car wouldn't be specified to this level but it is conceivable that the SX4 Sport would be good for 150-160kW, without too much trouble and would have running gear to match, which means big brakes, firm suspension and sporty dynamics.

Suzuki execs go a little bit coy when potential specification of an SX4 Sport is mentioned. They throw back the line of being more concerned about carbon dioxide emissions than sports performance. But pressure is building from many quarters within the Suzuki world, to leverage the company's involvement in motor sport and the World Rally Championship by building a road car.

Otherwise, what is the point of competing?

An SX4 would need to sell in the $40,000 range to be competitive and be specified to a reasonable level of luxury and safety, all of which is available from the Suzuki parts bin.

Tajima would be able to tell Suzuki how to calibrate pretty well the entire car for road use while retaining a sporty flavour.

The current SX4 all-wheel drive is a handy car, but lacks a hero model in the range to attract performance car buyers to Suzuki. That's where the SX4 Sport comes into the picture.

It's all hypothetical right now but entirely do-able by Suzuki. Here's hoping.