Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery fo the Suzuki SX4t.

When Suzuki launched the SX4, we couldn't help thinking that the oddly shaped hatch had some aftermarket potential. Suzuki seemed to think the same thing and tapped Road Race Motorsports, the renowned SoCal tuning firm, to create a one-off concept for the Chicago Auto Show. Road Race decided that it could do better than just some wheels, brakes, a body kit and a few engine mods, so its created the SX4t, a turbocharged version of the all-wheel-drive hatch that could mark the beginning of Suzuki's ascendancy into the aftermarket.

Road Race fitted a Mitsubishi 16G GT3 turbocharger onto the 2.0-liter four-pot, which delivers seven pounds of boost and increases output to 221 hp and 208 lb.-ft. of torque, a substantial bump over the stock mill's 143 hp and 136 lb.-ft. of torque. According to Suzuki, that should drop 0-60 times to under seven seconds when equipped with the five-speed manual.

More impressive, however, is that Suzuki is giving Road Race its blessing and that could mean that the turbo upgrade, along with plenty of other go-fast bits, could be available from your local Suzuki dealership. The cost of the turbo kit, with all the necessary plumbing, will come in at relatively steep $5,400 when it goes on sale this June. Suzuki estimates that the installation would run between $1,100 and $1,200 at the dealership, but wouldn't say if fitting the kit would affect the seven-year/100,000 factory warranty on the powertrain. While dropping close to $10-grand on an SX4 for wheels, brakes and engine mods might be a tough pill to swallow, it will have to suffice for Suzuki enthusiasts hoping that the automaker would release a rally-inspired SX4.

Hit the jump for the full press release from Suzuki.