What? No 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Thread?

[YSSMAN]

Really? I was actually pretty surprised when I showed up and there wasn't one. I mean... This car is supposed to be important right? Greatly anticipated? Something special?

Anyway:

Autoblog Has All the Details on the Kizashi

What You Need 2 Know:

• The car is slightly smaller than the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (183 in)
• Suzuki plans to target the Acura TSX, Volkswagen Passat, and Alfa Romeo 159
• It uses a new 2.4L I4, putting out somewhere between 180-200 BHP
• It comes with a standard 6-speed manual (NICE!) or a CVT Automatic (NOT NICE!)
• A V6 model is (probably) coming, no word on when, or output
• Pricing? Low teens to start, fully loaded, floating in the mid-twenties (i.e. CHEAP)

Frankly, its a nice effort, but I have to wonder if its a bit too late to the party. I mean, the car looks amazing. The interior looks awesome for a car so cheap as well. Furthermore, the idea of a 200 BHP FWD family sedan with a six-speed 'box is totally awesome. I'd love to see it in person, just to get a feel. Make it cheap enough, and hell, I could throw it on the "New Cars Brad is Considering" List.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Looks like they ripped off a VW Jetta.

 

[exigeracer]

What? No thread for another rebadged economy car from a long-irrelevant, uncompetitive company?

Hate to be crass, but I can't remember anyone having a reason to have any interest in Suzuki's non-rally activity. When you're counting down to the dimes in an economy car, it's pretty nonsensical to buy just to be different.

 

[YSSMAN]

I was under the impression that the Kizashi was all done in-house at Suzuki, not sharing any design features with GM-Daewoo products. Not bad if that's the case. Otherwise, I do agree with your final point to some extent. They're not exactly relevant in the North American market, which is a shame, especially given their prominence in the motorcycle industry. Does that make this car of important? Kinda, I guess. I mean, the SX4 has actually sold pretty well... Perhaps they can move a few of these too?

But, anything is better than the Verona. It looked nice inside and out, but I don't know if I've ever driven a car with such a nasty driving experience. I had to LOL when the salesman told me the engine was co-designed by Porsche, because it ran like crap, and delivered absolutely nothing in terms of power (at the time, the Honda I4 in the Accord offered more power, better fuel economy). Good thing they didn't recycle the name...

 

[Tornado]

Were we supposed to know about the Suzuki Kizashi? This if the first even I have hear about it.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

This if the first even I have hear about it.

First for me too. This is like anticipating a new Corolla...except worse.

 

[Northstar]

I think it is actually a totally original Suzuki, however there isn't really any buzz about it. Currently the mid-size market is dead(except the Fusion) and all the focus is on the compact market.

I like it, than again that is probably just because it looks like a slightly better Jetta.

 

[Philly]

Frankly, its a nice effort, but I have to wonder if its a bit too late to the party. I mean, the car looks amazing. The interior looks awesome for a car so cheap as well. Furthermore, the idea of a 200 BHP FWD family sedan with a six-speed 'box is totally awesome. I'd love to see it in person, just to get a feel. Make it cheap enough, and hell, I could throw it on the "New Cars Brad is Considering" List.

You'd take it over a new Jetta? And there's a new mid-sizer from VW coming sometime soon, so I'd bet that'll make this thing (even more) irrelevent.

It does look pretty cool though. I'm wondering how long it'll be until we start seeing these around on the streets.

 

[a6m5]

The car looks really cool, even if they pulled a China on Volkswagen.

Having said that, it is amazing how Suzuki have completely lost their focus. I'm sure it'll be an amazing upgrade over the rebadged crap they've been selling in the U.S. market for the last decade or something like that. But I think they are still trying to execute the wrong game plan!

They used to focus on producing quality cars under 1 million yen(roughly around 10 grand, U.S.), back in the day. Mainly kei-cars. I guess they still do build cool mini-cars, but they just won't let us have it in the States. I'm still very sore about the current gen Swift. Now, there's a cool & original Suzuki.

 

[homeforsummer]

I like it, than again that is probably just because it looks like a slightly better Jetta.

Agreed.

I'm in two minds about this car: Firstly, it looks pretty good and I'm sure it'll be decent to drive and a model of reliability.

Secondly, I'm not sure whether it'd be worth buying because the cars which Suzuki do really well are tiny ones and they mostly sell those in Japan (indeed, I'm sure I heard somewhere they sell more cars in Japan than Toyota or Honda do). Their models in the rest of the world are fairly average, apart from the impressive SX4 and Swift.

 

[Keef]

It'd look good slammed with some big wide-lipped wheels.

 

[Jim Prower]

Agreed.

I'm in two minds about this car: Firstly, it looks pretty good and I'm sure it'll be decent to drive and a model of reliability.

Secondly, I'm not sure whether it'd be worth buying because the cars which Suzuki do really well are tiny ones and they mostly sell those in Japan (indeed, I'm sure I heard somewhere they sell more cars in Japan than Toyota or Honda do). Their models in the rest of the world are fairly average, apart from the impressive SX4 and Swift.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't those the two most recent mainstream models Suzuki made?

I personally am quite impressed by this vehicle. Yeah, it kinda apes the Jetta...but, then again, it still has 'zuki's "Corporate Face," too. I'd love to get a V6 and 6-speed in something other than a Honda, too. :3

 

[Omnis]

Looks like they ripped off a VW Jetta.

That's what I thought too. Looks better than a Jetta though, except the interior is inferior.

 

[homeforsummer]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't those the two most recent mainstream models Suzuki made?

I think so, but in the UK I think we get more Suzukis than you do over there, and different ones at that. Your XL7 and Equator aren't even Suzukis, just re-badged versions of other cars. That they're currently the best Suzukis on sale over here highlights why we need better tiny Suzukis here, but also highlights how good Suzuki are with generally small cars.

We get the Alto, Splash (which has an equivalent Vauxhall) and Jimny as well as a 3dr version of the Vitara. All have their merits but none are particularly special. At a quick count, Suzuki sell 30 different passenger car ranges in Japan and all but a handfull of those are Kei cars! I just find myself wishing that instead of giving us dull small cars in the UK they shipped over some of the crazier stuff. In theory it's the perfect time as people are downsizing and looking for something interesting. Suzuki are like FIAT - small cars are their raison d'être.

The Alto they sell in Japan for example is very different from the Alto we get. They even sell the Alto Lapin (you may recognise from GT4) over there which is far more funky than ours. Sold at the right price (which I'm sure Suzuki would as they're a budget marque) it'd be a great competitor for the Smart, Toyota iQ, Aygo/107/C1 etc.

I do like the SX4 sedan you get over there though. Looks pretty cool.

 

[Joey D]

Jetta front end, Civic tail lamps, and a BMW 1-series boot.

With that said I'll have to wait and test drive it before I deem it a good or bad car.

I do like the SX4 sedan you get over there though. Looks pretty cool.

It's MIGHTIER THAN THE MINI too, even though they don't even remotely compete against one another but hey whatever works right?

 

[homeforsummer]

Jetta front end, Civic tail lamps, and a BMW 1-series boot.

IMO it looks better than any of those three though. And indeed the MINI I'm afraid to say, since they re-modelled it to look like a Chinese copy of the first new MINI a few years back.

 

[Joey D]

IMO it looks better than any of those three though. And indeed the MINI I'm afraid to say, since they re-modelled it to look like a Chinese copy of the first new MINI a few years back.

I blame the EU for the goofy looks of the MINI, in order to incorporate certain features, like pedestrian bumpers the car had to be designed like that. It'll be getting a design change for the 2011 model year though so maybe they will have rethought everything.

 

[Paulie]

Nobody knew about this car? Wow, I find that hard to believe.....

I was under the impression that top spec Kizashis were to get AWD and a 3.6L V6, that hasn't been confirmed yet? Oh well. The concept car was pretty gnarly too, which I believe was even V8 powered.

 

[homeforsummer]

I knew about the concept car but not about the road car. I photographed the concept car at last year's London Motorshow:

 

[YSSMAN]

You'd take it over a new Jetta? And there's a new mid-sizer from VW coming sometime soon, so I'd bet that'll make this thing (even more) irrelevent.

Its all about the money, in my opinion. If they can deliver a 200 BHP version, with a pretty tight suspension, for well-under $20K... I'd consider it. Personally, VW makes some great stuff, but I'm not a fan of the five-cylinder engine, and I'm still not totally sold on the 2.0T setup. Hand me a high-output naturally aspirated I4 any day.

My short list of anticipated awesome (to possibly replace the Celica)

• Ford Fiesta "Sport" 5DR
• Kia Koupe
• FIAT 500 Sport
• Chevrolet Cruze
• Suzuki Kizashi
• (Used) Ford Fusion SE I4 6M
• (Used) Mazda MX-5 NC
• (Used) Honda S2000

Clearly, I can't make up my mind!

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

What I like about this car is that length-wise it fits between the Corolla and Accord. On the bad side the gap isn't as big as I thought it was. Apparently the Corolla got a bit longer with the facelift.

 

[Eric.]

Jetta front end, Civic tail lamps, and a BMW 1-series boot.

With that said I'll have to wait and test drive it before I deem it a good or bad car.



It's MIGHTIER THAN THE MINI too, even though they don't even remotely compete against one another but hey whatever works right?

Heh, I hadn't even thought about the taillights looking like a Civic, and at first I was trying too see how you could see that either. But then I realized that I was thinking Civic Sedan. It has coupe-like tails.

 

[EA11R]

I didn't see the Jetta front until it was pointed out, but I can't believe I'm the only one to notice that the taillights are directly from an Impreza!

And, as only an Altima owner would notice, Nissan beat BMW to that trunklid by at least a few years:

It's just a little more tame, so you could still put another spoiler on.

 

[Tornado]

Containing a single (and even then only vaguely) similar detail out of the entire shape does not constitute "Nissan did it first." You might as well say that Lamborghini styled the front end of the Porsche 928 because the headlight design is the same.

 

[Omnis]

With design, it doesn't matter who did it first. It matters who does it right.

 

[Eric Demory]

Looks like they ripped off a VW Jetta.

It does.

 

[EA11R]

With design, it doesn't matter who did it first. It matters who does it right.

Agreed. But Altima still seemed to do it first.

Forgive me, I'm still overwhelmed with the novelty of owning any car at all. It also can do a million miles per hour and has a seventeen-body trunk.

 

[a6m5]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm pretty sure Nissan didn't make any Altimas in 1998-2001. I'm pretty sure.

j/k

 

[Frankster]

How is it that I saw one of these at a gas station today?

Either this hit Northern Virginia dealers early, or this guy is an employee that got one for evaluation or some kind of advertising purpose.

Anyway, this car looks premium from the rear. The subtle built in spoiler, dual chrome exhaust, allow wheels are pretty sweet. I kept staring at the front trying to figure out what the grill shape reminded me of. Got home and realized it is very Jetta'esque, but overall this car is better looking than the jetta.

Anyone seen pricing info on it? Anything under $20k for this car as I saw it set up would have me interested.

I had no idea what the model was so I snapped this crappy photo to remind myself to look it up online when I got home. The view from my side mirror...

 

[a6m5]

I thought for sure it was a Corolla! Nice find though.