What to do with Suzuki?

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
  • 50 comments
  • 1,844 views
Ignis Sport: good lateral grip, forgiving, nimble handling, and sub-9 second 0-60 times. Of course, it's an ugly box, but what the hey.

Swift GTi (previous): The Swift in the US suffered from terminal gearbox disease and utter boringness... this would have actually turned it into something quite nice.

Suzuki Jimny: yes, it's crude, yes, it's ancient, yes, it's underpowered... and yes, it can climb hills like a billy goat, and it makes all other off-roaders look superfluously over-complicated. And unlike the Samurai before it, it won't tip over in a light crosswind.

Suzuki doesn't make or sell nice cars in the US market, but they often have had interesting cars elsewhere. The main problem is, Suzuki's line of expertise just doesn't jive with what the US car market wants... or want-ed. With the US becoming more receptive to small cars, may Suzuki will have the last laugh.
 
Suzuki's last entry in this market, the Grand Vitara, has been warmly received by the press as well as the buying public, despite the fact that it's underpowered and small compared to other small SUVs. Everyone loves the Aerio. Frankly I don't think anything's to be "done" with Suzuki - they're improving every day!

(for the record, though, the Suzuki XL-7 is the worst SUV ever manufactured and shares "worst vehicle in production" honors with the Saab 9-5)
 
...I thought the Aerio was effectively canceled after the introduction of the Reno and Forenza? Either way, did they get rid of those stupid digital dials yet? The one I rode in had them, and I found them to be upsetting even in the passenger seat.
 
YSSMAN
...I thought the Aerio was effectively canceled after the introduction of the Reno and Forenza?
Click to expand...

Alas no - Aerio lives on and is in my mind a much better car (more power, available all-wheel drive, similar pricing, better spec, better fuel economy). In fact the Aerio is among my favorite small sedans. To my knowledge the digitial dials still exist.
 
Firebird
So, which of the supposedly "not rubbish" Suzukis that didn't make it to the States should have made it to the States, beyond the aforementioned Cappuccino?

Alto? Ignis? They'd have been laughed off the market.
Click to expand...

well for a start the vitara,ignis and the liana. the vitara has the 1.9 and 2.0 litre peugeot engines(the only good thing french car makers ever made) which has been proven time and again to be one of the best and reliable engines available. the ignis sport has been a half return to suzukis hot hatch dabbling and the liana is just a normal family car but still keeps the reliability that suzuki has been renound for here. so even if none of these takes your fancy looking at them, they are really good reliable cars. but im fairly sure if any of these are in the states the badge would be the only thing in common with the two cars because by the posts i have read in this thread i would nearly believe it was two different companies being discussed. all said i think they should get back into making hot hatches and enough of the family cars.:)
 
The Aerio is a great little car for almost no money. You COULD pick it apart, but why bother. It's fun to drive, looks decent, and gets great MPG...so why bother.

And the new ones with the factory bodykits look even better.
 
The Aerio isn't a horrible car, but it isn't my pick of the Suzuki litter. The Reno isn't half bad, as I do like the Italidesign styling. But dollar for dollar, the Aerio is a tough car to beat... Too bad it's resale value won't hold up, as it could be a fun car to have if equipped correctly.
 
You're right - dollar for dollar, the Aerio is tough and some may say almost impossible to beat. So why would you choose the leagues crappier Reno?
 
Styling, quasi-compotent abilities, cheap price, etc.

As noted, it isn't the best Suzuki on the market, but it isn't all that bad either.
 
The Forenza (sedan and wagon) isn't bad either, in a Maytag sort of way. It is an appliance in every sense of the word, and thus appeals to, well, I don't know who... Apparently they are reliable and are built reasonably well, but thats about it. The Daewoo engine and transmission aren't too great, the suspension a bit soft, and the performance lacks behind all of it's compeditors.

But it too like the Reno sells on looks, and looks won't sell everything else...
 
Yeah... actually at the end of the day none of the products (except the XL-7) are bad - even the now-defunct Verona. Just, as you say, very much like appliances - most mediocre, with a standout here and there. The brand does have potential though - it's got the strongest name in the "small car" sectors.
 
The Verona was a decent car that looked good...Suzuki just needed to give it some flare and performance.
 
turbo_swift
well for a start the vitara,ignis and the liana.
Click to expand...

The States already get the Vitara and Liana (as Aerio).

Ignis is not powerful enough. The new ones don't even crack 100hp.

I don't think anyone here hates Suzuki. I like Suzuki. They're probably my favourite Japanese carmaker. But their products are staid, boring appliances, and while that might work for Toyota it won't for Suzuki.
 
Well, let's be honest: Echo was laughed off the US market. It's done supremely well here, especially the hatchback, but it was one of very few Toyota flops in the US.

I don't think you realize how small an Alto is: it's a whole size class BELOW the Echo-xA-xB. The model on sale in the UK has a 1.1L four with 62hp. When's the last time something that small and that weak sold well in the States?

I don't have sales figures in front of me, but I don't think the Suzuki Swift did particularly well. Subcompact cars never have in the States. The only one, off the top of my head, that ever did well was the VW Beetle.
 
The last "good" subcompact here in the US, IMO, was the Volkswagen Fox. The last time they were sold here was 1993, ran off with 81 BHP, and did well over 33 MPG combined (even with my lead-foot). That was a great car in it's day, but generally speaking, it wasn't that much smaller than the Golf/Jetta of which it shared many of it's components.
 
Firebird
Well, let's be honest: Echo was laughed off the US market. It's done supremely well here, especially the hatchback, but it was one of very few Toyota flops in the US.

I don't think you realize how small an Alto is: it's a whole size class BELOW the Echo-xA-xB. The model on sale in the UK has a 1.1L four with 62hp. When's the last time something that small and that weak sold well in the States?

I don't have sales figures in front of me, but I don't think the Suzuki Swift did particularly well. Subcompact cars never have in the States. The only one, off the top of my head, that ever did well was the VW Beetle.
Click to expand...

The Echo flopped here, too. Too expensive for such a small hatchback, and too soon to the party. Now that we have the Honda Fit/Jazz, the Chevy/Daewoo Aveo, the Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Getz and Kia Picanto, the supermini hatch wars are heating up, and the Echo is too old to compete.
 
No Yaris yet? In the US the car has allready been labeled too "Vanilla" to really be a viable option against the Nissan Versa (Tiida) and Honda Fit (Jazz). That said, it isn't a bad car, but there are better choises out there...

Kia Rio5 included...
 

Latest Posts

Back