The European patent office has revealed a few outline drawings of the upcoming Suzuki Kizashi mid-sizer that the Japanese automaker, more often associated with high-performance motorcycles, hopes will compete head-on with the best in the world. The Kizashi could be a make-it or break-it type vehicle for Suzuki, which sells huge numbers of very small cars in Japan but has only a small foothold in the United States. These drawings seem to indicate that the Kizashi will keep some of its styling cues intact, though it also looks as if it could be mistaken for a Chevy Malibu from some angles. When Suzuki releases the Kizashi to the general public, which some speculate could be as early as the Paris Motor Show next month, it will be equipped with both four-cylinder and V6 engine options with up to 300 horsepower and all-wheel-drive. Specs like that ought to strike some fear into the established players if Suzuki is able to keep the price down. Stay tuned.
Suzuki has teased us with three separate Kizashi concept cars and finally told us that a production vehicle based on the last concept would be coming to America in 2010. Work is apparently underway on the new Camcord competitor, and proof of Suzuki's efforts have appeared in a Southern California parking lot. Although the entire car is covered in camo, a few subtle details, including the grille and profile, appear to keep with the original concept, which garnered a substantial amount of acclaim when it was originally unveiled.
As pointed out by Autofiends, the Kizashi sedan looks a bit smaller than the vehicles it will be competing against, particularly when you consider that the Honda Accord has grown so large that it's now classified as a full-size car, akin to the Toyota Avalon and Buick Lucerne. We welcome the idea of a smaller and sportier option, especially one equipped with an offshoot of GM's 3.6-liter V6, which is expected to join Suzuki's Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive when the production Kizashi debuts next year.
Suzuki's sales in the United States have been at historically high levels the last two years. Both 2006 and 2007 saw American Suzuki Motor Corporation move more than 100,000 units – a big feat for a little brand in the U.S during these tough economic times. Despite that seemingly good news, Rick Suzuki, president of ASMC, has called the performance dismal and is stepping down in an act of seppuku. The record performance is looked upon so unfavorably because it falls far short of goals laid out by Suzuki in 2003 as part of a five-year plan to eventually sell 200,000 automobiles. Financially, ASMC is taking losses, so Suzuki has put into place a buyout plan that is expected to aid in trimming 55 jobs out of its 674-strong U.S. workforce. Employees who do stay on can expect no bonus or raise this year.
Perhaps Suzuki was caught up in irrational exuberance back in 2003 and set some overly-ambitious targets. Its automotive product line has a certain appeal, and the unveiling of the Kizashi 3 at the New York Auto Show has us excited for what's soon to come from Suzuki. Here's hoping the brand doesn't go the way of Isuzu in the U.S.
Suzuki has been teasing us over the last few months with its duo of highly stylized concepts, the Kizashi and Kizashi 2. While it was obvious that cues found on both those concepts are going to inspire the styling of future models, it wasn't clear how Suzuki would implement some of the more extreme features of this design language. Today in New York, Suzuki showed what elements were making the cut with the unveiling of the Kizashi 3 concept.
Sporting a toned-down version of the gaping maw found on the first two concepts, deeply drawn headlights and recessed fog lamps, the fascia has made the successful transition from design exercise to down-to-earth concept. While the profile and rear end is a little less dramatic than the view up front, the 21-inch wheels add a healthy amount of visual weight down below. Underneath the hood is a 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 that drives all four wheels through Suzuki's intelligent AWD system.
Suzuki made it very clear that the Kizashi 3 is a close representation of the production model that will arrive in the U.S. by 2010. It's a serious step to shore up market share in a segment rife with competition, but if the Kizashi is executed as well as the concept, there could be another serious contender coming out of Japan.
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Hyundai is quickly proving with its Genesis luxury sedan that a lower-end Asian automaker can play in the V8-powered big leagues, and if the reports are to be believed, Suzuki wants in. The Japanese carmaker's Kizashi concepts, unveiled in Frankfurt and Tokyo last year, proved popular enough for Suzuki to move ahead with production plans and target a late 2009 roll-out. But before it settles on what form the production version will take, Suzuki is reportedly preparing a third iteration to show at the New York Auto Show in March, and this one will be powered by a V8 driving all four wheels, compared to its turbodiesel and V6 predecessors. Whether there's any truth to the reports will become evident as we weave through Manhattan traffic towards the Javits Center, so stay tuned.
