Suzuki Kizashi 2011 News

Suzuki Auto Co, which imports Suzuki just for the Queensland market, has produced a "Karbon Kizashi" concept which is a cosmetically enhanced model with no performance modifications. Two years ago, Suzuki Australia displayed a turbo version at the Australian International Motor Show, but so far has been unsuccessful in prompting the manufacturer to proceed with the project. Queensland importing boss Adam Le Fevre says he can't comment on the turbo model. "We're more interested in personalised enhancements rather than performance modifications," he says. "We don't believe that turbocharging of any model in the range is applicable in this market. "What you are doing is limiting the availability of the people that can drive it because of licensing restrictions for P platers who are a big part of our buyer group demographic. We don't want to muck around with performance and homologation issues." Instead, Suzuki Auto Co has contracted a Victorian company to produce carbon-fibre-styled decals to break up the monotony of the body panels. The Karbon Kizashi has appliques covering the roof, around the driving lights, wing mirrors, lower door garnishes, twin exhaust flutes and rear boot lip spoiler. It also gets black chrome Advanti 19-inch wheels, up from the standard 18-inch wheels from the all-wheel-drive Sport model. "It's a local enhancement of the model in response to feedback from customers and dealers," he says. "We've listened to comments and looked at what some European models are doing as it has Euro styling cues." The final mix of cosmetic updates has yet to be decided, but a display model is doing the rounds of Queensland dealers. Le Fevre says they have not yet decided on a price, but it will attract a premium. The special edition run will be limited to about 40 and the final package will be available sometime next month. Suzuki Australia communications manager Andrew Ellis says they are also "playing with a couple of things" and talking to suppliers to produce limited-edition models. He says the first special edition will be a Swift. Suzuki Auto Co is also considering a special edition of the Swift. The company developed a Swift Super Sport to display during the recent Australian International Rally round in Queensland. The car is designed to look like the rally car that won the Junior World Rally Championship in 2007 and 2010. "Swift lends itself to personalisation by customers and is one of the most customised cars on the market," Le Fevre says. "It has decals, tinted glass and a modified exhaust for more breathing capacity, but at the moment it is just a display model to highlight to customers the potential of what they can do. "It shows that owners are only limited by their imaginations. "If we get interest we will do a limited run of these too. About 15 minimum and no more than 40 to keep it exclusive." Its livery is inspired by the Junior World Rally Championship winning Swift hatches driven by Per-Gunnar Andersson and Aaron Burkhart. However, while the original was a three-door car not marketed in Australia, this is a four-door version.  Both vehicles are touring Queensland dealerships and the importer is inviting comment from the public and dealership staff. "We'll take their responses back to the drawing board with the intention of being able to offer a keenly priced graphics package that will be available at retail level," he says.  

The petrol-electric tease, which has little chance of going into production, is part of a Kizashi double-act that also unleashes a turbocharged Apex concept with 225 kiloWatts to feed its all-wheel drive system.Suzuki is keen to get more airplay for the Kizashi and the American concept cars are the latest effort, tapping opposite ends of the performance spectrum.The Hybrid uses an EcoCharge system with a smaller 2.0-litre engine and a 15-kiloWatt electric motor, with a lithium-ion battery to juice the system for extra acceleration. It's similar to the e-assist system used in the Buick LaCrosse and take an approach like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic.There is also a stop-start system and Suzuki claims a 25 per cent fuel economy improvement, while the visual tweaking for New York includes blue-tinged white bodywork, lightweight alloy wheels, special headlamps, blue lighting on the number plate and LED foglamps.It's ironic that The EcoCharge Kizashi is unveiled as Suzuki is pursuing powerplant choices with its new minority partner, Volkswagen.But Suzuki plans real-world tests and is not ruling out a production version.The Apex turbo is a different deal and, like the Australian-made Kizashi Turbo shown at the Australian International Motor Show last year, is a headliner intended to prove the car can cope with far more than its standard 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine.It's the second time Suzuki has gone for a turbocharged concept car, but this time it is aiming to eliminate the shortcomings of the RRM package - also used on the Australian show car - with bodywork that's inspired by Suzuki's GSX-R racing motorcycles.

The Korean couple are still not in the sports car class, but a preview drive wrapped around the opening of the Australian International Motor   Show highlights the changes made to Hyundai's new heroes. The i45 now has a smoother, cushier ride and much-improved straight-line stability and the ix35 feels more in-touch with the road, instead   of wobbling around over broken surfaces. The changes match the character of the cars and the people who will buy them, as Hyundai owners are most unlikely to be racecar drivers but enjoy a comfortable drive. It's taken less than six months to get the cars tweaked for Australia, which shows a remarkable commitment to Australian customers. Then   again, if it was so easy then we have to ask why the suspension work wasn't done in the first place? The answer is pretty simple: the top people at Hyundai didn't know what they didn't know. The decision makers thought the i45 and ix35 were just fine for Australians and Australian roads, and only realised they had made a mistake when the Carsguide crew - and some other experienced road testers including former Wheels editor Peter Robinson - began to complain. And complain, and complain. We knew from the get-go that the i45 was wonky and the ix35 could be better. And we said it and printed it. Hyundai reacted quickly to the complaints and the changes were also accelerated when Kia, which has an ix35 twin called the Sportage, turned out a much better SUV drive thanks to local suspension work by Carsguide hero Graeme Gambold. The work has all gone into simple things like springs, shock absorbers and anti-roll bars - although the costlier Amplitude Selective Dampers are also fitted across the i45 line - which proves Hyundai was close in the first place. It also says customer research showed no complaints about the way the i45 and ix35 drive. But Carsguide knows the difference, even between an i45 and a Toyota Camry - without worrying about a Mazda6 or Honda Accord Euro or Suzuki Kizashi - and that's why we joined the push to have things improved. Now the job is done and Hyundai has changed forever in Australia. It's an important switch and one which will make things even tougher for its opposition.

The company pulled the wraps on a Kizashi turbo concept car and now asks customers whether they want one.  Suzuki Australia boss Tony Severs says they started working on the concept project after initial positive media feedback for the car’s chassis and handling dynamics.“There was one minor criticism; that this car can handle more power,” he says.  “We have listened and acted.”He says it is now up to motor show visitors to provide feedback before they make a decision to go into production.  The turbo version features a Californian Road Race Motorsport turbo used in other Suzukis and Mitsubishi Lancer.It pumps out 179kW, 48kW more than the standard version with 330Nm of torque, up 100Nm.  Company spokesman Andrew Elllis says the turbocharger is available for about $7000, so the premium over the standard model would be more than that for the extra labour and other features.They include a lower ride height, uprated brakes, a front strut brace for increased rigidity, new rear deck spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 40-series low profile sports rubber.The concept model comes in front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual, but company spokesman Andrew Ellis says Road race Motorsports is now working on an AWD version and a CVT model.Queensland importers Suzuki Auto Company did not know the concept was being produced.  New boss Adam Le Fevre it was “testament to the forward thinking of the company as a whole”.“We would be interested in it, but reliability would have to be up there with the Suzuki standard,” he says.Suzuki also showcased the updated Swift unveiled this month at the Paris Motor Show.  It comes with 1.2 and 1.4-litre direct injected petrol engines and a 1.5 litre K Series petrol engine, but Devers says powertrains have not yet been confirmed for Australia.  It is expected to arrive in the first half of next year. Prices are also yet to be confirmed.Devers says the model will have better performance, economy and emissions and come standard with ESP, seven airbags including a knee airbag and will has achieved a five-start Euro NCAP safety rating.“It will have the most comprehensive safety packages in its sector,” he says.  He says Suzuki has increase sales this year by 25 per cent while the market had risen 15 per cent, mainly due to the success of Swift.“It reached the magical one million sales mark faster than any car in the company’s history and racked up 63 car of the year awards in 19 different countries,” he says.“It also provided the basis for Suzuki’s dominance in the Junior World Rally Championship, securing two driver’s and manufacturer’s titles.  And we’re on target for a third in 2010.” Concept Kizashi Turbo specificationsEngine                        Turbocharged and intercooled JB24 2.4 litre in-line fourBoost                         7psiPower                        179 kW at 4800 rpmTorque                       330 Nm at 4400 rpmTransmission              Six-speed manualWheels                      19 inch Enkei RPF1 alloysTyres                         245/40 x 19 inch Pirelli P-Zero

Hopefully – the nimble Suzuki Kizashi is getting some heavy duty performance upgrades for the Australian International Motor Show. Suzuki’s nifty little number successfully shoehorned its way into the mid-sized sedan segment this year and is presently giving the Honda Accord Euro and Mazda6 some solid competition.  The Kizashi Turbo Concept is the product of specialist Suzuki tuner Road Race Motorsports’ bespoke intervention. The addition of a 16G turbocharger, Extreme spray injector, blow-off valve and a Velocity air intake, has taken the standard Kizashi 2.4-litre engine’s output of 138kW up to an altogether more inspiring 216kW – and right into Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution territory. Bigger, 19-inch wheels running Dunlop high-performance tyres, a Delta Tech Engineering rear wing and lowered suspension complete the picture externally.

The Japanese company's vital mid-sized sedan has not even hit the road yet, in Australia or the USA, but that has not stopped it from starring at the giant SEMA hot car show this week in Las Vegas. Suzuki delivered three pre-production prototypes to four tuning specialists in the USA and challenged them to create a set of look-at- me show cars to draw attention to the Kizashi.  There has been minimal go-faster work on the cars' four-cylinder engines, and the shape is still much the same as the final production car, but the Kizashi kids have already been a hit with Gen-X visitors to the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Assocation's annual showcase. The SEMA show is now so important that a number of significant Australian companies, including Autobarn and radiator specialist PWR, are involved in the massive event.  The three tuner cars produced for SEMA come from Road Race Motorsport, which created a 'Platinum Edition' Kizashi; Delta Tech Engineering, with the Delta Kizashi; Westside Auto Group, which did its Kizashi Soleil; and Import Tuner magazine, which worked on the engine and suspension. At least one of the cars is likely to come to Australia during 2010 for motor show work, although there will be no Melbourne show in 2010 and Sydney will not run until September.  "As the biggest show in the world for these companies to show off their wares, SEMA was the logical choice for Suzuki to unveil the first of what will no doubt be many modified versions of the exciting new Suzuki mid-sized premium sedan," says Tony Devers, general manager of Suzuki Australia. "Kizashi has been eagerly awaited around the world since the first concept was shown at Frankfurt in 2007, particularly by modified car builders.  It is an exciting car, and one we are confident will attract huge attention." Suzuki Australia is not talking yet about prices or final performance and economy figures for the regulation Kizashi, but the tuner companies are happy to detail their SEMA work. Road Race Motorsport did a special body kit, including a custom grille and vented bonnet, then went to work with lowered suspension and bigger breaks.  The engine also breathes a little better thanks to a custom intake and exhaust system.  Delta Tech Engineering went right back to the basics, starting with a bare bodyshell and concentrated on a lighting package with LED and HID focus. But, despite the company's lighting expertise, it also tweaked the engine, added a body kit, then sit its car rolling on Koni suspension.  The Soleil from Westside features a custom two-tone paintjob, tweaked front and rear guards with a fabricated grille, finished with R-Worx alloy wheels. Fewer details are available on the Import Tuner car because it will be featured in the magazine, but it claims significant engine tweaking and suspension modifications aimed at its youthful audience. Suzuki says it is more than happy with the four cars, and what they say about the Kizashi.  "We are rapt that such a cutting edge design group has seen the potential in creating a radical profile for Kizashi," says Devers.  "We are living the dream that 'Something good is coming', which is the translation of the word Kizashi from Japanese into English."

Suzuki Australia has confirmed its mid-size Kizashi sedan will arrive in the second quarter of next year, pitched right into the stagnant mid-size segment. However, Suzuki Australia general manager, Tony Devers, has high hopes for the mid-sizer, which will be pitched directly at the Mazda6 and Honda Euro. "It's a driver's car and we've benchmarked the Mazda6 and Honda Accord Euro," he says. A Kizashi pre-production car is due to arrive within weeks to start the local homologation process. Devers says when production models become available he also plans to clinic the car among focus groups to see how it goes in front of potential Australian buyers. "This is the biggest passenger car that we've made," he says. "There's a lot riding on it." The Kizashi will be launched with an entry 2.4-litre front wheel drive version should be around $30,000 with a larger capacity V6 of more than 3.0-litre arriving later. The V6 may also get all-wheel drive. Ahead of the Kizashi is the new facelifted SX4, which will arrive early next year. "We've dropped the ball on the SX4," Devers says. So far this year Suzuki has sold just 1337 SX4s, down almost 50 per cent over the same period last year. Devers says the changeover to the new car is to blame. "We lost about three months of production," he says. "We definitely dropped the ball with that car." The facelifted SX4 gets a more powerful 2.0-litre engine but also a 20 per cent fuel economy lift and more equipment. Devers wants to relaunch the car with more enthusiasm in the marketplace but admits that it goes up against some tough small car competition, like the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. Suzuki plans to push the car's individual styling as well as its all-wheel drive capacity. "AWD represents about 70 per cent of SX4 sales," Devers says. "Well definitely push that more among potential buyers." The Grand Vitara and Swift remain Suzuki's big cash-cows. Grand Vitara sales are up 12 per cent this year thanks to the addition of the 2.4-litre three-door and the Swift is weathering the overall downturn well, with sales down 14 per cent year to date. Further out a new-generation Swift and Swift Sport are due in 2011 and Suzuki wants to launch a bigger off-roader above the Grand Vitara around 2012. Devers says Suzuki's retention rate is lifting as the brand reputation grows thanks to the success of the newer entrants like the Swift. Four years ago Suzuki had a buyer retention rate of just 22 per cent. This has grown to around 60 per cent today.