Car Advice

Suzuki Kizashi hybrid due 2011 – report

By Matt Brogan |

According to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper Suzuki will have a hybrid version of its new Kizashi midsize sedan ready for sale by 2011.

The optional petrol-electric powertrain will sit above the Kizashi’s conventionally powered 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol which is due to land in Australian showrooms early next year.

Kizashi hybrid will be the first such vehicle for Suzuki and will go head-to-head with the likes of Toyota’s hybrid Camry.

Although official details are scarce, rumour has it the technology will come from longtime American partner General Motors, which means Kizashi hybrid will come equipped with either GM’s BAS mild hybrid system or the much more sophisticated and fuel efficient 2-Mode setup (the latter is unlikely due to the additional costs involved).

CarAdvice will keep you posted on any developments.


 
  • Golfschwein

    It’ll probably get a different name here because of Australians’ inability to pronounce words like Kizashi and Qashquai.

  • http://skyline The Salesman

    And Golfschein? LOL…….
    Looks better than the Camry IMO. But with Toyota already leading the sales charts Suzuki will have to offer something special to secure a bite of the Hybrid pie.

  • Golfschwein

    hee hee Salesman. Double whammy there. Spelling AND pronunciation!

    :)

  • http://Caradvice.com.au Baddass

    I can’t wait for the Kizashi tourer. I think it will look fantastic!

  • G

    Who cares about the name? As long as the car is good that’s what really matters.
    By the way, I think “Kizashi” is kinda cool.

  • Shak

    Suzuki should do what nissan is doing with the maxima and load it with equipment but then overprice the top spec model so that the base model will get all the slaes.

  • Golfschwein

    I think Kizashi is a cool name too, G. But the same suits who decide that Australians want or deserve nothing better than silver or black paint, grey interiors and basic wheel and tyre combos will probably think we won’t be able to do the Kizashi name thingy.

    After Pulsar disastrously became Tiida, Nissan and Toyota both fought to spare us Qashquai and Auris, respectively.

  • Chucky

    Is it just me, or does this look a lot like a VW Jetta?

  • absi

    this does have some resemblance to the Jetta, but that all ends as soon as you go past the A pillar… its a lot better than the Jetta …

    love the rear of this car