Suzuki Kizashi road test and review

Pros: Stunning design, ride and handling, price, features, build quality.

Cons: No satellite navigation option.

By Paul Maric | September 07th, 2010

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Price: $24,750 to $39,720

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	3.5
Comfort and Interior	3.5
Quality & Design	3.5
Value & Features	4
Green	3.5

Suzuki’s Kizashi is the most surprising car I’ve driven this year

Model Tested:

2010 Suzuki Kizashi XLS; 2.4-litre four-cylinder; six-speed manual/CVT: $34,990/$36,990

Options:

None fitted;

CarAdvice Rating:

Suzuki has been chipping away at the automotive market for the past ten years with varied levels of success.

One of its most successful forays that is still kicking goals today is the Swift. The unisex, visually appealing small car has found its way to many driveways around Australia – and rightfully so. It’s a great little car that builds on Suzuki’s core concepts, price point and design.

After the somewhat unappealing SX4, their position has been somewhat hazy. That was until the Kizashi.

Meaning “something good is coming”, the new Suzuki Kizashi isn’t so much impressive as it is amazing. It’s the electronic equivalent of the iPod and the human equivalent of Jen Hawkins, it’s usable and beautiful.

You will probably fall over yourself the first time you spot a Kizashi in traffic, I know I did.

The stunning rear end features two integrated exhaust tips that mould their way around the rear and meet a symphony of smooth flowing lines that grace the tail lights and boot-lid. From a design perspective, it’s beautiful.

It’s the same story at the front where a big mouthy grille proudly wears the Suzuki badge. Smooth lines and an oddly shaped bonnet complete the front end mix, giving it the impression of motion even when it’s stationary.

Inside the cabin, things are a little more conservative, but not in a bad way. Excess buttons have been culled for a simplified approach that displays everything you need, with all buttons a perfect distance from the driver.

The perfectly sized steering wheel sits nicely in the hand and offers excellent levels of grip for cornering. A small but noticeable point worth mentioning is the upmarket feel to the steering wheel buttons and switches. The volume, cruise and song selection switches have small grip tabs on them to make quick adjustments easy.

As I said to each of my passengers, if you were to cover up identifying badges you would be hard pressed to spot any fit and finish and quality differences between the Kizashi and a doubly priced Audi or Mercedes-Benz.

Suzuki’s interior quality has always been good but the Kizashi takes it to a new level altogether.

Interior leg and head room is surprisingly accommodating for four passengers. There’s plenty of leg room in the rear, making it perfect for longer journeys. The only issue we ran into during testing was when the car was loaded with five taller adults. Rear seat passengers found head room very limited when seated three abreast.

The boot tackles a gargantuan 461 litres of cargo, which is remarkable for a car that looks as small and nimble as the Kizashi.

The XLS is fitted with a gob-smacking Rockford Fosgate sound system. The 10 speaker sound system laden with a meaty sub-woofer pumps out B&O-like audio quality without the price or fanfare. The amount of bass is staggering and it doesn’t cause any panels to shake or rattle, which is refreshing in a car fitted with such an impressive sound system. The high-end range sound quality is also impressive with treble well sorted.

Under the bonnet is Suzuki’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. The engine produces 131kW and 230Nm of torque with power sent through either a six-speed manual gearbox or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). You can expect to achieve a combined fuel economy figure of 7.9L/100km, which was easily achieved on test in both the manual and CVT.

While Suzuki has achieved tremendous feats in terms of design and build quality, ride and handling qualities have been maintained to offer a class-leading drive.

Power delivery from the 2.4-litre engine is very linear and smooth. The six-speed manual allows the driver to extract the most from the engine, which is happiest from around 3000rpm onward. In gear acceleration in any gear is fairly impressive for a naturally aspirated engine, even more so with the quick CVT.

The place the Kizashi picks up most of its brownie points is when it’s lobbed into a corner at virtually any speed. Body roll is kept to sensible levels, even during hard cornering. From there, front end grip is all-wheel-drive-like courtesy of well tuned suspension and supremely grippy tyres.

In addition to the high levels of grip, direct steering gives the driver confidence to man-handle the Kizashi without fear of consequence. Braking is also impressive with light brake pedal feel and progressive pedal travel.

Starting at $27,990 for the six-speed manual XL, the XLS model test driven with six-speed manual and CVT is priced at $34,990 and $36,990 respectively.

The level of standard equipment is surprising. The XLS picks up: Heated driver and front passenger seats, dual-zone climate control, six-disc CD player with sub-woofer, leather seats, electric driver and front passenger seats, Xenon headlights with washers, automatic windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, sunroof, cruise control, USB and auxiliary input, electric windows, alarm, proximity sensing key and fog lights.

The safety features are equally as impressive with: Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TC), driver and front passenger SRS airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, full length curtain airbags and engine immobiliser.

The Suzuki Kizashi is the surprise package of the year. It offers a superb drive, well built interior, stunning design and best of all it’s loaded with features.

Previous images of the Suzuki brand are simply blown out of the water with the Kizashi. If you’re in the market for a car this size, forget the opposition and test drive the Kizashi. I personally guarantee you will be blown away with the latest effort from Suzuki.

If you want more performance for your buck, an all-wheel-drive version has just been launched. Keep an eye out for our road test in the coming weeks.

Ratings:

CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:

*Pricing is a guide as recommended to us by the manufacturer and does not include dealer delivery, on-road or statutory charges.

Reader reviews of the SUZUKI KIZASHI

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The competition

Shak

Im glad to see that Suzuki can finally nail the big boys in this segment. They need some strong competition to get them off of their high horses. When it comes time for my parents to trade in their Accord, i am going to make them buy this. Sacrifice some rarely used space, for all that style, kit and performance. Definitely.
filippo

Now that the Camry, Mazda 6, Mondeo and to a certain extend Liberty have bloated into large cars, it’s good to see a proper medium-sized car hit the market.
MK

…melting Jetta?

jav

Very funny!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=668475019 Jake Williams

4.5 stars? Really?

smokin’R32

Cant say ill be falling over when I see one. The three concepts were something else, but the final product is so watered down it looks like the last generation Jetta. Im sure its a solid car, but 4.5?

Baddass

Yeah Jake, I thought it was a bit over the top too. It’s a pretty big call to say you “would be hard pressed to spot any fit and finish and quality differences between the Kizashi and a doubly priced Audi”.
I mean that, along with the view of the car being ‘beautiful’, is purely subjective, but really despite their efforts, the interiors of the Suzuki and the Audi are still quite far apart in terms of fit, finish and design. And that’s ok, the Audi uses more expensive materials, because it is a premium car. The Kizashi is still great for a medium car. But don’t go damning it with faint praise.

Shak

Have you sat in one to make such a blase’ comment? For all you know, the quality and fit and finish could be just as good. The design may be not be as appealing as an Audi interior, however i belive from what i have seen, it should be just as high quality.e

Stooopid

Have YOU sat in both? The Kizashi interior is really good for a sub-$30k mid-size sedan, but it’s not Audi-good. They’re incomparable.
Baddass

Why actually Shak I have. My colleague has a Kizashi XLS which I have had the pleasure of travelling in. And a member of family has an Audi A4, so I think I can credit myself with being able to tell the differences between them. Don’t make assumptions that I have no experience of either, because you don’t know. I maintain my view, the Audi’s materials are still of a better quality, but the Kizashi’s are great for it’s price. I hope that was less blase for you.

Ovr40

It would be good if the star rating actually meant something, but it all depends on the price. A 5 star cheap+chearful can co-exist with a 5 star luxury. You have to know where it sits in the price chain as well. They should move to using 10 stars where 10 is the best that money can buy and 1 is the worst. Then we can compare the daewoos with the alfa’s on equal turf. Let the buyer decide if the price matches the quality.

http://www.facebook.com/sammo.8191 Sam Moss

I find that hard to believe also.

Wheels mag did a mid-size comparo in their latest issue and gave the Kisashi 7.5/10 – not a bad score, but it just wasn’t in the same league as the 6 and Accord Euro, especially in terms of refinement and interior space. It did score better than the i45 however.

G

Wheels sold their soul to Mazda and Honda a long time ago, you wouldn’t expect them to put them behind any other brand (apart from the usual Holden and Ford, of course).

http://www.facebook.com/sammo.8191 Sam Moss

You can say what you want about Wheels, but they are still considered to be one of the most credible motoring publications in Australia.

ST

If you find it hard to believe, then go drive one. I have driven all the medium cars. I can say the Suzi is the one to beat right about now. It has more attention to detail unlike a 6 and more nimble than a Euro.

Karl Krankschaft

Sat in one of these today. Comfortable and solidly built. I was impressed but where’s the AWD V6 with a manual
Jimmy

Sounds like you’re smitten Paul! Don’t really understand how it gets 4.5 stars from that brief review though? Some more detail would be good. ANCAP rating? 0-100?

Jimmy

…and I can’t say I share your views on the aesthetics, looks a little awkward and over designed to me. It will age badly.

Tom R

You know what, I think it looks hot, but i agree, I think it will age badly.
Hope it sells well anyway, deserves it.

Also, may i mention the “exhaust tips” are just parts of the bumper.
Im sorry. but thats taboo. On ANY car. Just like those frigging acoustic tubes (e.g. MX-5) to make it sound better inside. Its so…shallow.

Carl

You know, the thing that really stands out for me is the exhaust tips. It really shouts “look at me”, and I think its over the top for a sedan like this. Now you tell us they’re not real, it make them even more ridiculous. These flash exhaust tips belong on cars like the M3, not a family sedan.
Luke Skywalker

Hey Tom R, do you know that the Audi R8 also has bumper ‘exhaust tips’? I was having a look at one on display recently (a V10 version too) and was surprised to see it. Shallow? Maybe, but if I had something like an R8, I wouldn’t want a couple of rusty pipes sitting out back!

btw, have to agree that the review is rather over the top.

Benjie

ANCAP rating is stated as five stars.

I found the review fairly comprehensive…not sure what else you would have wanted?

I also don’t share your views with the design. I think it looks stunning…def not something youd expect from Suzuki!

Damian

The reality is that the Kizashi isn’t half as amazing as this review purports. I had an EXTENSIVE drive of one a couple weeks back and whilst it’s competent around corners, it lacks torque and straight line speed.

In comparison, the Accord Euro 6-speed felt much faster and more spirited than the Suzuki. Having driven a Skoda 1.8TSI (pre-facelift version), the engine in the Skoda is WORLDS AHEAD of the Kizashi, and rivals the Euro for refinement and straight line acceleration. There are many better cars out there for $35k. Suzuki know this, hence, have used equipment to make up for the dull as dirty dishwater Kizashi drivetrain.

I can just imagine how unappealing the AWD Kizashi would be, given its increased weight and rolling resistance over the already slow FWD. Only a 6-cylinder or turbo four would go a long way in making the Kizashi an appealing drive.

Benjie

How can you possibly say it lacks torque when it has the most torque out of the Mondeo, Mazda6, Accord Euro and Camry?

It’s only just beaten by the Octavia because it has a turbocharger…

I’m sick of ill-informed twits like you who harp on about how slow these cars are and how little torque they have. Look at it realistically. It’s in this segment because people don’t want massive lumps of power and torque.

Having driven a Kizashi, I think it’s a perfect balance between economy, power and torque.

Damian

“It’s only just beaten by the Octavia because it has a turbocharger…”

What’s your point? You sound like a scolded school boy who is trying to defend his inadequacies by grasping at a whole heap of nothing.

The Octavia has a low blow turbo and direct injection, making it at least two generations more advanced than the Kizashi. It also gets better economy than the Kizashi and is faster in every conceivable way. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d notice that small capacity, direction injection, low boost applications are the way of the future.

“Look at it realistically. It’s in this segment because people don’t want massive lumps of power and torque.”

Let’s face it. The Kizashi has made a VERY late entrance into this segment, and with where the car is at now, only deserves the mere “also ran” status. There’s nothing earth shattering about the Kizashi, with the exception of the equipment list on the XLS, which is clearly a cynical ploy by Suzuki to make up for its blatant engineering shortfalls.

“OK, now go back to selling your Hondas…”

Whilst not a salesman, I acknowledge the Accord Euro for its merits (only in 6-speed manual), and think that Honda deserve to sell as many of them as they can.

bigbrotheriswatchingyou

hey i would love to see how good the re-sale of your beloved octavia holds up in 3 yrs compared to the kizashi, those octavias will be painfull for the poor wood ducks that bought them when they go to trade them in, so go buy your octavia but dont carry on like a bitch when you get your valuation at trade in time and if you try and sell it privately dont hold your breath waiting for a buyer cause youll kick the bucket waiting.

G

OK, now go back to selling your Hondas…

TomJ

I suggested mum drive one when she was downgrading from her trend of buying whatever new Commodore is out the other month.

I sampled the opportunity to get behind the wheel, the interior quality (although plain) is great, and the dynamics are good. But the thing is just so brutally slow. I cannot enjoy driving a car without any ability to move its ass towards the horizon.

Better engine, NOW Suzuki.

Duckula

Its funny how in every single article that has a medium sized 4cyl car, there is someone who says – “I want a bigger engine, not enuff grunt, if it only had a 6cyl”…ughhh. Thats why that make falcadores… if you want a 6cyl car, go buy one of them.

Damian

“Its funny how in every single article that has a medium sized 4cyl car, there is someone who says – “I want a bigger engine, not enuff grunt, if it only had a 6cyl”…ughhh. Thats why that make falcadores… if you want a 6cyl car, go buy one of them.”

You’ve negated to take into account the fact that there are enthusiasts out there who don’t like the prospect of punting around in a 1800kg family sedan. There is something called “power to weight ratio”, and the medium sized segment can offer a balance of performance, economy, and practicality… without the stigma or expense of running a Falcadore.

The “big engine, small car” philosophy has always worked with positive results, which explains why there are V6 options for both the Mazda 6 and Acura TSX (Accord Euro) in the US. Even Hyundai, a company not highly rated amongst enthusiasts, have acknowledged this and are about to release a 2.0T 4 cylinder Sonata.

TomJ

This is a mainstream car, not a small economy box. As a mainstream car i expect it to have every attribute of the large car.

And with the current engine choice, i would rather just to go buy a ‘falcadore’
Duckula

This is a review of a car that is AVAILABLE now, its a 2.4 Litre 4cyl car, it is what it is… thats my point. You may as well say, Lets go put a 5.0L V8 in a Mini. If u dont want to punt around in a 1800Kg family sedan like this, then go buy something else.. again thats my point. I wish I had a car with vertical take off, but suzuki dont make one of them, but I dont whinge about it on here…

TomJ

I want a medsized sedan like this with a decent powerchoice.

And oh the irony of you citing an example of a Mini, the turbocharged engines in that subcompact are actually more powerful than the Suzuki.

http://www.miraclebabyblog.com omo

Suzuki Kizashi road test and review, is a very good information for a car lover like me, for a women i love the slow speed,

roger rabbit

so you like it slow hey?

M

Looks even better in the metal – hello jetta front though…good review.
My Password

clarification – Please advice if the XLS comes with JBL or Rockford Fosgate sound system

Andrew

Its a Rockford Fosgate system.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Paul Maric

My apologies, it is a Rockford Fosgate sound system.

I have no idea why I had JBL on the mind…

Review modified.

GP

I think you had some other car on your mind when you gave the rating of 4.5, not only the wrong stero.

I loke the Kizashi, but really – $36000 for a Camry competitor is a lot over the top price wise.

There’s absolutely no new technology in this car, it’s just a pretty well executed car.

Just nowhere near as well executed as other technology leading cars you can buy for the same money.

o

because the camry is just brimming with new tech?

Nick K

Great review and a great car. Not only is the fit and finish Audi like, I’ll lay odds that it is much more reliable and cheaper to maintain too. Add a turbo to the AWD version and a diesel and Suzuki will have nailed the medium segment.
Devil’s Advocate

I can’t understand why in so many reviews now “lack of sat-nav” is such a big negative issue. Especially when for less than 1/5 the price you can get a Navman/Garmin/TomTom that works so much better. Is it just me???

GP

Yes, it’s just you..

Cars still get smashed into by morons for the garmin/tomtom/navman devices.

And they look really, really crappy stuck on the screen of an otherwise cleanly designed vehicle dash.

Shak

People whose cars get smashed for a sat-nav deserve to have them stolen. It takes all of about three seconds to remove the Sat Nav when you leave the car. But then again, we have become so much like our American cousins, that even thinking of using energy tires us out.

ST

And about 30-60 to fit it back, wire it up and put it back in the same way you had it.

I presume there will be something for it in the states/Japan but if you could have a DIN slot that will work with all the steering wheel controls to fit an aftermarket in-dash Sat Nav, then it’d be complete.

Mythfrances

Who needs Sat navigation anyway…Just learn how to read a map! u save 3k instantly

Jabba the Hutt

I sat in one of these and can say these guys are spot on. The fit and finish is superb. The only thing that actually stopped us testing it was rear seat room. I have said for years that Suzuki are perhaps Japan’s most under stated auto maker. I have spoken to two owners of the grand vitara and their stories about where they took them in absolute comfort are nothing short of amazing. Nothing goes wrong with them.

The first time I looked at the Kizashi I was more than impressed with the styling and the rear end has an almost perfect blend of sports and prestige about it. We very nearly bought one. It just didn’t tick all the boxes as far our needs went and the tight rear seat was the main one.

The one area CA have noticable marked the car down is performance which leaves me baffled as to why they don’t offer the V6 here in Australia. Especially now the car is available in AWD. That doesn’t make sense to me.

This car deserves to do well. So much more stylish than a Camry and a far better drive by ALL accounts. Every review I have read says the same. Well done Suzuki. Now get the V6 over here.

Smithy

The V6 is a GM unit, and GM no longer own Suzuki.
They are looking for a new engine partner, but it will take time to integrate soemthing new.

Hung Low

GM never *owned* Suzuki, they had a small stake that has now been occupied by VW. GM has ruined Suzuki in the U.S by filling their line up with terrible Daewoo models.

The initial plan was to use the Gm V6 as fitted to our Commodore but things have fallen through.

People are on here bagging its lack of engine options etc but what engine options does the Euro, Mazda6 competition have here? Suzuki have never done the turbo thing but they should at least offer what they are good at…high output N.A engines from their Motorcycle division. A high revving 2.4 version with 160kw would have been nice Mr Suzuki!

TW

More likely with Kazashi 2.0 TDi, 1.4 TSi or 1.8 TSI

Shane

A good car that deserves to do well
http://caradvice OSU811

I do like everything about this car, It looks fantastic imo its the best looking medium sedan around at the moment, is well built, a good size and a nice engine for this class of car, also meant to have very good dynamics and be queit on the road. The ony reservation I have with the car is the CVT auto, im still not convinced on this style of transmition, I would much prefer the 6 speed manual or a conventional 5 speed auto like in the EURO..
Dman

I really don’t see what all the fanfare is for regarding this car’s looks. I saw one on the road and it’s attractive sure, but certainly not “Omg look at that!” attractive. The Mazda 6 and Mondeo are better lookers imo. And that shade of red is a shocker…
Aussiecars

No standard Bluetooth in a 2010 5 star safety car….. Takes it down to a 4 stars in my books…. Oh hang on! I forgot, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki seem to think medium sized car buyers do not own mobile phones…

Mythfrances

what does bluetooth has to do with safety rating…? If anything drivers are supposed to concentrate on driving only! not multitasking. Bluetooth in a way encourage ppl to make phone calls whenever they r on the road.

Aussiecars

Whats pedestrian safety got to do with safety rating? People are not suppose to hit pedestrians and people are not suppose to walk in front of cars. Yet I am pretty sure it contributes to it.

Aussiecars

@Myth(again) I am going to assume you work in an office all day and do are not out and about on the road like some of us who have to answer there mobile phone.

Mythfrances

I know some ppl have very limited time and they can only make phone calls when they are driving. But you have to admit there is a slightly HIGHER chance of getting into an accident talking on the phone than just concentrating on driving along. We prob dont see car accidents all that often, but a serious one can kill.

Jabba the Hutt

….or those manufacturers acknowledge that people can get a very good set up of their choice after market for around $150.00. Small change and it is ridiculous to suggest that the system should affect the safety rating. Should we take points off them for fitting GPS as it might cause distraction? Didn’t think so.

Aussiecars

A GPS is a quick glance at a screen (just like checking your speed) a Mobile phone takes away one of your hands. Pretty big difference there… Maybe if a GPS is not at a certain height in the dash they should?

Hell if ANCAP are going to be stupid about it with taking points off for things like seatbelt reminders (if you cannot remember your seatbelt you should not be in a car) than why not go all out across the board. Bluetooth is a safety feature.

Jabba the Hutt

I’ve witnessed people driving along whilst plotting info on a gps attached to the middle of their windscreen. No doubt because a street was blocked and the original course was no longer valid which apparently is a common issue with the devices.
Jabba the Hutt

…and I didn’t for a moment suggest people should use their phones whilst driving. it is undeniably dangerous. You are twisting what I wrote. I merely stated that effective bluetooth can be had aftermarket for small money.

Aussiecars

Did not suggest you did. Was to your comment on taking points off for a GPS.

Look not going to comment again, I think proper built in bluetooth should be standard on every car that has a radio. It would cost car makers bugger all and makes our roads safer. Can we all agree on that?

Especially now the top end of these midsize cars are getting close to the 40k mark.
Jabba the Hutt

Yeah I agree it should be standard for what it costs. As for GPS I’d rather it was optional as the manufacturers charge ridiculous money for it.

The seat belt warning light in my car flashes the moment the car is put into drive and starts beeping soon after. it is a great reminder to buckle up and given the airbags can do serious injury to someone who isn’t restrained properly it should be part of the safety rating.

Yonny

Aussiecars says, if you cannot remember your seatbelt you should not be in a car. I say, if you cannot remember your seatbelt you should expect one day to take a short painful trip through the windscreen. And I would not wish that on anyone – I know someone it happened to, and the injuries were truly shocking.

Yonny

This is a pretty good looking car – I’ve seen a few on the road and they turned my head at least. I’d definitely be looking at one of these if in the market for a mid-size car.

Can anyone clarify whether the manual model has cruise control? I’ve read that only the autos get cruise – if so that would be the only sticking point for me.

roger rabbit

only base xl manual doesnt have cruise.

Jack

This car seems to have great promise – to my way of thinking it is like the old model, smaller Accord Euro.

Now that its class has become more bloated, it might win a few sales on size alone. Styling wise, I am not in raptures but some will like it.

However, if “it is happiest above 3000″, then that spells instant dislike and frustration here. Most driving conditions require far less than these revs, and a motor that develops torque lower down is far more practical.

Gilly

You would hate the Honda Euro as well!
I think that with the CVT you would not notice that lack of low rpm torque!

nickdl

It’s nice, and great value. A manual one of these would be a great car. Shame it isn’t as practical as a Mazda6 with less interior space and its stupid boot hinges – an AU Falcon has the good ones, why can’t Suzuki put them in?

I wish it looked more like the concept, that looked absolutely fantastic.
Ads

I HAVE seen one in traffic… nothing special. It looks old and it’s quite narrow too. Better off with an Accord or 6. Funny how no-one mentions/recommends the Liberty anymore since the new design came out LOL

ScottB

Curious that you think its narrow considering its slightly wider than a Mazda 6…

Ads266

It may be slightly wider but the Mazda is better packaged which equates to more interior space.

Yev

Well if it’s of any interest to any of you, Suzuki just a few weeks ago was sending questionaires out to current Kizashi owners in the U.S. if they would be interested in a Turbo-4 version as well as a turbo diesel version. So looks like Suzuki will be adding a turbo-4 version for sure and possibly a turbo diesel Kizashi.
Incidently, the U.S. version DOES come with bluetooth standard and navigation is an option, so most likely that those will be added options in AUS and NZ soon too.
If you want to see Kizashi tested against most the above mentioned saloons, go to youtube and do a search for “Auto123 Midsize Sedan Comparo” and see the results of the comparison.
sw2092

I will be buying a new car next March, and these went straight to the top of the list as soon as I read about them. BUT… every one I have checked out has been a CVT. I read or heard that some massively high percentage of those being brought into Australia are CVTs. I don’t want a CVT – I want a manual. I have left my details at dealerships in Canberra (on the day of release) and Newcastle to call me when they get a manual in to test drive – not a call yet. Every road test loves the car apart from the performance, which is held back by the CVT. And every road test seems to be of a CVT, and it never gets more than a lukewarm writeup. I was really excited when I saw the Sports had been released, but then WHAT? Even the AWD ‘Sports’ is a CVT. Where are the manuals? I don’t even know if the manual gearbox is any good, and how much better the performance is with it. Personally, I reckon Suzuki have stuffed up the release of the Kizashi – it’s marketed as a sports-sedan, but you only seem to be able to get it as a virtual automatic. Is that why I can still count the amount I have seen on the road since release on one hand? It’s looking less likely that I will be getting one…
ScottB

Bought the base model Kizashi XL manual 2 months ago and haven’t regretted it. Unlike the article I wouldn’t call it “stunning” piece of automotive design – compared to the Kizashi concept cars its disappointing – but its not a bad looking thing in the flesh, if a tad dumpy.

Build quality is certainly excellent for the price and the quality of the cabin materials far exceeds the Commodore I traded it in for. The engine could be torquier but the 6 speed manual is nice and light to use so changing gears isn’t a chore. The car is very quiet at highway speeds, handles really nicely and though the suspension is a bit stiff, the damping is really nicely tuned. The standard iPod integration rocks for long trips.

Negatives – the shallow glasshouse makes visibility a bit of an issue, particularly rearwards. If you’re looking at getting one of these make sure you get reverse parking sensors because the high boot line and shallow rear glass make seeing anything closer than about 5-6 metres away impossible. The old fashioned gooseneck hinges in the boot and the lack of gas struts to lift the bonnet are an embarrassing cost cutting measure. Oh yeah, and the engine can get a bit loud in the upper rev range.

Overall, I really like it. Its not perfect buts its certainly a very good car, excellent value for its entry price point. Definitely a 4 star out of 5 car for me.
Anthony

My favorite cars in this segment are the Honda Accord Euro and Volkswagen Jetta.
I have owned both of them,and both were briliant.