Suzuki » Australian Car Advice

Suzuki refutes cancel claims on Kizashi

January 7th, 2009 2 Comments

Suzuki, refuting media reports from Japan on Monday, today said it still plans to release a mid-sized sedan based on the Kizashi 3 concept in the United States this year.

The Nikkei business daily reported that production plans for the car had been shelved.

Suzuki Kizashi to be cancelled?

January 6th, 2009 5 Comments

Amid some of the hardest times ever faced by the global auto market, Suzuki Motors has announced that it will shelve plans to launch its Kizashi large-sized car in 2010. The company will subsequently also delay the start of overseas factories (Thailand and Russia) as a result.

The problem Suzuki is facing is similar to the rest of the industry, however the company’s biggest market, India, where it commands around half the market has also declined sharply.

Suzuki sales defy economic downturn

December 5th, 2008 9 Comments

Despite the hard economic times pushing cars sales as a whole in to a dive, some cheaper brands are quietly flourishing including Suzuki who remain on track for a sixth successive year of record sales.

The brand has seen a total year to date sales figure of some 20,793 units, up five per cent on the company’s total sales for 2007.

2010 Suzuki Kizashi spy photos

November 3rd, 2008 16 Comments

We saw the Kizashi 3 concept at this year’s Sydney Motorshow and like many others, we were most impressed. Perhaps one of only a handful of good looking cars at the show, we are wondering just how much longer it will take Suzuki to join the mid-sized sedan market.

The concept Kizashi is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine (mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission) featuring plated cylinders – a weight and space-saving technology that evolved from lessons learnt by Suzuki’s MotoGP and World Rally Championship motorsport teams.

Suzuki’s Indian plants lead green drive

October 21st, 2008 1 Comment

Suzuki’s two Indian plants are leading the company’s drive for green manufacturing with new figures released today revealing that since the start of the decade, green manufacturing initiatives have resulted in total energy consumption by both plants dropping 26 per cent.

Importantly, water consumption levels have also dropped (by 61 per cent) over the same time period, while C02 emissions per vehicle produced have been reduced nearly 40 per cent. These results has been achieved while at the same time increasing production levels from 400,000 units per year to more than 900,000.

Suzuki Kizashi 3 concept 2008 AIMS

October 9th, 2008 7 Comments

Suzuki is set to steal the limelight at this year’s Australian International Motor Show when it unveils the latest in its acclaimed Kizashi series of concept cars.

Kizashi 3 previews Suzuki’s plans to enter the hotly contested medium passenger car segment with a high performance sports sedan.

The concept is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine featuring plated cylinders – a weight and space-saving technology that evolved from lessons learnt by Suzuki’s MotoGP and World Rally Championship motorsport teams.

The 220 kW VVT engine is teamed with a paddle-shift six-speed automatic gearbox and Advanced i-AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system.

Suzuki says Kizashi - a Japanese word meaning prelude or foretaste - is a clear sign of things to come from the brand.

“This concept represents a new direction for Suzuki in that it takes our expertise with smaller sporty vehicles and translates that into the midsized segment,” said Suzuki Australia General Manager Tony Devers, “We believe Kizashi will break the mould of typical midsized or family vehicles, when it goes into production next year.”

Suzuki grew sales to over 2.3 million motor vehicles world-wide last year and says a new medium segment car is essential to achieve further sales growth.

While a firm timetable is still to be announced, Devers said production of the exciting new mid-sized sedan would begin in late 2009.

“Our engineers are also considering the possibilities of hybrid-powered and state-of-the-art clean diesel versions of the car,” said Devers, “The Concept Kizashi series was developed by Suzuki’s Advanced Design Group to reflect, it says, “the strong, honed physique of a dynamic athlete in motion.”

The bulging bonnet, wide track abbreviated overhangs and aggressive wheel and tyre combinations convey an underlying strength and performance orientated image.

Kizashi is designed to accommodate the diverse lifestyles of customers who want to stay with Suzuki when purchasing larger, midsize cars.

Specifications:

Powertrain: Front engine, all-wheel drive with i-AWD system
Seating capacity: Five
Tyres: 255/30ZR21 9.5J
Wheels: 21-inch, nine-spoke, aluminium
Engine: 3.6-litre DOHC 24-valve V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Maximum power: 220 kW
Overall length: 4,650mm
Overall width: 1,900 mm
Overall height: 1,450mm
Wheelbase: 2,800mm
Body colour: Kizashi Silver

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Suzuki Alto 2008 AIMS

October 9th, 2008 6 Comments

Suzuki Australia today confirmed the all-new Alto would join the Suzuki model line-up next year.

The fifth and smallest member of its acclaimed line-up of world strategic models, the new Alto combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

“Alto is the answer for people wanting a quality vehicle offering great performance, high levels of safety and outstanding fuel economy,” said Suzuki Australia General Manager Tony Devers “Alto meets the lifestyle needs of today’s motorists and the pressing global need for environmental compatibility. It will also be one of the most fun-to-drive cars available and a great example of Suzuki’s Way of Life! philosophy”.

Devers said the new Suzuki Alto would put a quality, environmentally friendly car within reach of all customers for the first time.

“Alto will represent the essence of the Suzuki commitment of offering outstanding value for money. Suzuki has long been a pioneer in the automotive industry, and the new Alto is pioneering a new sub-light car for Australia”.

As the second model in the second phase of Suzuki’s world strategy, the new Alto offers high levels of comfort and convenience in a design that combines sporty, European-inspired looks with great aerodynamics.

The new Alto reflects the unparalleled knowledge of small-cars that has made Suzuki so successful with mini-vehicles in Japan and compact cars like the Swift all over the world.

Manufactured in Suzuki’s Manesar plant in India, the Alto was designed by Suzuki engineers and tuned for European customers based on an extensive test drive program.

The new Alto is aimed mainly at urban people who want a small car that offers style and enjoyment together with great environmental credentials.

At the heart of the concept for the new Alto is Suzuki’s belief that people should be able to enjoy economical, eco-friendly motoring without sacrificing style, comfort, practicality, or performance.

Compact dimensions (the new Alto is the smallest of Suzuki’s world strategic models) play a large part in realizing outstanding environmental credentials by keeping weight to a minimum, but without detracting from user-friendliness.

The new Alto has a sporty, solid look that exudes urban energy despite the body’s compact dimensions. The design is elegant thanks to aerodynamically efficient contours that combine tautness with evocative curviness.

Designed for the global market, a low drag coefficient of just 0.30 promotes outstanding fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

The cabin layout apportions most of the space to the front seats but still provides ample space for four adults with numerous handy storage spaces for small items located throughout the cabin.

Notwithstanding the new Alto’s compact exterior dimensions, there’s a usable amount of luggage space behind the rear seats, and folding down the rear seatback expands the space into a roomy luggage area suited to daily use.

The new Alto has an overall length of 3,500mm, width of 1,600mm, height of 1,470mm and a wheelbase of 2,360mm and is powered by a three cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine producing peak power output of 50kW with a maximum torque of 90Nm.

The Euro IV-compliant engine delivers fuel consumption of just 4.5L/100km and produces only 103g/km of CO2 emissions. Standard transmission is five-speed manual, while a four-speed automatic transmission will be available as an option.

Front suspension is of MacPherson strut type and the large, high-rigidity suspension frame is complemented by further strengthening in the strut mounting areas for superior handling. The rear suspension has Suzuki’s proprietary 3-link rigid axle design, and incorporates numerous refinements for the new car. The coil springs and dampers were tuned for optimum handling stability through extensive testing on roads in Europe.

Suzuki targeted handling that makes driving enjoyable on urban roads, so drivers enjoy linear response, gentle roll movements, light steering feel, and good absorption of shock and vibration.

The new Alto has a minimum turning radius of just 4.5m making it easy to manoeuvre and park in tight spaces.

To help the driver avoid hazards on the road, the new Alto will be available with Electronic Stability Program, which modulates the engine performance and applies the brakes during cornering and under acceleration.

In the unfortunate event of an accident, the new Alto’s body reflects Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) concept in the form of crushable structures that absorb impact energy, frame members that disperse impact energy away from occupants and a strong cabin structure.

Use of high-tensile steel for major body parts means the resulting high level of occupant safety does not add excessive weight to the body.

SRS front, side, and curtain airbags are available to reduce the severity of impacts suffered by occupants in the event of a collision. Energy-absorbing trim materials provide further head protection.

Devers said the Australian version of Alto would go on sale in the second quarter of 2009. Pricing and final specification will be released closer to launch.

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Spied: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

August 30th, 2008 18 Comments

Hiding under yards of heavy black vinyl, padding and netting, is the all-new mid-sized family sedan from Suzuki: the Kizashi!

Although the name may (or may not) change, we suspect the later, this is the production version of the concept that made its world debut at the New York Auto Show earlier this year.

2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara First Steer

August 28th, 2008 32 Comments

2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara First Steer

- by Alborz Fallah

It’s not very often that I am willing to get up at 6:00am to go for a drive, in fact it’s not often that I am willing to get up at 6:00am for anything. But Suzuki’s invitation to central and northern Australia to drive the new Grand Vitara was an offer worth waking up early for.

Our journey took three days and involved everything from private jets at a cost of $4000 an hour to helicopters, a camel (more on the dromedary later) and of course, driving Suzuki’s flagship model across hundreds of kilometres of desert and four-wheel drive tracks in the Northern Territory.

Day 1:

Whoever invented the snooze button on alarms was obviously an extreme optimist, ‘another 10 minutes won’t kill …’

Sure enough as I arrived at Suzuki headquarters near Brisbane airport, my fellow motoring journalists (all three of them) and Suzuki staff were all ready to roll.

Ten minutes later a taxicab arrived and rushed us to a private hanger on the outskirts of Brisbane airport. Secretly, I was hoping what ever plane Suzuki had acquired for the trip had at least two engines and that they weren’t the BMW emblem kind.

$2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara \$

Thankfully Suzuki had full intentions of getting us to Ayers Rock/Ularu in one piece, which meant we had a Cessna Citation Bravo, the world’s most popular midsize business jet.

Despite the two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW530 engines strapped on for good measure, a headwind plagued us, which meant a two-and-a-half hour flight to Charleton, stop and refuel and then another two hour flight to Ayers Rock.

At a cost of $4000 an hour flying time plus $600 a day for each crew member, this wasn’t a cheap flight by any means. Eventually though, we arrived at Ayers Rock airstrip and headed for the Desert Gardens hotel.

Here we were greeted by a few other journalists from Australia and New Zealand, plus a large team of Suzuki engineers and designers and to our surprise, Mr Toshihiro (Ted) Suzuki, the son of the current Suzuki boss and a descendent of company founder Michio Suzuki.

Having met the local wildlife - everything from small lizards to big lizards and even a few Dingos - it was time to get serious.

Suzuki may be a relatively small brand in Australia, with only about two per cent market share, but in total, the Japanese manufacturer sold 2,405,000 units globally last year and in terms of volume, sits fourth in the Japanese rankings, behind Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Putting it ahead of the likes of Mitsubishi and Subaru.

The release of the third generation Grand Vitara marks 20 years of production for the popular SUV. Suzuki lays claim to the Vitara having invented the compact SUV segment, as it had no direct rivals back in 1988.

The biggest changes to the new model are by no means visible from the outside, design-wise, a new grille and wider fog lamps are about the most noticeable upgrades, as well as LED turn signal lamps.

Next page…

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2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara

August 26th, 2008 28 Comments

CarAdvice was invited to the Suzuki launch of the all-new Grand Vitara in the Northern Territory over the weekend. But before our travel log and first steer go live in the next 24-hours, here are some facts about the new compact SUV.

Although called a new Grand Vitara, from the outside it’s hard to tell, but that’s only because the Japanese company has kept the current styling due to its popularity in Europe.

Nonetheless improvements are plenty with new engines offering more power, better economy and more standard safety features.

The engine which is sure to prove popular is the all-new 2.4-litre variable valve timing (VVT) four cylinder engine which is now fitted to both 3-door and 5-door models and an all-new 3.2-litre VVT V6 for the 5-door.

The 2.4-litre (122 kW and 225Nm of torque) replaces the superseded 1.6-litre (3-door) and 2.0-litre (5-door) engines. Fuel efficiency has improved to just 8.8 litres per 100 km for the five-speed manual (3-door). A four-speed automatic is also available in the 3-door

New standard features across the range include ESP, six SRS airbags and rear ventilated disc brakes (moving on from drums), the five-door also receives cruise control as standard.

A new model is the 5-door 2.4-litre Prestige version, previously only available as a V6. The prestige includes leather trim, sunroof, mirror-mounted side indicators, ESP, six SRS airbags, premium 7-speaker (plus subwoofer) sound system and 17-inch alloy wheels which can be optioned up to 18s.

Going from the old 2.0-litre engine has given the 5-door four-cylinder a little more power, bringing 0-100km/h acceleration down to 11.7 seconds (from 12.5).

The diesel also remains in the lineup, with minor work to improve fuel economy by 8 per cent as well as reducing noise and vibration. The diesel gets by using just 7.0-litres per 100 km.

Moving up, the new 3.2-litre 165 kW Prestige V6 tops the range, replacing the outgoing 2.7-litre V6. Although delivering more power and torque (284 Nm), VVT technology ensures better fuel efficiency, down to a respectable 10.5 L/100 km. A 9 per cent increase over the outgoing 2.7-litre V6.

The prestige V6 gets (on top of the four cylinder prestige), High Intensity Discharge (HID) projector headlamps with dusk sensor and washers, hill descent control and hill hold control.

Another big improvement has been the interior noise levels, dropping around 2 decibels over the outgoing model. Suzuki brought out its NVH engineers from Japan to explain the improvements (more on this in the first steer).

Pricing details for the new 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara:

GV3 3-Door 5 speed manual $24,990
GV3 3-Door 4 speed automatic $26,990
5-Door 5 speed manual $29,990
5-Door 4 speed automatic $31,990
5-Door 5 speed manual (17-inch alloys) $30,990
5-Door 4 speed automatic (17-inch alloys) $32,990
5-Door DDiS turbo-diesel 5 speed manual $34,990
5-Door Prestige 4 speed automatic $36,990
5-Door Prestige 4 speed automatic (18-inch alloys) $37,490
5-Door Prestige V6 5 speed automatic $39,990
5-Door Prestige V6 5 speed automatic (18-inch alloys) $40,490

Check back soon for a first steer and travel log of CarAdvice’s journey through the Northern Territory with Suzuki’s new Grand Vitara.

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Suzuki Alto Paris Motor Show debut

August 11th, 2008 17 Comments

Suzuki is set to unveil a new funky little hot hatch at the Paris International Motor Show.

Competing in the booming light car segment, the new Alto will be up against some fierce competition in the new Mazda2, Ford Fiesta and Alfa Romeo MiTo - just to name a few.