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New For 2010

Suzuki is one of the most successful automakers in Japan, but has struggled to gain a foothold with American consumers. Faced with the sales collapse of the U.S. market, some observers thought Suzuki would abandon the U.S. completely. Instead, the company has decided to roll the dice with a sporty, upscale midsize car. Suzuki designers tell us Kizashi ("kee-zah-shee") means "something great is coming" in Japanese. They have a lot riding on the idea, but no one in the press knows what to expect from this experiment.

What The Auto Press Says

The automotive press has had very little time in this car, but most are impressed with what they've seen. The Kizashi's exterior looks sharp. It's shorter than the typical midsize sedan, but just as wide as a Camry, and it doesn't seem smaller inside. 

In fact, inside is where the Kizashi shines. It offers more soft-touch surfaces than most cars in its price range, avoiding the hard plastics that have plagued less-expensive Suzukis. Standard sport seats seem well-padded and comfortable, with attractive French seams. A long standard equipment list means even the base model will have dual-zone climate control, and amenities like heated leather seats will be available even on less-expensive editions.

What's it like to drive? Early reports have been positive. Initially, it will be offered only with a four-cylinder engine. Suzuki says that engineers aimed for sporty handling dynamics, and available all-wheel-drive puts the Kizashi in rare company -- only the Subaru Legacy and Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan twins offer it in this price range, and only the Subaru offers AWD even on less-expensive trims. Suzuki engineers have been seen tuning the Kizashi at Germany's legendary Nurburgring test track -- an extraordinary step with an affordable family sedan -- which may indicate that they are serious about the car's performance ambitious. But savvy automotive PR representatives have realized, by now, that the automotive press starts to buzz about any car spotted at "the ‘ring," and Suzuki has bet its reputation and its future in the U.S. on this car. It could be a ruse. Until more test drivers publish their impressions of the Kizashi, we won't know if it all works together.

No one is sure whether American consumers will accept the idea of an upscale Suzuki, but the car itself looks like it might deserve the label.

Here is what the press has to say about the coming 2010 Kizashi:

• "The 2010 Suzuki Kizashi could be a worthy new choice among midsize family sedans, but we won't know for sure until we get some seat time." - Consumer Guide
• "Will do battle in perhaps the most highly competitive segment in the States, one that is dominated by the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. Although it is aiming at those two long-time successes, the Kizashi is quite a bit smaller - about the size of the Acura TSX and Volkswagen Jetta." -- Edmunds
• "One can see a bit of Audi and perhaps some BMW in the overall appearance. There's even a pinch of Bentley. But the look soon becomes its own, and few midsize shoppers are likely to quibble." -- Popular Mechanics
• "While the front end isn't as sleek and daring, the overall look is quite handsome. The back is where things really get interesting, with the entire trunklid rising up in a curve to form a solid-spoiler look. It really is unlike anything else on the market." -- Cars.com
• "Inside the Kizashi gets standard sport seats and a decidedly upscale interior. The design is clean, appears well executed and should feel right at home to buyers of some premium brands." -- Autoblog
• "Driving enthusiasts will appreciate Kizashi's sporty and elegant instrument panel, while consumers seeking a luxury sedan will be pleased with the vehicle's available leather seating and high-density foam." -- CNET

Key Details

The Kizashi will be offered in three trim levels -- base SE, upscale GTS and sportier SLS. All-wheel-drive will be offered as an option on all three, though front-wheel-drive will be standard. Suzuki plans to make even base models very well-equipped, to give them a competitive advantage over less feature-laden Camry and Accord base models. With that in mind, standard equipment includes features like push-button start, stability control, dual-zone digital climate control and mp3 compatibility. The GTS will add steering-wheel audio controls, while the SLS includes heated leather seats and a navigation system at no additional charge.

Mechanically, every Kizashi will be powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Suzuki has not released horsepower figures for the engine, though some sources have quoted figures from 180 to 200. A V6 edition will appear later in the year, and engineers say a hybrid is in the long-term plans.

The Kizashi will be available with a six-speed manual transmission or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Only CVT-equipped models will be offered with all-wheel-drive. Suzuki says the Kizashi's AWD system is new, an improved version of the i-AWD system offered on the Suzuki SX4.