|
|
|
|
07/10/2010, 20:41
By MURRAY HUBBARD
|
|
|
Suzuki in Australia is a bit like the boy with the wheelbarrow ... they have the job in front of them. That job is simply to get bums on the seat of their new mid-size Kizashi sedan for tests drives. If they can achieve this we have no doubt Kizashi will be a huge success for the company, until now, regarded as a small car and compact 4WD specialist.
We have just spent a week in the Kizashi Sport AWD variant of the Kizashi sedan launched in May this year. Like the two-wheel-drive sibling, the Kizashi Sport is a revelation. What's it like? Try a pigeon hole that has a name tag Subaru Liberty.
Suzuki have been a little bit generous with the `Sport' moniker with the Kizashi Sport having the same 2.4 litre, four cylinder engine as the 2WD version. But, changes to the front, and a 10mm lower ride height, and AWD have given the company some licence with naming. It's also a tag that suggests it will have a manual shifter – in fact at this stage Kizashi Sport comes only with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) a seamless automatic.
It's a pity no manual is available in the AWD as the 2WD Kizashi with a six speed manual is one of the smoothest, short-shift transmissions have have driven for ages with ratios well-matched to the 131 kW engine. The added benefit of AWD has added 75 kg to the car's waistbelt with economy suffering. Suzuki claim 8.4 litres/100 km, but we managed just 9.3 litres/100 km.
STYLE
We like the European styling of the Kizashi. The Sport is even more to our liking. The 18 inch alloys wheels set off the car, and looked particularly good against the black paintwork on our test car. Often car designers seem to forget the rear end design, but in Kizashi's example, the rear end is as impressive as the clean, sporty front. Everyone comments on the large twin exhausts. The lower road height suits the car and the front gets a sportier bumper, matching lower grille and fog lamp bezels with chrome accents. The sides get a lower body skirt.
We like the interior too. Keyless start means a trendy push button start, with the keys still in your pocket. The interior is subdued but with flashes of chrome matched with red illumination on key features. It is also simple with just two large, round dials for the tachometer and speedometer and steering-wheel mounted controls for audio and cruise control. The 10-way power adjustable driver's seat has a memory function so that if the other half changes the adjustment, it's a piece of cake to return it to your pet position. Kizashi Sport gets a three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel, different door garnishes while the leather trim gets silver double-stitching.
DRIVETRAIN
At the heart of the Kizashi is a 2.4 litre in line four cylinder engine which is quiet and responsive, but will find critics with those who high performance. The engine develops 131 kW at 6500 rpm and 230 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. We would be surprised if at some time in the near future there's not a higher-performance engine available, possibly a V6 or even a turbo attached to the 2.4 litre. The CVT is seamless and a dream to drive in the suburban environment. It can be manually shifted, so there is some sportiness to the transmission.
SAFETY
Six airbags, including curtain airbags for rear seat passengers, crash-saving electronic stability program, ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, and energy-absorbing trim on pillars and roof side rails. Perhaps the best indicator of safety though it the Kizashi's on-road, at speed, handling which was benchmarked against BMW and fine tuned at Nurburgring. Suzuki did the hard-yards at both engineering and testing stages, and it shows. The AWD system is clever and controlled by a dash-mounted switch that gives the driver a choice of 2WD and AWD. In AWD auto mode the system measures road and driving conditions via sensors and processors. Torque is then sent to where it is most needed under the circumstances. If the back swings out due to oversteer, grunt is immediately diverted to the front wheels. For understeer – where the front wheels are angled and the car is going straight – torque is sent to the rear wheels.
FUNCTIONALITY
No attempt to re-invent the wheel, just good common sense, proven placement of the key ingredients such as window switches in the driver's door armrest, sensible centre stack with user-friendly dials for audio and air conditioning, plenty of storage space in both front doors, cup holders, armrest contains two storage areas, and audio and cruise controls in the steering wheel spokes. The rear pew suffers a little from lack of head space with the XLS sunroof lowering the roof height. Will not suit those over six feet, in the old money. Good legroom, but shoulder room a little tight also. Okay for three kids. For a change the centre pew is soft, but it needs to be with the low roof. There's a centre armrest when two passengers are aboard and it includes dual, pop-out cup holders. When this is down there's also a ski-hatch for long items carried in the boot. The doors contain bottle holders and the rear of the front seats have storage netting. Dual rear-facing adjustable air conditioning vents peek out from the rear of the front centre console. Overall a good package. In the boot the Rockford Fosgate speaker intrudes into luggage space and is in danger of damage from luggage or hindering luggage placement.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Kizashi Sport is sharp around town, easy to park, and easy to drive, just like the 2WD variant. Kizashi Sport has the handling ability equal to some of the European cars it used as benchmarks when being engineered. With the AWD version there is some understeer, but you really need to be pushing into tight corners, for it to rear its head. Like the 2WD version it's not be the fastest car on the mid-size grid, but it's no slouch and the AWD system adds a new dimension to the car's dynamics in slippery conditions.
MODELS AND PRICING
XL 2.4 L $27,990/ $30,490
XLS 2.4 L $34,990/ $36,990
Sport 2.4 L AWD auto $39,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Optional
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Curtain airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.4 litres
Configuration: in line four
Head Design: 16 valve
Compression Ratio: 10:1
Bore/Stroke: 92.0 mm x 90.0 mm
Maximum Power: 131 kW @ 6500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 230 Nm @ 4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six Speed
Automatic Transmission: CVT
Final Drive Ratio: 4.117
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4650 mm
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Width: 1820 mm
Height: 1480 mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass:1490 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 63 litres
Towing Ability: 1700 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson strut with coils
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: N/A seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: 91 RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.4 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ 100,000 km
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
