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Bucking the trend by almost all car manufacturers that is sees smaller-is-better cars and engines, Japanese small-car specialist Suzuki has launched it's first ever medium size car, the Kizashi. Powered by a 2.4 litre four cylinder engine based on the power plant in the Grand Vitara 4WD, the Kizashi is 4.650mm long, placing is squarely in the medium-size family sedan bracket.
After a three hour road test at launch today, there's little doubt the Kizashi lives up to the translation of it's name – `a sign of great things to come'. “There's a newness, a freshness about Kizashi, it's a milestone for us and perhaps a headstone for others,” said Queensland Suzuki managing director, Keith Carroll.
Those `others' are the brands that make under 1000 sales a year in Queensland's medium segment: Ford Mondeo, Subaru Liberty, Mazda 6 and Honda Accord. Toyota's Camry outsells that foursome's combined total and is a tear-away segment leader. It's a similar picture Australia-wide, but not as pronounced, with the foursome exceeding Camry's sales nationally.
The new player in the field adds some spice to the medium menu. It's a good-looking car that actually drives unlike any other Suzuki. During development the car was benchmarked against Audi and BMW product. On the drive on winding, hilly roads around Wivenhoe and Somerset Dams, the car's ride and handling reflected a well-engineered chassis.
Kizashi is powered by a four cylinder 2.4 litre petrol engine linked to either a six speed manual shifter of a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that offers a six speed manual shifter either on the floor or on the steering wheel in the luxury XLS model. On our road test the car returned 5.9 litres/100 km, a figure young families will find attractive when looking for a new mid-size sedan.
They will also like the numbers required to play the game: The six speed manual entry level XL starts at $27,990, before on roads, (auto $30,490) while the manual XLS is $34,990 and auto XLS is $36,990. These are the only two specifications. Mr Carroll said the launch of the Kizashi was the third most important launch in Suzuki's Australian history: behind the vehicle that launched it all, the three cylinder LJ50 4WD in the 1970s and release of the new Swift, which literally doubled Suzuki's Queensland sales.
“This car will change people's perception of the Suzuki brand,” he said. “And more importantly it lets thousands of Swift drivers upgrade to a larger Suzuki car in Kizashi.” The company is also keen to gain conquest sales from other brands. The five seat car is pleasing on the eye with strong features and a prominent road stance. It does not look as wide as Camry, but does appear more sporty. The rear view is dominated by two stainless steel exhaust covers that are reminiscent of Suzuki's other strength – motorcycles. The boot has a capacity of 461 litres and the rear seats have a 60/40 split fold in addition to a centre ski hatch.
The rear seat has good head and leg room, but shoulder room could be an issue with three adults. Three kids would be fine. In our test we drove the XLS fitted with the CVT transmission, but also got a brief drive of the six speed manual. The CVT – a similar transmission to that found in Subaru Liberty – is a cracker and ideally suited to the 131 kW/230 Nm engine. We also liked the six speed manual which is smooth and light, although a little long in the throw.
The car comes well equipped: six airbags, ABS brakes with traction control and crash-saving stability control as standard on both models. The entry level car gets fabric upholstery, wile the XLS gets leather. The car's features are well laid out, but the plastics are a little on the cheaper side for our liking.
But, we found the seats to be super comfortable for long-distance travel and offer good lower back support. The XLS offers a 10-way power seat with three position memory while the passenger seat has four way power. The XL offers manual height adjust in addition to the usual controls.
The XL has 16 inch steel wheels with optional 17 inch alloys while the XLS is standard with 17 inch alloys and has optional 18 inch alloys. A full size spare is included for both specifications. The XLS also comes with a sun roof – which we would gladly swap for a sat/nav system if one was available. The other mod/cons are covered: dual zone air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, illuminated vanity mirrors, audio and cruise control switches on the steering wheel, tilt and reach steering wheel, information centre including fuel consumption guage including instantaneous and average and remote control door locks. The audio is a Rockford Fosgate system.
But, it's the driving experience that really impresses. Suzuki engineers have nailed the suspension and damping producing a car that will handle with the best in class with a low noise, vibration and harshness at a level not normally found in a car costing under $40,000. Kizashi will most likely be a contender for car of the year.
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