2010 Suzuki Kizashi Review

Roughly translated from Japanese, Kizashi means something is coming. Suzuki hopes the new sport sedan with the same name will get drivers excited about the possibilities and the price point. Bumper2Bumper TV recently got a chance to put the Kizashi through some paces including some time on the track at Virginia International Raceway

Bumper 2 Bumper TV This is Bumper 2 Bumper TV. Greg Morrison: Suzuki is making yet another foray into the mid-size sedan segment and maybe they got it right this time. The Kizashi sedan straddles the segment between compact and mid-size with an overall length of a 183 inches it's a little longer than it's predecessor the Forenza which is quietly allowed to fade away after 2008. It's a sedan that Suzuki developed entirely on it's own after breaking tires with General Motors and the difference is apparent in more than the aggressive styling. For example, there is a different power plan under the hood a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine turning out 185 horsepower and 170 foot pounds of torque, a six speed transmission is standard in both the front wheel and all wheel drive version. In fact Suzuki engineers are so confident in the Kizashi and that the media put it on the track, in this setting it held it's own against more upscale competing sport sedans. So it make sense they are proud of what's underneath the hood is well. John Morel: In this particular vehicle you can see some examples of Suzuki's under body air management we have racing covers top and bottom. There is also a cover that's underneath the engine it's been taken off here so that we can see the inside of the engine. Combined these decrease the coefficient of drive that 0.02 or roughly 7% again contributing to higher levels of performance and grade of fuel economy. Greg Morrison: The design team also included a lot of up market features like standard USB jacks for iPods and other Mp3 players along with optional Bluetooth connectivity to make with cellphones and other mobile devices. The car maybe priced at a loss for Suzuki considering the relationship of the dollar to the end but if it successful as a global vehicle that might be eased by moving production of it offshore from Japan. This is Greg Morrison. We want to know, what you think so email us the address is bumper2bumpertv@cs.com.