Audi's Stronghold in China Threatened by BMW, Mercedes-Benz

"Mercedes and BMW have more up side than Audi in emerging markets, so it will be difficult for Audi to achieve its target," London-based automotive analyst Arndt Ellinghorst told Automotive News.

As the world's single largest automotive market, Chinese customers are increasingly important to BMW and Mercedes. As a result, both have crafted vehicles specifically aimed at the Chinese market. Tomorrow at the Beijing auto show, BMW will unveil an extended 5 Series, while Mercedes is set to debut its new longer E Class. The reasoning for extended wheelbases is that the wealthier Chinese population is typically chauffeured. 



Earlier this month, Audi posted its first quarter sales figures. With a strong start to 2010, Audi was able to secure the second place spot in global luxury sales, bumping Mercedes down to third. The Ingolstadt based automaker hasn't fared so well in China lately. Over that last 6 years, Audi's market share has slipped from 66 percent down to 46 percent. BMW has climbed from 16 to 23 percent, while Mercedes more than doubled its share, from 7 to 16 percent.

Audi had 159,000 deliveries in 2009, but has a goal to sell 200,000 this year. On track for that target, it sold 51,449 in the first quarter this year. Last year BMW sold 90,500 vehicles, but is on track to surpass that mark, with 34,179 sold through March. Mercedes sold 24,100 vehicles in the first quarter of 2010, and should meet its 100,000 sales goal. BMW is investing $749 million in a new Chinese factory to double capacity to 100,000 units annually. Mercedes already has a 100,000 unit production capacity in China.  

"The potential of the Chinese market remains enormous, and our targets are correspondingly ambitious," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said last week.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

The 2010 Kizashi will change the way you look at Suzuki. To put it bluntly, the Kizashi is the strongest evidence yet that Suzuki's automotive division is no longer operating on autopilot in the States. And what's more, the brand is showing serious confidence. Consider the vehicles against which the automaker wants you to cross shop its Kizashi: the Acura TSX and Audi A4.




Suzuki has launched a promotion called the Kizashi Test Drive Challenge that will pay $100 to anyone who test drives a Kizashi and still decides to buy the more expensive TSX or A4. After spending some quality time with the model, we don't envy those potential Acura and Audi customers who are unprepared for how difficult their decision is going to be.
For the longest time, Suzuki subsisted in the U.S. market by selling mostly rebadged versions of other automakers' vehicles, all of them forgettable and none exceptional. Historically, the brand has been wedded to General Motors through products like the three-row XL7 that is built atop GM's ubiquitous Theta platform, to say nothing of the Forenza and Reno, versions of models developed and built by GM's South Korean subsidiary, GM Daewoo. More recently there's the Suzuki Equator mid-size pickup, a refaced Nissan Frontier introduced in 2008 that doesn't even appear on the company's U.S. website anymore.

Excluded from this group is the SX4, which is the brand's last new product before the Kizashi. This well regarded small sedan/hatchback combo is fun to drive and available with lots of upscale equipment, like all-wheel drive and navigation, for under $18,000.



The Kizashi is the largest car that Suzuki has developed for U.S. consumption since the Verona, another rebadged version of a GM Daewoo product that was discontinued due to poor sales. Correction, Suzuki informs us that while it had worked with GM on a mid-size sedan design study back when the two companies were linked more closely, the Kizashi is 100% Suzuki.
What's more, the Kizashi's styling isn't the result of rebadging another company's car. In fact, Suzuki designers have been working on its look for years. During that time, three consecutive Kizashi concepts were introduced. Suzuki surprised us first with a wagon concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The second concept, a CUV, debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and the third and final concept, a sedan, was a sexy silver bullet that got our attention at the 2008 New York Auto Show.

It's too bad the production Kizashi doesn't bear a closer resemblance to that third and final concept, which truly had us drooling in the Big Apple back in 2008. What Suzuki is selling today clearly shares styling cues with that car, but also carries the burden of meeting federal safety requirements and fitting on the Epsilon II platform. As such, much of the concept's organic beauty has been sacrificed for the privilege of being a modern car on sale in the U.S.



But hold on, because that doesn't mean the Kizashi is a dog. Suzuki will be happy to hear that we received a number of unsolicited comments comparing its new design to an Audi. These came from people who aren't enthusiasts but know that Audi is a premium brand, which confirmed our own experience that the Kizashi gives an expensive-looking first impression, in this case, aided by our GTS model's rich-looking grey metallic paint.

If anything, the Kizashi is at least Suzuki's own design. While we initially panned the car's shape during our First Drive for being derivative, a closer inspection and the passage of time has eroded our criticism. We originally said the hood look lifted from a Chrysler PT Cruiser, but have grown to really like the lines that come down from the bottom of each A-pillar and curve across the hood toward the inside of each headlight. They look like arched eyebrows over the angry squint of each projector beam lamp. The Kizashi's face looks straight-up evil, with nothing but the grille's slight upward bend into a malevolent smile to soften things up.



There are subtle styling elements like this all over the Kizashi. The broad shoulder line beneath the side windows artfully flows forward into each headlight and down into the surprisingly flared front fenders. The subtle duck bill rear spoiler that seems to disappear when not viewing the car in profile. The exhaust pipes that exit through a pair of chrome surrounds integrated into the rear bumper. Something new caught our eye every time we approached the Kizashi during its week in our keep, which suggests to us that the design will age nicely for owners and not need tweaking to stay fresh in a model year or two.

The Kizashi's interior, meanwhile, beats the low bar set by past Suzuki models but lands mid-pack compared to the current competition. Considering that Ford has packed the inside of even its low cost models with soft touch materials, there's no excuse for an interior aimed at the likes of Audi and Acura to be covered in hard plastics from door to door. The cloth seats in our GTS tester ("leather-appointed" thrones are available) were comfortable and feature semi-firm bolsters that kept our keisters planted, but we had trouble finding a comfortable driving position, even with 10-way power adjustability and the standard tilting and telescoping steering wheel.



Infotainment-wise, the Kizashi offers almost everything you'd want if cross-shopping a more expensive entry level luxury sport sedan. Our GTS model came standard with a 425-watt Rockford Fosgate system plus integrated USB port in the dash and available wireless Bluetooth audio for hooking up an iPhone, iPod Touch or other BT digital music player. Bluetooth hands-free calling can be had as well, though set up is a decidedly frustrating affair that can only be achieved by patiently listening to audible prompts and doing what the female voice says quickly before you forget.

The Kizashi's dual-zone climate control, keyless push-button start, available heated front seats and integrated steering wheel controls are the same top shelf features you'll find in those more expensive German and Japanese cars. Conspicuously absent, however, is a navigation system. Dealers will have a hard time explaining to customers why an item that comes standard in certain trims of the less expensive SX4 and can't be had at all in the Kizashi.

UPDATE: Suzuki informs us that a nav system is a port-installed option at launch, while a fully integrated unit will be available for the 2011 model year. We're trying to get a hold of some images from Suzuki of what each looks like, so stay tuned.



Forgetting the hard plastics and lack of nav, the Kizashi remains a comfortable sedan for four people. The roof extends far back over the rear passengers before plunging down to meet a high trunk lid, which provides both excellent rear headroom as well as a couple extra cubic feet of cargo space. The rear seats can also be folded forward, which comes in handy when trying to fit awkwardly sized items in the trunk thanks to the rear suspension's intrusion on either side.

So far, we've said nothing about the Kizashi that would make us want to buy one over an Acura TSX and Audi A4. That's because we've yet to talk about what lies beneath the styling and behind the interior. Underhood is a 2.4-liter DOHC four-cylinder producing 185 horsepower and 170 lb-feet of torque. That's the only engine (for now), but from there you've got choices: front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) and a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT), with or without paddle shifters.

First off, if you opt for AWD then you're locked into a CVT transmission. With FWD, the infinitely variable ratios of the CVT transmission do get better gas mileage than the manual's six cogs can muster (23/31 mpg versus 20/29 mpg), but any fuel savings is lost if you go with AWD. Our recommendation? Go FWD with the six-speed manual. You'll be saving both weight (200 pounds versus the AWD/CVT model) and money, not to mention that CVT-equipped Kizashis lose five horsepower. This is our how our GTS model came equipped and it's the one that may ruin your plans to liberate $100 from Suzuki's wallet.



Let's talk engines. The Kizashi's is slightly more powerful than other four-cylinders used by the competition in their base models. But whereas most of the competition also offers a V6 engine, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder is the only powerplant available in the Kizashi, so it better be good. And it is. Very good.

This 2.4-liter doesn't act like its in the same class as other base engines. Rather, it acts like a premium mill, the kind of four-cylinder that's offered in addition to a V6, not below it. Suzuki has set its redline at 6,500 RPM, and go there it will with little provocation. Power delivery is always smooth and there's a noticeable reserve to tap above 3,500 RPM.

While we recommend the six-speed manual transmission over the CVT, that's not to say it's the best rowing machine ever made. The clutch pedal is light and won't cause fatigue, but the shifter's throws are long and loose. It's the only drivetrain component that feels outclassed here, and Suzuki should spend some dollars to get it right.



The Kizashi will reach 60 mph from a standstill in 7.5 seconds before its Akebono brakes haul it down. That's not remarkably quick, but straight lines aren't what the Kizashi does best. The suspension is comprised of MacPherson struts up front and a five-point multilink setup in the rear with KYB dampers at all four corners. Combined with an extremely rigid frame, the relatively soft suspension makes cruising comfortable yet feels confident in corners. Put another way, the suspension's got range and will serve its master well whether a motion sick-prone mother-in-law or hard-to-impress Audi owner is sitting shotgun.

The real ace up the Kizashi's sleeve, though, is its steering. An often overlooked fact is that fun-to-drive vehicles don't have to be quick. A host of other aspects can pick up the performance slack, and steering is a big one. Inputs entered via the Kizashi's compact, thick-rimmed steering wheel got delivered to the road quickly through our GTS tester's 18-inch alloys wrapped in 235/45R18 all-season rubber. From there, we were rewarded with actual feedback from the road that wasn't obscured by numbness from the power steering. It's a terrific system that's accurate without being twitchy and effortless without being over-boosted.



By the end of our time with the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS, we were totally on board with comparing this car to the Acura TSX and Audi A4. Then we started comparing prices. A base Kizashi S starts at $18,999, and while we wouldn't put anything but the GTS model up against an Acura or Audi, it's worth noting that every Kizashi model comes very well equipped and the same engine, transmissions, steering and brakes are used in the base S, SE and most expensive SLS model.

The Kizashi GTS starts at $22,499 with little available in the way of options. The Acura TSX 2.4 starts at $29,310 and the Audi A4 2.0T at $31,450. Granted, both competitors feature more powerful four-cylinder engines – considerably so in the case of the turbocharged Audi – but as we said, a fun to drive car isn't necessarily the quickest one to the next stop light. The question is, how much is a second of acceleration worth to you? Suzuki is willing to bet a Ben Franklin that it's not much.

Audi and Xbox to Host Forza 3 Tournament in New York City



The event celebrates the Le Mans race and serves as a venue for a digital race challenge. Audi's currently asking gamers to fire up Forza Motorsports 3, pilot a digital 2009 Audi R15 TDI race car around the Circuit de la Sarthe, and submit their best lap times. Those with three best times will be invited to the Audi Forum in New York City on June 12, where they'll compete head-to-head in a four-hour Forza-based endurance race. The winner will receive a one-day program with the R8 at Audi's Driving Experience school in Sonoma, California.

Want to watch the cyber-race in person? Audi's opened the event -- which includes a live feed of the Le Mans race, food, door prizes, and Forza 3 game kiosks-- to those over the age of 21. The festivities will be held from 1-5 p.m., and Audi suggests you preregister.

Source: Audi, Forza

Suzuki's swapped the ladder frame architecture of the past to create a more civilized XL7, a welcome change from the Vitara roots of the original. The XL7's unitized Theta II platform, on loan from General Motors, also serves as the basis for the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. Suzuki also borrows the General's 3.6 liter V6, trying its very best in this application. The XL in the name is an apt descriptor, this is a lot of vehicle, and the price makes it a lot of value. So, what had to be sacrificed to bring such family friendly acreage in for the $22,000 of our trial unit?



Suzuki's styling people have done well differentiating the XL7 from the other vehicles on same architecture, and added length in the XL7 makes the available third row more palatable. For passengers in the rearward dungeon to be the most comfortable, though, the XL needs a bit more width. Leave the seat at the dealer and there's a swell amount of cargo space instead. The two-box paradigm limits the design leeway, but this big slab has its own identity, and even carries a bit of visual interest. Out front, gestural headlamp clusters frame the wide slatted chrome grille, the largest piece of the minimal brightwork on the XL. Wheelarches flare boldly high above the wheels and add some muscle. At the rear, the liftgate bows out without looking bulbous, and the raked three-quarter windows distract from a D-pillar that's more squared off than suggested at first glance.



No matter where the underpinnings are from, the XL7 makes good use of them. The structure is solid, and while you're aware of the size of the vehicle, the ride and reflexes suggest muscle, versus a winded fatty. Bumps and thumps that would send a body on frame vehicle into a fit of jiggles are swallowed with little more than a tire thwack. Judicious ride tuning smothers the road into submission without porpoising motions, though a tick or two more plushness in the ride wouldn't be unwelcome. There's no mistaking this vehicle for a sports car, but handling is competent without excessive roll, dive, or squat, and it clings well to the tarmac. With such a stretch between the axles, some maneuvers might require a harbor pilot, but at least there's stability control and a full complement of airbags to keep you on course and safe.


From behind the wheel the impression is weighty, but the XL7 isn't the road crusher you might think. Weighing between 3,800 and 4,100 pounds is certainly substantial, but not very porcine when considering the space the XL7 offers. Acceleration is plenty quick, Consumer Reports managed to sprint one through the quarter mile in 16 seconds flat, and they found 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. Corvettes were once slower than the XL7, though it doesn't leave the impression of a scorching drag racer. GM's V6 (built by Suzuki in Japan in this case) is willing to spin out to redline with a smooth metallic caterwaul, and the 252 horsepower it delivers works hard. We tried a two wheel drive XL7, so assume that the AWD version gives up some speed. Geared tall for fuel economy, the 2.54:1 final drive teams with a five-speed automatic for serenity at speed. Time was, 250 horsepower was more than adequate for 4,000 pounds, anyway. The steering is weighted nearly perfectly, if devoid of feedback, and the XL7 drives with solid composure. The mission of this vehicle doesn't require constant updates from the contact patches, anyway. The firm ride contributes some head toss, preferable to vomity-soft springing. A solid structure all around doesn't jiggle or rattle over bad surfaces, though occasionally the second row of seats piped up over exceptionally damaged pavement that also got a jiggle out of the steering column.


We found the compromise, and it's inside. The gauge cluster and major controls look and feel high quality and are properly located, though the rear wiper control is devillishly hard to find. The plastic that comprises the lower portion of the dashboard and the door panels looks like a remnant from some 1970s house of funk, and overall there are more textures and finishes in the interior than there should be. Leather seating is available in the Limited trim level, but going that hog wild on the XL7 winds you up among some ultra-stiff competition in the low $30,000 price range. Our sampler had durable-looking twill-like cloth upholstery on seats that would do a little better with some more bolstering. The flatly-padded seats didn't make our legs fall asleep, and are reasonably comfortable once the manual adjustments are dialed in. The standard audio system has a CD player, a proper knob for both tuning and volume, and an auxiliary input -- not too shabby. The materials in the cabin of the XL7 unfortunately don't do the build quality justice. Cheap pieces assembled well are still cheap pieces at the end of the day. The top of the dash is impressive looking, its absorptive, low-luster black finish leads you to think it's soft to the touch, but it's formica-hard. Soft touch surfaces are indeed scarce, though the necessary bases are covered.


The XL7 is a long beastie, longer than its platform mates and able to swallow a stroller and a tripod the long way - an impressive feat. There's just acres of space here, though its a little narrower than you'd expect. The fifth door is a little difficult to operate for a couple of reasons. First, the latch is located near the license plate, which robs you of the leverage you'd get from a proper handle mounted low on the door. Also, the gas struts that hold the hatch up are stiff, requiring a good, hard slam before the latch will fully engage. More than once, we tried to depart, only to have the dashboard remind us the hatch wasn't completely secure. LATCH anchors abound, and the XL7 is brood-friendly with its size and available features. Even in the lightly equipped model we drove, there's a lot to like. There's a lot of vehicle that's very friendly to drive here, and the price per square foot, punchy motor, and well-behaved chassis make a strong argument for the XL7.
source by autoblog

For the 2009 model year, Suzuki will begin offering navigation as standard equipment on all SX4 Sport models. Starting at a buck under 16K, the new 'Zook is the cheapest car in America so equipped, and that news was very well received by the media and car shoppers alike. In fact, so positive was the response, the decision was made to begin offering the GPS navigation about six months early as part of the TRIP package. We were intrigued by the idea of a low-cost



commuter car coming standard with such a desirable feature, so we decided to procure one such TRIP-equipped 2008.5 SX4 Sport for testing. Is the navigation nothing more than a gimmick to get you into a sub-standard car, or does the SX4 have more going for it than just being well equipped? Read on to find out.
First thing's first, how does that TRIP (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play, if you cared) navigation system work? Quite well, thank you. The unit itself is supplied by Garmin and uses Navteq mapping software and preloaded street maps, so it functions just as well as any other system available. Featuring a 4.3-inch screen, it's not the most amazing system in the world, but it's not bad and gets the job done just fine. The GPS is fully integrated with the audio system and enclosed in a pop-up bin atop the center of the dash. Added bonuses include a built-in MP3 player along with MSN Direct, which includes such useful bits as real-time traffic, weather forecasts, news reports, stock quotes, movie times, local entertainment listings and a gas station finder. We used all of these features throughout the week we had the car, and we found they all worked exactly as promised. Let's move along, shall we?



The SX4 itself couldn't really be described as attractive per se, but it is definitely a useful shape. Ahead of the front A-pillars are two extra little triangular windows that look a bit funny but help conspire with the tall greenhouse and abundance of glass to make for an airy-feeling cockpit. Visibility proved beyond reproach, something that we can all appreciate in these days of fashionable slit-like windows and high belt-lines. Our car was painted a shade known as Vapor Blue Metallic, and it was universally panned by everyone who's opinion we asked. Our advice would be to choose a darker shade, as the car seems to look better in those hues. Alloy rims with P205/50R17 tires are included on the Sport model and we found them appropriately sporty-looking and feeling. More on that later.


Inside, space abounds for both front-seat passengers and those relegated to the rear. A penalty box this car is not, despite its relatively short 98.4-inch wheelbase. The trunk also proved rather commodious and is rated at 15-cubic feet. For those looking for more practicality, we would suggest checking out the Crossover version of the SX4, which features a hatchback and slightly less homely looks. A holdover from its crossover roots is the SX4's ample 6.3-inches of ground clearance, which means there's no worries at all about scraping on steep driveways or speed bumps. As you would expect in 2008, power windows and door locks are standard, as is air conditioning, tilt steering wheel and cruise control. The stereo is XM Satellite Radio ready and the steering wheel has buttons for the audio and cruise functions.


Driving the SX4 Sport proved rather enjoyable, as the 2.0-liter DOHC engine's 143 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque moves the car's 2,700-pounds fairly briskly. You won't set any speed records, but it more than holds its own compared to other vehicles in this modest price class. We definitely advise SX4 shoppers to stick with the standard five-speed manual transmission, as the optional four-speed auto really sucks the life out of the engine. Besides, the stick shift is a pretty sweet partner, with slickness that isn't quite up to Honda levels, but is worlds better than most of its competition from Korea and Detroit.


Suzuki works hard to make its vehicles different from the class leaders, and this fact shines through very clearly with the SX4. Nobody will confuse this car with a Corolla when sitting behind the wheel, as its been tuned for a sporty feel and has rather quick reflexes. Sure, it's no Civic Si or Cobalt SS, but it doesn't cost as much as either of those tuner cars and is more enjoyable to drive than its base-model competitors. The SX4 Sport's handling in particular always brought a smile to our faces. Although its limits are pretty low, getting the most from the chassis is extremely easy and you really need to do something truly boneheaded to get it out of shape.

Fuel economy is a big reason why people stick to this class of cars, and the Suzuki's EPA ratings of 22 city and 29 highway are noticeably lower than its main rivals from Honda and Toyota. Fortunately, there's an average fuel mileage display in the dash that proved very useful to tame our driving habits. Over the course of its stay in our garage, the SX4 Sport managed nearly 29 miles per gallon in mixed driving, which is really quite impressive considering that it's as enjoyable to drive as it is. Those who opt for the automatic actually benefit by one mile per gallon extra on the highway, though we've got to question whether that figure is as easy to achieve as it was with the stick.


We were genuinely impressed by the little Suzuki, and we'd seriously recommend the SX4 Sport to anybody looking for a small car that's a bit quirky and different from the mainstream competition. We'd probably opt for the Crossover, though, as its added practicality wouldn't take anything away from the platform's nice driving dynamics and looks better to our eyes. The standard navigation is really icing on the cake, as the car is competent enough to compete on level ground with the best from Japan, Korea and the United States. Factor in Suzuki's standard warranty, which includes powertrain coverage of 7-years or 100,000 miles, and the SX4 makes for a pretty compelling package.
source by autoblog