When driving a vehicle for review, we always keep a list of pros and cons. At just a glance we can see which list is longer and instantly know if it's a vehicle that we'd personally drive. At the end of the evaluation we throw in a few verbs, several random adjectives and some technical jargon to make us all sound knowledgeable and it's a review! Just kidding. A little, at least.




The 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport that just left the Autoblog Garage didn't fit the mold. Our cons list outnumbered the pros, but we just can't give this one an automatic thumbs down.

The ride was unsettled by even slightly uneven pavement, which then caused the dash panel to creak and rattle. And the squeaky horn sounded more appropriate for one of Suzuki's econoboxes than a 4,600-pound SUV. And there's that funky side-opening rear cargo door. But from the pro list, we got a powerful V6, a fairly roomy interior and an impressive drivetrain warranty.

Our 2WD tester arrived wearing Quicksilver Metallic paint and cloth seats. The 2.7-liter V6 is standard, as are side curtain airbags, ABS, stability and traction control, fog lamps and 16-inch wheels. The Xsport trim level includes a few "comfort and convenience" options like a power sunroof, keyless entry and start, power windows and doors, audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel, a 6-disc AM/FM with six speakers and a subwoofer, and power mirrors. Total sticker price before shipping and handling was $22,349.
The silver-toned exterior design made it on our pro list. The Vitara's straight lines, chunky bumpers, squared-off headlamps and rear-bumper-mounted spare tire took us back to a time when SUVs were masculine-looking machines made to take on the most intimidating terrain. While other SUVs like Mazda's CX7/9 go for sports car looks, Vitara keeps it real. And unlike Buick's glued-on chrome portholes-to-nowhere, Suzuki chose to make its vents black, plastic and, if not functional, at least actual holes.



The Suzuki's rear hatch, though, made it onto our con list. It's a hulk of a door (made heavier by that spare tire), that swings open left to right. Parallel park on a city street with cargo to load, and you will quickly despise the novelty. Park too closely to the car behind, and you'll be walking around the front of your car with every armful.


Luckily, though, filling the back of the Vitara with stuff isn't difficult. The floor-height doesn't require lifting bags above your waist, and unloading doesn't require a lot of bending over. A cargo cover attached to the back seat keeps big valuables out of view, while a shallow, covered divot in the cargo area is convenient for stashing items. Finding a light behind the rear seats isn't a surprise, but we'd prefer it came on automatically. It's no fun fumbling in the dark for that tiny switch. The rear seats also tilt up easily for moving even more of your junk, and in that position the Vitara passed our stroller test, even holding the Graco and groceries with a little room to spare.

Once inside, you're greeted by black and gray soft-touch plastics accented with brushed-aluminum-looking plastic trim. The black seat fabric felt more like athletic wear than upholstery, but will probably withstand years of abuse by adults and kids alike. Most of the interior, including the color-combination, fit-and-finish and spaciousness, got a pro-side listing. The driver's gauges in particular were appreciated with their white numerals on a black background in chrome-accented openings. They made for quick, easy reading on the road. At night, the red needle was as brightly lit as the numbers, but we also found negatives after the sun set. The driver's window switch on the driver's door is lit, but no others. Neither are any of the door lock switches or the cruise control switches on the steering wheel.


The Xsport-level Vitara gets an in-dash, 6-disc CD changer with six speakers and a subwoofer. We didn't appreciate being teased by the head unit advertising "XM" in large letters with a tiny "ready" disclaimer below. And the CD/AUX button did nothing but piss us off when 30 minutes of searching turned up no auxiliary port. That meant spending an entire week listening to advertising-intensive FM radio. Seriously, Suzuki. How much could it cost to include a 1/8" plug for the iPod? .50¢? $1? Make it $10 for your trouble and add .35¢ to my monthly payment. And we'd suggest an entry in the owner's manual on how to unplug that impotent little subwoofer. It's mounted right under the driver's seat and is more of a distraction than an enhancement.

Hauling a two-year-old in the Grand Vitara took little effort, though. Child-seat installation was simple and quick. The LATCH attachment points were easily found, and the center headrest was removed without a fight. Removal was even simpler. Getting the wiggly, impatient toddler into the seat was another issue. The rear door opening was shorter than some of the SUVs we've reviewed, and made getting a child into and out of a center-mounted safety seat a chore. My wife said if the vehicle were ours, she'd be tempted to install the seat in an outboard position. And for adults, there was enough headroom, legroom, hiproom, etc. to comfortably hold front and rear passengers, and the front and rear cup holders easily held a 1-liter water bottle.


Under the Grand Vitara's hood is that 185-hp, 2.7 liter V6 we mentioned earlier. It's at the top of the positives list, and singlehandedly erases several negatives. Press the fast pedal closer to the floor, and you can't even hear that annoying subwoofer any more. I've read other reviews that said the Vitara's engine is unresponsive and even sluggish. Either Suzuki listened to the complaints and made improvements or I'm just easily pleased. The car accelerated nicely with some lovely music coming from the little V6. The rush almost (almost) made me forget how much dinosaur juice I was burning. Most of the week was spent commuting in light city traffic and we burned 11.7 gallons of regular over 177 miles. That's an average of just over 15 mpg for the week. I've been accused of having a lead foot, but that's 2 mpg lower than the EPA city estimate and just within the "expected range" of 14 to 20 city.

But there are two other positives in this SUV's drivetrain. First, it's got an automatic transmission, not a manumatic or a sequential automatic. It's a true, old-school PRNDL, and that makes me happy. We've yet to meet a manumatic we enjoy using (dual clutch units notwithstanding). Good ones may exist, but at this price level, either simplify the automatic tranny or install a clutch. Thank you, Suzuki, for simplifying.

Here's one simplification we can't understand, though. While Honda's CRV, Toyota's Rav4, and Chevrolet's Equinox all get a full set of disc brakes, Suzuki puts disc on front, drums in back. Drum brakes? On a 2008 model vehicle, let alone a big, heavy one? Seriously?


The drivetrain's superb warranty is its third pro. Suzuki backs up its mechanicals for seven years or 100,000 miles with no deductible. Even better, the warranty is transferable, instantly boosting resale value.

In the end, the negatives did outweigh the positives for the 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport. Don't bother counting, some were just too personal and trivial to bother listing. But overall, we still like the Vitara and it's one of the major reasons the Japanese brand hit 100,000 sales in the U.S. last year. It's just an "honest" vehicle. From its boxy exterior to its functional hood vents, it's not trying to be something it's not. But a more fuel efficient engine, modern brakes and a plug for my Pod would go a long way toward making me buy one.

"It looks like a puppy," my wife said upon first setting eyes on the 2008 Subaru Tribeca. That's an apt description of any Subaru; they usually feel quite eager from behind the wheel, and they're trusty companions. The new front end on the Tribeca is more bland than the outgoing aviation-inspired look, but that hasn't dulled the inherent goodness of this big CUV.

The power unit has also seen upgrades. B9-era Tribecas (the alphanumeric has been dropped for '08) had 3.0 liters of horizontally opposed 6 cylinder to haul 4300 pounds. Power delivery was on the revvy side, so maximum torque didn't arrive until you wound it up a bit. 2008 brings more than a half-liter capacity bump, making the Tribeca feel more sprightly with not only more grunt, but also revised delivery characteristics that better suit most drivers.


The Tribeca's styling has had much of its polarizing uniqueness beaten out of it with a bland stick. The most dramatic changes are up front, where the original face's headlight tunnels and three-piece grille have given way to a far less distinctive frontispiece. In the interest of quieting detractors, the Tribeca has tiptoed to the precipice of anonymity, but thankfully, some of the interesting detailing in the shape pulls it back. Glance quickly, though, and you may mistake it for a DCX minivan. The rump has also come in for a nip and tuck. Gone is the inset on the lower portion of the hatch, the taillamps have been reshaped, and the rear bumper's facsia has been heavily revised.



Away from the nose and tail, much of the ALFA-esque styling has escaped unscathed. The flanks still carry sculpting that catches light and focuses your gaze. The rear quarter windows have been enlarged, a boon for visibility, and the D-pillar comes away successfully tamed. Even with its funkectomy, we still find the Tribeca interesting to look at, and the vehicle continues to stand apart in a crowded field.


Inside and out, the Tribeca is unabashed about the dashing line it cuts. The sides are hewn in a way that catches light and dribbles reflections like liquid. The more you gaze at the Tribeca, the more you like it, even with the higher nose and more traditional (and large) grille. Inside, the swoopy dash and fresh design still remains. The materials are well done, if more workaday than luxo-plush. Silver plastic trim always raises questions about longevity, but what we saw in the belly of the beast appeared like it'd ward off scuffs and nastiness.


Instrumentation is clean and easily read, with electroluminescent gauge faces. We were less than impressed by the "information center" LCD screen at the top of the center stack; what's so wrong about keeping feedback local to the controls? The speedo and tach sit at the bottom of two nacelles and the temperature and fuel gauges flank the circular tunnels. The treatment adds a bit of levity to the often-blah territory of vital information delivery. The dance that the gauge needles do when you first energize the electrical system is a novel trick, too. Our test car was not equipped with navigation, which would have placed a touch screen where the underwhelming LCD took residence. The display has a tendency to half-disappear when wearing polarized sunglasses, which made it difficult to read quickly, though we're sure part of the reasoning for the LCD in the first place is that it's a central repository for information about what the HVAC and radio are doing. We found ourselves looking at a knob that was bankrupt of any indication of setting, rather than going first to the LCD for information. Looking somewhere other than the control you want to adjust is just unnatural. It's kind of like driving the car via a VT100 terminal, and it's maddening. The HVAC's trio of rocker action knobs take practice, and the digital readouts in the center of the temperature selection knobs look cooler than they are in practice. Since the knobs have a rocker action, there's no way to quickly discern what they're set to without taking your eyes off the road long enough to comprehend the number in the readout. The central fan speed knob would also be better with detents, rather than returning to center. The other ventilation controls hide out just in front of the shifter, and can be difficult to quickly locate since the buttons are all alike, with low contrast markings.

The rest of the controls are easy to figure out, and fall easily at hand. The driving position and provisions are comfortable in that familiar, friendly Subaru way. The seats had tasteful, grippy fabric, and were quickly adjusted to proper posture. There are three rows of seats available in the Tribeca, but we think that the space is better utilized as cargo area, like our two row tester. The 2nd row is also more accommodating without a third row nipping at its heels. Even though the Tribeca carries high style, with its front quarter windows, deeper front airdam and powerful wheel arches, the D-pillars don't bite into useful interior space like in other vehicles such as the Infiniti FX. The load area with just two rows accommodates a long day of consumerism at the temple of the buck without a whimper.


When you finally break free from the joy of beating down your credit score, the drive home is a refreshing respite from the humdrum conveyances that surround you on your suburb to suburb trek. The steering operates with well-oiled precision and is weighted nicely for locking on to straight ahead. The Tribeca is definitely a Subaru from the driver's seat. Wheel motion is well controlled and the Tribeca doesn't have an aversion to rounding corners.


Subaru continues with its uncommon powertrains to good result with the newly-enlarged H6. The 3.0 didn't have enough room in the case for a traditional bore and stroke job to offer the desired size increase, so a slightly triangular connecting rod was developed to facilitate more stroked volume without an increase in deck height. It sounds like a lot of effort to go through when they could have just made the engine a little wider, but by maintaining the same external dimensions, re-cyphering the engine bay wasn't necessary, keeping costs down. There are lots of other detail changes to the mill, including variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust cams, and a revised cooling system that drops the octane requirement to 87 R+M/2.

The Tribeca's idle is very smooth and well isolated, and at speed the 3.6-liter flat six is muted. A stomp on the go pedal is rewarded with a snarl starting around 2,700 rpm, and even with more torque available across the rev range, the 3.6 is better when the tach winds around past three. The engine note is sweetly mechanical, but not as thrilling as what you'd hear from that other company that makes horizontally opposed sixes. That's an unfair comparison, though, and the Tribeca's engine sounds good when being caned, and quiets right down when you're not calling for Full Ahead from the engine room.


The Tribeca's driving traits put it in good company, running with effete European breeds dynamically. The interior fitment lacks some of the sumptuousness of those vehicles, but that's not a knock on the big Subie. What you find is a vehicle that carries its size well, offers unique styling and doesn't have to be apologetic for sloppy reflexes. It's no Legacy wagon, but that's exactly the point. The Tribeca exists to fill a hole in the Subaru line not served by the other offerings. It's a big, family-friendly machine that is thoughtfully packaged, rather than being a V8 stuffed in a ladder frame and topped with an SUV body. The new nose will likely find more play in Peoria, and Subaru's apparent mission of turning out ersatz half-price BMWs that sacrifice little is carried through the newly freshened Tribeca.
source by autoblog

I remember the last red Subaru I drove. I was in high school, and the car was my dad's – a new '88 GL wagon with an automatic and push-button 4WD on the shifter. I dug that Scooby. It wasn't powerful but it was fun -- especially when it snowed. Somehow I managed to avoid bouncing it off a lamppost while sliding it around corners. This had much more to do with luck than skill, as I was in high school and clearly an idiot. But I digress -- after all, this isn't about my dad's old GL. It is, however, about a red Subaru – the new Impreza WRX STI, to be specific. If this thing was around back during my neighborhood rally-pretender salad days, I'd probably just be getting my license back right about now.
When Subaru unveiled the all-new Impreza and WRX last April, Scoobyphiles bared their teeth at the sight of the car's new, pedestrian looks. Until then, the WRX's appearance could have been described many ways, but milquetoast wasn't one of them. This matter is corrected with the STI, whose visual punch feels like it's delivered with brass knuckles. Where the base Impreza WRX barely warrants a second glance, the pugnacious STI causes its fair share of wrenched neck muscles as other drivers, particularly young guys in imports (big surprise there, right?) gawk at the bright red hatch. One afternoon, a Jetta GLI barreled into a turnoff where I had parked to squeeze off a few pictures. Out jumped a kid who was so consumed by the car that he wouldn't have noticed if Scarlett Johansen strolled by in her birthday suit. Another night at the supermarket checkout counter, I overheard the guy in the next lane excitedly tell his girlfriend, "Check this out... Outside? There's an '08 STI!" Not bad for a car whose general shape we were all bitching about several months ago.





It's surprising what a few bulges here, some vents there, and trick-looking wheels do for the Impreza. It's still no beauty -- not by a long shot -- but man, it is butch, and purposefully so. You see, the Subaru people apparently didn't get the memo that fake vents are now de rigeur, as everything you see is actually functional. The scoops below the bumpers really are for brake cooling. The front fender vents actually dissipate engine heat. And of course, the giant hood scoop gulps air into the 305-horsepower 2.5L boxer's top-mounted intercooler. In the STI, the relationship between form and function is no sham marriage.


You have to concede that the twin dual-tip exhaust outlets are superfluous (there's just the one muffler, after all), but they really do look pretty wicked, and the diffuser they peek under is also functional. Our tester's swollen fenders sheltered the optional 18-inch BBS wheels whose spoke pattern gives a clear view of the big, STI-branded Brembos (13-inches front, 12.6-inches rear) tasked with stopping the madness. A set of Dunlop SP Winter Sports was on duty during the car's visit with us. Other visual details that differentiate the STI from lesser Imprezas include secondary emblems on the fenders, a chickenwire grille pattern, the larger roof wing, and the deletion of brightwork from the front and rear fascias. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it all makes a difference -- particularly the bling-free rump.

Open the door and you'll find a cockpit that's better than the last-gen Impreza's, but whose materials betray the STI's econocar genealogy. Subaru uses different plastic colors and finishes to decent effect, with silver-ish "wings" that merge into the door panels and additional contrast trim where the center stack merges with the console. The three-spoke wheel boasts integrated radio/cruise controls and an overstyled center cap. Twist the ignition key and the instrument cluster lights up like Christmas, with a big tach sitting front and center just in case you forgot the STI is a performance car. That's also home to the indicators for the SI-DRIVE and DCCD modes, which we'll get to shortly. The STI logo glows red from within the tach and (when the headlamps are on) on the trim ahead of the shifter boot. You'll also find STI markings embroidered on each of the car's front seats. Trimmed in leather with contrast stitching and Alcantara inserts on the main panels, they look pretty good, are comfortable, and have substantial bolsters. That said, they aren't nearly as supportive as the Recaros available in the old car, and they finish second to the seats in the new Mitsubishi Evo, as well.


The boxer engine awakens with its signature grumble and is completely docile at lower revs; boring, even. In neighborhood put-put duty, you'd never guess that there's small block V8-level horsepower in the engine bay. How it behaves when you put a boot to it depends on where you set the SI-DRIVE, and this is where the STI starts to get really interesting. Fans of gadgetry will immediately notice the silver dial mounted aft of the shifter. It's paired with the controls for the adjustable differential, and you won't find either in the standard WRX.


SI-DRIVE has three modes: Intelligent, Sport, and Sport Sharp. On the first afternoon I had the the car, my commute home was in monsoon-like conditions. I selected the Intelligent mode, which actually dials back peak power by 20%, peak torque by 10%, and tranquilizes the throttle response. A dash indicator confirmed my choice, and off I went. This mode should also give you better fuel economy, but seriously, if you buy an STI, it's not because you're trying to do a Prius imitation. Intelligent mode was fine for use in biblical rain conditions, and 240 horses or so is nothing to sneeze at (it's still more than the base WRX offers), but this is not what the STI is about. I never used it again.


Sport is the standard operating mode, and the difference between it and Intelligent is tangible. Make the switch on the fly and you feel it from your spot behind the wheel. The power restrictions are lifted, and its delivery is nice and smooth. Great, right? Well, it's fine. But the STI lives up to its rep when you twist the SI-DRIVE to the right and engage Sport Sharp. Once you confirm that the little green "S#" is staring back at you from the instrument cluster, you wonder why you (and Subaru, for that matter) ever bothered messing with the other two settings at all. Full power and torque availability is complemented by instantaneous throttle response. Worried about that aforementioned lack of jump at low revs? Not a problem. Low revs don't hang around for long anymore.


Punch the throttle and Pandora's Box opens underhood. The tach needle runs for the redline -- pay attention now, because first gear is history, and you'll get acquainted with the rev limiter if you don't shift. Snick that ideally-placed shifter into 2nd and let the rush continue. The Boxer's engine noise is complemented by an audible rush from the turbo as you storm forward. At this point, you're probably cackling like the Joker and gleefully rowing through the gears. It's involving and rewarding, and you silently thank Subaru for giving the car the three-pedal treatment instead of a manumatic deal. The hundredths of a second a fancy-paddle tranny would save you mean nothing to the dude in the Mustang you surprised four lights ago.

The STI is an obedient little bulldog, responding to steering inputs quickly and generally acting unflappable. Twists and elevation changes are simply gobbled up, and you find yourself thinking that maybe those WRC guys have the best jobs ever. The car is as nimble as it is quick, and you need to be aware of what you're doing, because chances are you're doing it a lot faster than your local PD would like. This is where the Brembos earn their keep. They're like the physical manifestation of rational thought. "Too fast," you think. Not any more. If you're trying to find reasons to justify the STI's price differential over the WRX, start with that middle pedal before you even open the hood.


The in-car techno fun doesn't end with SI-DRIVE. The DCCD (Driver Controlled Center Differential) returns, and it lets you choose from three automatic modes in addition to allowing manual torque-split adjustment. The default Auto mode adjusts the front/rear torque assignment as needed. Auto (-) Active Sport is rear-biased and opens the center differential, while Auto (+) tightens the differential up. If you choose to manually configure the differential, you're able to max the power distribution out at 50:50 front/rear. Similarly, the VDC can be left on, shut off completely, or put into a sport-oriented Traction mode. Overall, this is some good stuff. Want launch wheelspin? Just dial it in. Between SI-DRIVE, DCCD, and the different VDC settings, you can mold the STI to suit both the road conditions and your personal tastes. The combination of button-pushes, dial turns and toggles you enter before getting underway determines the nature of the beast you'll be driving. That said, it's not as if you need to tinker much to make it fun. Leaving the VDC and DCCD in their default modes and putting the SI-DRIVE in Sport Sharp did the trick for me 99% of the time. The best part, though, is that this is all very accessible; you don't need to be a wrench turner to tap into the variety of electronically-controlled vehicle setup options.

Part of the plan with the 2008 Impreza was to offer more room, more comfort and a better overall ride than the outgoing car, thus broadening its appeal. These elements carry through to the 2008 STI, and after driving it back-to-back with a brand new 2007 (thanks to my friend Dan for bringing his along), the degree to which the new car has been upgraded is evident. Dan rode shotgun with me while our mutual friend Chris piloted the '07 car on the way to our photo shoot. "My car's going to feel like a dishwasher compared to this when you get in and drive it," he told me after a few minutes in the '08. To be fair, if dishwashers were as fun as the last-gen STI, we'd all be rolling in Whirlpools, but I understand his point. The 2007 WRX STI has much more of an edge to it than the new car. It's noisy, less polished and tighter inside. That's not to say it's in any way bad. It accelerates with a sense of urgency (no SI-DRIVE here -- it's all or nothing), stops as well as just about anything, and can hustle around the bends with the best of them. It's a great car, and the seat-of-the-pants impression you get is that it feels faster than the new STI.


In truth, it's probably a wash, and I'd rather own the new one. Yes, it's a little boomy inside thanks to the hatchback bodystyle, but overall the credit-hours it's earned at finishing school work in its favor. It's decidedly more refined than its predecessor. Bottom line: the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI is loaded with usable tech, goes like absolute stink and is eager to throw down, but it's less punishing to its occupants while it goes about that business. Equal parts rally car and practical, user-friendly daily driver, the 2008 Subaru WRX STI appeals to your inner Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. If you like to drive, that's a win-win situation.
source by autoblog

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.