2010 Suzuki Kizashi - Will it jumpstart Suzuki's limited image?

Suzuki has struggled to be a real player in the United States car market. This is no secret. They have limited amounts of dealers throughout the area and have a limited line up that consists of a few small cheaply built cars, a semi-stylish yet un-sensible SUV, and a few others not worth mentioning. Most of their cars are either re-badged Daewoo's (which were briefly brought to the U.S., but failed) or not the quality is just not up to the level that most Americans expect in a car these days.

However, this may change with the brand new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi. If the name doesn’t tell you, this car is made by Suzuki itself. However, this time, critics are raving about this new offering.

The car has an overall European look as well as some usually Japanese car accents. It looks very stylish and has great aesthetics. It is interesting as well because it shares a lot of design cues from Volkswagen. Many, including Edmunds.com and myself, notice that it looks like a cross between a Volkswagen Passat and Volkswagen Jetta, with a few other ingredients mixed in.

For now, the Kizashi (I know, weird name…) will only have an Inline four cylinder engine. A V6 version of the car is expected to come out within a year or two according to car review websites (namely Edmunds.com).

The Kizashi can also be purchased with all wheel drive (AWD), which means all four wheels can be powered in the case of slippery situations. Otherwise, the engine powers the front two wheels only. The Kizashi can be equipped with either a CVT automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission.

CNET.com reviewers stated that the 6-speed was fun to drive. While they originally tested it for performance but then switched to testing it as a city hauler, the car is still a very competent car.

You have the option of purchasing a rear back-up camera. This helps eliminate blind spots when backing up. When you put the car into the reverse gear, a picture of what is behind the car will automatically show up on the navigation screen on the main control panel where the radio is (Kizashi must also be equipped with the optional navigation system in order to be equipped with the camera).

It also has a nice name brand radio system. It has a Rockford-Fosgate premium system with pretty much any feature under the sun. The car has a total of 10 speakers with this system, including a punchy subwoofer that is mounted in the trunk of the car.

For a Suzuki, this is quite frankly amazing.

However, on the road, both Edmunds.com and CNET.com found that the handling was uninspiring.

The main problem with the Kizashi is that it looks like and is marketed as a sporty-mainstream car. While the looks definitely live up to this expectation, the hardware/riding characteristics do not.

On the plus side, the Kizashi is a HUGE step up from their previous cars within the last ten years. Here are a few pictures of what they used to make…


This is the Suzuki Grand Vitara (not current version).


This is the Suzuki Verona (no longer in production).


With the Kizashi, the interior fit and finish is superior to many cars on the road right now. One consumer reviewer on Edmunds.com had this to say about it:

My "other" car is a Mercedes AMG, so that is a good reference point when I say the fit and finish on this car is superb! My first car with a CVT and it is smooth. Good MPG. Buy one of these because everyone finds out about them.

The inside feel of the car looks very European and upscale, which I’m sure will appeal to many different types of people. It may not appeal to those into Cadillac’s or Lexus’ (they’re probably buying them for the image anyways), but it will especially appeal to many others- the price tag doesn’t hurt either.

The Kizashi starts at around $19,000 with the basic, yet surprisingly good features. The fully loaded model, the Kizashi SLS starts at a reasonable $25,000.

There might be other offerings in the market that are just as good as this, including the Chevrolet Impala or Malibu, Toyota Camry, or Honda Accord, but the price cannot be beat for this Suzuki.

My recommendation is that if you’re in the market for a midsized car right now, and you do not want to get a vanilla-like Honda Accord, Chevrolet Impala, or Toyota Camry, this car might just be your soul mate.