AUTOMOTIVE By Greg Zyla I MP
2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS Base Price: $22,499 Price As Tested: $22,879
Legacy, Nissan Altima and Volkswagen Jetta, to name a few of the heavy hitters, Suzuki knew it had to be impressive right It’s always a “fun” week when I get to out of the gate. And impressive Kizashi test drive a true, all-new car produced is, especially with its consumer friendly by the company that sells it, in this case entry point of only $18,999 complete the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS. Kizashi is with a long list of standard features. a Japan built, 100-percent Suzuki-bred The new Kizashi feels more like a mid-size automobile that will definitely European-built sedan both from behind stir the pot in the highly competitive the wheel and when you check the mid-size market. underpinnings. The ride is on the firmer With competition like Chevy Malibu, side, the seats are great, handling is Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Subaru7/12/10 very good, everything one really JiffyLube_MilPress_#3BEA9D9.pdf 1:57:02 and PM
needs comes as standard equipment. With I expect to be excellent build quality merged with a sport tuned suspension and attractive interior, Kizashi then adds to the combination a finely done exterior. (I thought it looked like Volkswagen’s Jetta when I first saw it). With all this going for Kizashi, the folks at Suzuki then up the ante in its bold mid-size play by offering a consumer friendly entry price of just $18,999. When combined with its long list of standard items, the overall recipe allows the new Suzuki to outpace the competition in many areas. To explain my “real Suzuki” earlier mention, it is not uncommon these days for a car manufacturer to have vehicles produced in other countries by cooperative manufacturers. In Suzuki’s case, Korea has been a major supplier, and the cars have been quite good. But this time around, there will be no Korean-built mid-size Suzukis, as this pedigree offers up a mid-size vehicle more impressive than any other car that has displayed the Suzuki badge. Everywhere I looked, I liked what I saw. Even things that weren’t visible to the eye impressed me, like Kizashi meeting the 2014 NHTSA crash standards with 5-star frontal and side crash ratings thanks to strong steel reinforcement and eight air bags. Included are side and curtain airbag protection all around. Some of the standard amenities worthy of note are cruise, dual-zone air, traction control, Smartpass keyless entry, excellent electronic brakeforce 4-wheel ABS Bosch disc brakes, 4-wheel independent performance tuned suspension with KYB shocks, and much more. I could go on and on, but this is where your Suzuki dealer comes in for more info and a test drive. Our upscale GTS tester adds a power sunroof, 425-watt 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo system, 18-inch tires on alloy wheels, fog lamps and illuminated sun visors. Inside, Kizashi is top quality, with sporty accents, great seating, and all the aforementioned amenities. All the powers are there and everything is within easy reach. Under the hood,
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the only engine currently available is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that produces 185 horsepower and 170 lb. ft. of torque. My tester came with a fine shifting 6-speed manual transmission while a continuously variable automatic (CVT) is also available. I especially like that Suzuki added a sixth gear to the manual, as many companies stop at five with smaller four cylinder engines. The overdrive sixth gear is what allows 29 MPG highway possible, with 20 City the other EPA number. If you want an AWD version, it’s available and comes only with the CVT tranny. If you seek more power, wait until Kizashi either adds a turbo to the 4-banger or introduces a rumored to be coming V6 engine. For now, the 4-cylinder will provide acceptable performance, with 0-60 MPH in a not so neck breaking time of about 8.5 seconds. (Yes, I’d like to see a little more power to go with those great looking chrome tipped dual exhaust). We took Kizashi on a trip to Watkins Glen for the Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen Grand Am event, and navigated some nice country roads in spirited but not law breaking fashion. The car handles like a sports car, and then fit in nicely in the Glen’s parking lot with more than a few onlookers showing interest. Small drawbacks include smug rear foot legroom if you are transporting larger size adults and the lack of more power. The legroom is one area where the larger competition models do better. Important numbers include a wheelbase of 106.3 inches, 3,241 pound curb weight, 13.3 cu. ft. of cargo space with an expandable rear seat passthrough and a 16.6 gallon fuel tank. I really like the new Kizashi, even if the silly name sounds more like the popular Kashi cereal that is so popular these days. It deserves serious consideration and a test drive if you are shopping this segment. Likes: All Suzuki bred, lots of features, looks, handling, price. Dislikes: Rear seat legroom, clutch felt a bit soft, needs a turbocharger. (Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist).