2010 Suzuki Kizashi
2010 Suzuki Kizashi
The 2010 Suzuki Kizashi may be one of the more difficult car names to pronounce, but get used to hearing the name — it’s a flagship worth remembering.
The Kizashi (pronounced: Key-zash-ee) went on sale in December and comes chock-full of amenities.
Of course, Suzuki had to load it up. This is new turf for the carmaker better known for motorcycles.
This is the usual recipe a smaller brand follows when it’s trying to make waves in the bigger fish pond. If your reputation can’t win over new customers, toss in as many shiny trinkets as possible until they bite. Hey, it’s the same sales tactic that sold Manhattan.
Suzuki does a much better job than the Dutch and probably could have gotten all five boroughs with this new entry into the midsize car segment.
The Kizashi has the classic midsize looks: An aggressive front end that looks like a linebacker with black grease under his eyes, a well-proportioned profile with a sweeping roofline and slightly higher back end (that looks as if it’s going to jump), and then the piece de resistance, the Kizashi’s backside, which includes an arching decklid and two big oddly shaped exhaust tips.
Really, you’d think this car is packing a V-8 under its clamshell-type hood, but there’s only a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine in there.
But little engines produce some big numbers for midsize cars when it comes to gas mileage. The Kizashi hits 31 miles per gallon on the highway in the front-wheel-drive model with the six-speed manual transmission. The continuously variable transmission, which is offered instead of a gear-clicking automatic, can improve the manual’s city mileage from 21 mpg to 23 mpg.
My top-of-the-line SLS test vehicle, which included the CVT, never felt like a sports car, but it did act like a very capable sedan. It merged onto the highway with ease and jumped off the line at stoplights well enough to make sure I was always first, even if I had to change a couple of lanes. Most midsize car customers don’t expect a Daytona racer, they just want to keep up with everything else on the road. For the most part, the Kizashi does.
The 185-horsepower engine is on par with the competition and beats out the four-cylinder Ford Fusion (175 horsepower) and the Toyota Camry (169 horsepower ) but loses to the Honda Accord (190 horsepower).
The base Kizashi also matches the price of entry-level cars by the big competition. In fact, Kizashi does a nice job of checking all of the boxes it needs on this new sedan.
There’s a base model under $20,000 (though few people will actually buy it). There are four trim levels made of various letters — S, SE, GTS and SLS — and both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive models.
Add-ons’ simple magic
But for the money, the Suzuki Kizashi becomes a contender for what’s inside. It includes all five of the basic accoutrements every car should include. These are not super-expensive or some sort of high-tech wizardry, just simple add-ons I always long for when testing a car:
1. Three-blink turn indicators: Ideal for driving on the highway where simple lane changes require nothing more than a quick, blink, blink, blink, thank you very much.
2. Auto up-and-down windows: It feels nice to drop the window with a simple click. Closing it should be just as easy.
3. A USB port and Bluetooth connectivity: It’s 2010. If anything, the USB port serves as recharging port for most mobile devices. But on the Kizashi, it can read your iPhone and play music from it. Located in a deep-set cubby at the base of the dash along the center console — a good storage spot — the port includes an auxiliary jack. It’s a simple and efficient setup. Cars without a USB port are either poor planners or technophobes.
As for Bluetooth, it’s quickly becoming the industry standard as more states require hands-free operation of cell phones.
4. Key fob and pushbutton start: Nowadays key fobs go in your pocket, not in your hand. You should be able to unlock your car and start it without ever pulling the key out of your man purse — and your he-bag can fit nicely in the center console. This feature was obviously thought up by a person who understands your hands get cold when you take your gloves off.
5. Auto headlights: It’s a simple switch that means you never have to fumble for the light switch again when you get in the car at night. But I admit to getting nervous when I walk away from a car and the headlights haven’t gone off yet.
Sure, there are other more important features, but when it comes to everyday comfort, these make my list. And Suzuki offers them all — though Bluetooth connectivity and auto headlights are not standard on the base model.
A lot of car for the money
The key is how well the car is laid out inside the cabin. There is a good flow throughout, though the giant S on the steering wheel seems a little much. We already know it’s a Suzuki, quit rubbing our nose in it. The simple silver trim accents divides the open black cockpit, and all of the touch points feel soft and well-planned. Only the center stack instrument panel looked cheap, reminding me of an old digital alarm clock. Overall, though, this car is comfortable and would make a long haul or daily errands easier.
There are lots of little features, such as the standard foot well lighting, 425-watt Rockford Fosgate 10 speaker stereo (standard on the GTS) and easy to read instrument panel that makes the cabin feel natural and clean. Suzuki doesn’t try too hard to reinvent the midsize car segment, it simply provides a new alternative for drivers looking to stretch every dollar.
Now lots of carmakers offer the “more content for your money” sales pitch. However, this typically means their vehicle costs more than the competition — and consumers see that as more content for more money. What they want is a car for the same price — or even less — with more content.
That’s where the Kizashi comes through. It’s a lot of car for the money.
From The Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/autoreviews/index.php?id=35150#ixzz0g0VqnmfP