Automotive Einstein

The compact SX4 is the smallest Suzuki car you can buy in America, even though its maker is the top seller of microcars in the world. (The closest thing to a brand-new microcar in our market, by the way, is the Scion iQ.) The SX4 has been around since the 2007 model year, but it’s still a solid product. In 2010, it got a more powerful engine and improved transmissions; the SX4 SportBack model, essentially an SX4 Crossover with the roof rack removed and a body kit, was added that same year. Traditional sedan body styles are part of the SX4 family, too, including the fancier, body-kitted Sport SE. The Crossover HAS a handy four-wheel-drive system; all other models make do with front-wheel drive only. The surprisingly nice interior can be dressed up with options such as Bluetooth, automatic climate control, heated seats, and a Garmin-sourced navigation system, which has been upgraded for 2012. Like Suzuki’s respected motorcycles, the nimble SX4 is fun to drive enthusiastically, and although it’s not as quick as those crotch rockets, the SX4 is much more powerful than most of its rivals, such as the Honda Fit and the Scion xD. Suzuki planned to release a subcompact, the Swift, to slot below the SX4 in the U.S. market, but the company’s recent split from General Motors and tumultuous marriage with Volkswagen mean that the lauded Swift might never reach North American shores. Bummer.

The burly Grand Vitara combines off-road ability — long a Suzuki hallmark — with surprising refinement. A ladder-frame-reinforced unibody and optional four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case ensure mudding credibility (although the full-size spare tire will be restricted to the Limited trim level in early 2012), and the independent suspension makes on-road handling more carlike. The Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 still have smoother engines and ride quality, but the Grand Vitara beats them off-road, where it is overshadowed perhaps only by some Jeep products. This generation of the Grand Vitara began life with a 2.7-liter V-6, which was later swapped for a General Motors-sourced 3.2-liter V-6. That engine was dropped for 2011, though, because of a “heightened interest in on-road efficiency,” according to Suzuki. For 2012, a more rugged trim level — the Ultimate Adventure Edition — will wear sharp smoked-chrome wheels, sideview mirrors with integrated turn signals, and foglamps as well as water-resistant seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Grand Vitara is a legitimate choice in the popular cute-ute category, and its high content (including a standard navigation system with Bluetooth), numerous standard safety features, low price, and strong warranty make it a bargain, too.

Suzuki hoped that a mid-size pickup would appeal to its wide base of motorcycle, ATV, and marine customers, but the Equator has barely registered a blip on the sales charts since its debut for the 2009 model year. Still, without the resources to conceive and create a truck of its own, Suzuki picked a solid donor in the Nissan Frontier. Like the Frontier, the Equator is built in Tennessee and offers a choice of four- and six-cylinder dual-overhead-cam engines, but the Suzuki’s are covered by a longer factory warranty (seven years/100,000 miles). Unfortunately, our favorite Frontier powertrain — the V-6 with a six-speed manual gearbox — isn’t available in the Equator. In fact, the only stick shift is a five-speed bolted to the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, an engine offered exclusively in extended-cab models — which, by the way, feature old-school flip-up jump seats that are best suited for people built like (and with the dexterity of) female gymnasts. Equator crew cabs come with practical back seats and the powerful V-6, and optional features include heated leather front seats, a sunroof, and a roof rack. Japanese-badged versions of American-branded or -built pickups haven’t fared all that well in recent years (think Isuzu i290/i370 and Mitsubishi Raider), and so far it appears that very few of Suzuki’s loyal power-sports customers have taken the plunge on a new Equator. With the recent demise of the Ram Dakota and the Ford Ranger, however, the Equator might get a new lease on life.

It’s not your typical flagship, but the Kizashi, which was brand-new for 2010, comfortably fits that role for Suzuki, and it successfully erases bad memories of the mid-size Suzukis that preceded it. Along with the SX4 family, the Kizashi gives Suzuki a solid — if small — lineup of refreshingly fun-to-drive cars to accompany its rugged off-road vehicles and rocketlike motorcycles. The Kizashi was originally slated to receive V-6 and hybrid powertrains from business partner GM, but that deal fell through and Suzuki entered a corporate marriage with Volkswagen to provide turbocharged and hybrid engines for the Kizashi. It looks like the VW partnership is over, too, however, so the model will likely soldier on indefinitely with the current 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That engine is fine, but horsepower and technology junkies probably won’t be satisfied with it. Buyers who want all-wheel drive, power seats, or a sunroof must forgo the slick, standard six-speed manual in favor of the CVT. Four trim levels run the gamut from the well-equipped, under-$20,000 S model to the Sport SLS flagship, which can be filled with leather, navigation, and a powerful audio system that will stream tunes from your iPod via a Bluetooth connection. The Sport prefix on GTS and SLS models means the cars include a spoiler, eighteen-inch wheels, a body kit, and other appearance upgrades. The Kizashi is the pride of Suzuki’s car lineup, and the company has been promoting it quite heavily, so keep an eye out for sales promotions to sweeten the deal even more.

The Tokyo Motor Show just isn’t the Tokyo Motor Show without a handful of oddly shaped concept cars and unusual vehicle names. Leave it to Suzuki to provide both in one fell swoop.

Photo Gallery: First Look: Suzuki Q-Concept – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: Suzuki Q-Concept – Automobile Magazine

The Suzuki Kizashi, a smallish mid-size sedan from an automaker most Americans are barely aware of, is the very definition of an underdog. We nearly laughed out loud a year and a half ago when Suzuki reps spoke of the Kizashi as an Automobile of the Year contender. It turns out Suzuki had the last laugh. The Kizashi, although it did not earn an award at our annual All-Stars test, was easily the biggest surprise of the group for its impressive refinement and stunningly good driving dynamics. “The Kizashi was by far the best-handling front-wheel-drive car in the test, excepting the Volkswagen GTI,” proclaimed West Coast editor Jason Cammisa. We were intrigued enough that we decided to spend an entire year with a Kizashi to see if it really has what it takes to compete day in and day out with the big dogs in its segment.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD – Four Seasons Wrap-Up – Automobile Magazine

At board meetings, on test tracks, and in design studios, decisions are being made today that will influence what you drive tomorrow. Automakers are hard at work creating the next generation of automobiles — cars that are faster, sexier, more efficient — while trying to keep their development secret. Like you, we are nosy as hell. Unlike you, we have a vast network of snoops, gossips, and disgruntled former employees who have helped us uncover the information we present here. Our annual Sneak Preview feature contains the industry’s future products — as far out as 2019 — that are worth saving your milk money for.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Sneak Preview – Automobile Magazine