Founded by Michio Suzuki in 1909 as Suzuki Loom Works, by the 1950s, Suzuki’s focus had expanded beyond just loom machines to include both motorcycles and automobiles.
In 1955 Suzuki rolled out the Suzulight, a compact car that opened a new era of Japanese lightweight vehicles. The automaker expanded its lineup to include a truck in 1961 also with a featherweight specification. In 1970, Suzuki rolled out the Jimny, a four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle that resembled a playful version of the Jeep CJ-5. The 80’s saw Suzuki partner with General Motors, a move partially in response to the growing popularity of subcompacts in the U.S. market. After the partnership formation, Suzuki products were rebadged and sold as GM vehicles on American shores. In 1985, Suzuki launched to the American market for the first time as Suzuki-branded vehicles. The company’s first model was the Samurai, available as either a convertible or a hardtop, this compact sport-utility vehicle met with immediate success. However, the Samurai’s glory days were short-lived as consumer reports quickly reported that the vehicle was unsafe and prone to roll over. During the 90’s Suzuki expanded its reach internationally and continued to upgrade and replace its model lineup. In 2004, Suzuki and General Motors purchased ailing Daewoo with two of that manufacturer’s vehicles rebadged and given new life as Suzukis, the Suzuki Forenza and Suzuki Verona both had former lives as Daewoo cars. Today’s Suzuki’s come up a bit short in refinement relative to the competition however, they still offer plenty of value for car buyers on a tight budget.
Automobile Magazine Suzuki
Automobile’s comprehensive new and future cars section covers all the news, prices, specifications, photos, and more for every 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 make and model that will be in the showrooms soon including concept cars.
2010 Suzuki Kizashi – Four Seasons Update – July 2010 Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 7:07 am
All we really need in a small car.
Months in fleet: Five
Mileage to date: 18,246
Photo Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi – July 2010 Update – Automobile Magazine
Deep Dive: Volkswagen to increase stake in Suzuki Thursday, 22 July 2010, 7:07 am
Small crossovers the primary objects of German desire.
According to the Wolfsburg grapevine, the Volkswagen Group is set to increase its 19.9 percent share in Suzuki by ten percent annually over the next four to five years. What for? We’ve already learned that VW might be interested in building a low-cost, Japanese version of the Up! but now it seems that the Germans are also eyeing Suzuki’s crossovers, particularly the next generation of the SX4.
Photo Gallery: Deep Dive: Volkswagen to increase stake in Suzuki – Automobile Magazine
2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD – Four Seasons Update – June 2010 Monday, 28 June 2010, 6:06 pm
Exhaustive journeys often bring expensive bills, but that wasn’t the case for our Four Seasons Kizashi.
Months in Fleet: Four
Mileage to Date: 19,976
Photo Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD – Four Seasons Update – June 2010 – Automobile Magazine
2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS – Four Seasons Update – May 2010 Friday, 28 May 2010, 1:05 pm
A veritable canyon-carver and a friend in foul weather.
Mileage To Date: 11,707
Photo Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD – Suzuki Midsize Sedan Long Term Review – Automobile Magazine
2010 Sneak Preview Monday, 24 May 2010, 8:05 pm
131 future cars to get excited about
Warning: the information and images on the following pages might antagonize you to no end. As you read about the most anticipated cars of the next four years, you might become frustrated by wanting what you can’t yet have. Just remember — good things come to those who wait. For now, dig in to the details, the spy photos, the informed illustrations, and the future-teasing concepts of our annual Sneak Preview. Thanks to our probing questions and well-placed sources, there’s plenty to dream about.
Photo Gallery: 2010 Sneak Preview – 131 Future Cars – Automobile Magazine
Small Car Comparison: SX4 Sportback vs Mini vs GTI Friday, 7 May 2010, 2:05 pm
A comparison based on price. Are the luxury features worth it?
For obvious reasons, Automobile Magazine comparisons typically round up cars with similar base prices. If the scientific method works for scientists, surely it’s good enough for us. Consistent as these apples-to-apples tests are, though, they don’t always reveal the complexities that go into buying a car in the real world, where varying levels of equipment and add-ons can quickly muddy our neat and simple categorizations. Take for instance, three small sporty hatchbacks currently in our fleet – the Suzuki SX4 Sportback, the Mini Cooper, and the Volkswagen GTI. On paper, they’re three completely different cars in three different price segments. But look a little closer The SX4, loaded with navigation, Bluetooth, bigger wheels and other extras, carried an as tested price of $18,513, which is within a grand of a base Mini Cooper. The Mini, for its part, came with a slew of options that shot its sticker to $25,000 – about a thousand dollars more than the base price of a two-door GTI. Each of these vehicles fares very well when compared strictly to competitors in its traditional segment, but we couldn’t help but wonder how they’d match up in a clearly unfair fight, the sort that breaks out all the time when real people go shopping for real cars.
Photo Gallery: Small Car Comparison – SX4 Sportback vs Mini vs GTI – Automobile Magazine
2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS – Four Seasons Update – April 2010 Wednesday, 5 May 2010, 6:05 pm
Our Four Seasons Suzuki Kizashi’s curvy styling continues to elicit second glances and comments.
Months in fleet: two
Miles to date: 8341
Photo Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD – Suzuki Midsize Sedan Long Term Review – Automobile Magazine
2009 Suzuki Model Lineup
- 2009 Suzuki Equator
- 2009 Suzuki XL7
- 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara
- 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover
- 2009 Suzuki SX4
