Suzuki Struggling
08-03-10, 08:09 AM
#1
Guest
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Suzuki Struggling
Well MMarhsall, myself and others have said this for years now...
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...308029971/1018
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...308029971/1018
Suzuki will give Kizashi flagship a sporty look
Ryan Beene
Automotive News -- August 2, 2010 - 12:01 am ET
Suzuki's Kizashi sedan will get a face-lift this fall that includes a new front fascia and interior upgrade.
Also, the suspension of the struggling brand's flagship sedan has been lowered 10 millimeters to allow for sportier driving.
The changes apply to the GLS and SLS versions of the Kizashi. They will not be available on the SE base model, which will be unchanged from the 2010 model year.
The Kizashi's top trim levels will be renamed Sport SLS and Sport GLS, spokesman Jeff Holland says.
A hybrid powertrain and a V-6 engine using borrowed technology from General Motors were scheduled to be introduced as Kizashi options in 2011 or 2012, but those plans were canceled this year. GM sold its 20 percent stake in Suzuki in 2008.
Also vanishing as a result of the sale of GM's stake is the V-6 engine that powers the Grand Vitara SUV. The 2011 Grand Vitara's only engine will be a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 166 hp and 162 pounds-feet of torque.
Meanwhile, Suzuki says it will shave more than $1,000 from the sticker price of its 2011 SX4 Sportback, a five-door compact. The 2011 Sportback will start in the mid-$16,000 range, with pricing to be announced this fall. That's down from $17,999 plus shipping for the 2010 model.
The Sportback is also getting a new 150-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.
Suzuki's sales plunged 49 percent in the first half of the year to 11,549 vehicles. That followed a 54 percent drop for all of 2009.
Ryan Beene
Automotive News -- August 2, 2010 - 12:01 am ET
Suzuki's Kizashi sedan will get a face-lift this fall that includes a new front fascia and interior upgrade.
Also, the suspension of the struggling brand's flagship sedan has been lowered 10 millimeters to allow for sportier driving.
The changes apply to the GLS and SLS versions of the Kizashi. They will not be available on the SE base model, which will be unchanged from the 2010 model year.
The Kizashi's top trim levels will be renamed Sport SLS and Sport GLS, spokesman Jeff Holland says.
A hybrid powertrain and a V-6 engine using borrowed technology from General Motors were scheduled to be introduced as Kizashi options in 2011 or 2012, but those plans were canceled this year. GM sold its 20 percent stake in Suzuki in 2008.
Also vanishing as a result of the sale of GM's stake is the V-6 engine that powers the Grand Vitara SUV. The 2011 Grand Vitara's only engine will be a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 166 hp and 162 pounds-feet of torque.
Meanwhile, Suzuki says it will shave more than $1,000 from the sticker price of its 2011 SX4 Sportback, a five-door compact. The 2011 Sportback will start in the mid-$16,000 range, with pricing to be announced this fall. That's down from $17,999 plus shipping for the 2010 model.
The Sportback is also getting a new 150-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.
Suzuki's sales plunged 49 percent in the first half of the year to 11,549 vehicles. That followed a 54 percent drop for all of 2009.
08-03-10, 10:11 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Meanwhile, Suzuki says it will shave more than $1,000 from the sticker price of its 2011 SX4 Sportback, a five-door compact. The 2011 Sportback will start in the mid-$16,000 range, with pricing to be announced this fall. That's down from $17,999 plus shipping for the 2010 model.
08-03-10, 10:13 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
08-03-10, 10:15 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
08-03-10, 10:31 AM
#8
Pole Position
Join Date: May 2008
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I think they are in the middle of a fatal death spiral. I know where the Land Rover, Mitsu, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Lotus dealers are in my area. But I have no idea where any Suzuki dealers are. With no visibility to their products and no where to service them, fewer people will buy them. When fewer people buy them, the dealerships eventually close. And the vicious cycle continues.
08-04-10, 09:11 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
But that doesn't mean that the rest of the Suzuki line is necessarily second-rate. I do agree that they are presently uncompetitive, but that is not necessarily because of the product........it's simply because few people are going to the very spare dealer-network to actually look at them. The AWD SX-4, for example, undercuts the AWD Subaru Impreza in price, and, unlike the Impreza, offers a 3-position FWD/AWD/AWD Lock switch. And the Vitara, unlike most of its Cute-Ute competition, offers a more-rugged frame for true off-roading.
I only know of one dealership in San Jose, CA.
I do agree, though, that, in the past, part of it was Suzuki's fault. The rather mediocre Esteem, years ago, did not compete well against Corollas and Civics because its road manners (I test-drove one) couldn't compare, though it had a good price. The Swift, also rebadged as the Chevy/Geo Metro, was super-economical, but its structure was flimsy/lightweight and, in a crash, it was a rolling coffin. The Samurai was crude and a joke.....a rollover just waiting to happen. The Sidekick/Tracker was only a moderate improvement over the Samurai. Earlier Vitaras were rugged off-road, but had an overly-bouncy ride like a Jeep Wrangler (that has been tamed in the latest versions). And, for a while, in the years between the Esteem and the new Kizashi, Suzuki neglected the design of its own American market sedans/couple, using Korean-Daewoo designs like the Verona, Forenza, and Reno instead. Even the bargain SX-4 is a joint Suzuki-Fiat design. But that, of course, is the Suzuki of the past, not the present.
08-04-10, 09:50 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
Yes, I've seen the products first hand at car shows and at the SJ dealership, snoozers except for Kizashi.
Last edited by IS-SV; 08-04-10 at 01:42 PM. Reason: sp
08-04-10, 10:06 AM
#15
Lexus Champion
In our side of the fence, the Swift is doing quite well. Celerio seems to be holding against the Hyundai i10 in the budget car category. Grand Vitara is quite strong too
Then when they brought the SX-4 Aero (the sedan version), a lot of my countrymen thought it was boring and ugly-***. I thought that it looked okay but yeah, most people I know thought otherwise.
Then just a few weeks ago, the crossover hatchback version was launched here which caused excitement for local Suzuki fans until........it was revealed that our version only comes in 1.6 liter engine and FWD with 4-speed auto.
I do hope though that we get a CVT gearbox with paddle shift when the facelift version gets released here.
Then when they brought the SX-4 Aero (the sedan version), a lot of my countrymen thought it was boring and ugly-***. I thought that it looked okay but yeah, most people I know thought otherwise.
Then just a few weeks ago, the crossover hatchback version was launched here which caused excitement for local Suzuki fans until........it was revealed that our version only comes in 1.6 liter engine and FWD with 4-speed auto.
I do hope though that we get a CVT gearbox with paddle shift when the facelift version gets released here.