Suzuki Offers to Pick Up Summer Fuel Tab

Automakers know what's on customers’ minds and what’s keeping them away from dealerships: the price of gas. On the heels of Chrysler's promotion guaranteeing car buyers pay no more than $2.99 a gallon over the next three years, Suzuki has introduced its own promotional fuel ploy.

Less ambitious, Suzuki is promising to pick up the entire cost of gas for the summer if you buy a Suzuki vehicle before June 30. You'll get 0% financing and a debit card good for three months of fuel, up to 1,000 miles driven per month. That means the value of the card is different depending on the vehicle you purchase.

Suzuki's plan differs in scope from Chrysler's, which immediately took a flogging from the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group that called the plan a "cynical deal" and an attempt to "fool customers." The group points out that if Chrysler increased the fuel economy of its vehicles by just 3 mpg, drivers would save $3,000 over the life of the vehicle rather than the roughly $400 over three years that it anticipates coming with the gas deal.

Read the value of Suzuki's gas debit card for each of its vehicles after the jump.

2009 Suzuki SX4 Adds Standard Nav for Under $16,000

Suzuki’s compact SX4 was already a pretty value-oriented car. Now the company is upping the ante as it rolls out the new 2009s. Both the four-door SX4 Sport sedan and a newly available front-wheel-drive version of the hatchback will come with a touch-screen navigation unit as standard equipment. Final prices haven’t been announced, but the company says it will be under $16,000. The current Sport sedan starts at $14,770.

The navigation unit will come standard, but to get features like Bluetooth and real-time traffic, weather and gas prices, buyers will have to upgrade to a different trim package.

The other news we get from Suzuki is that the SX4 hatchback will now be available with front-wheel drive as an option, with all-wheel drive still considered standard. However, AWD almost always adds to the MSRP. For 2008, the AWD SX4 started at a low $15,270, making it the most affordable AWD car on the market. We’d guess the FWD crossover would be less.

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Expert Review (Cars.com)
2007 Suzuki SX4 AWD Crossover Expert Review (Cars.com)

2008 New York Auto Show: Suzuki Concept Kizashi 3

• Looks like: Kizashi 1 + Kizashi 2 = Kizashi 3
• Defining characteristics: Audilike grille, GM V-6 engine
• Ridiculous features: Tiny side mirrors, giant wheels, concept-car headlights and taillights
• Chance of being mass-produced: Definite, though not exactly in the form shown here

Following the Concept Kizashi 1 and Kizashi 2 from last year's Frankfurt and Tokyo motor shows comes the Kizashi 3, which shares elements from both of the earlier cars and looks more like a real product. No coincidence there; Suzuki says the Kizashi 3 is on its way to becoming a real product. It will debut in Japan, where Suzuki says pre-production versions are already built. It is planned for the U.S. as a 2010 model.

The show car looks quite large, but the Kizashi 3 is technically a midsize sedan. The deep grille looks like yet another copy of Audi's new design direction, complete with a chrome cross-member. The car's a bit snub-nosed, similar to the Toyota Camry with which it would compete. The 21-inch wheels and tiny side mirrors are auto-show-only, but Suzuki says the concept is 90-95% of what the real product will look like — bold stuff. The interior is a mystery, because the concept's isn't representative and wasn't on display.

The car shown has all-wheel drive, based on front-wheel-drive architecture that Suzuki claims as its own even though it started its life as GM's Epsilon platform when the U.S. manufacturer owned roughly half of Suzuki. The car is powered by GM's relatively new 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6, which also appears in the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Malibu, to name two models. It produces 300 hp here. The transmission is a six-speed automatic with paddle shifting.

Check out more photos below and let us know if you think Suzuki is ready to take on the Camry and Accord.

Suzuki Kizashi 3 Coming to New York

Information on what's going to appear at the New York auto show later this month continues to trickle in, with Suzuki announcing it will show its Concept Kizashi 3. Suzuki has shown two Kizashi concepts at previous overseas auto shows, and all three of the concepts will be in New York. The automaker says the Concept Kizashi 3 hints at what a sport sedan from Suzuki might look like. Let us know what you think of the sketch, and check back March 20 for additional info and images of the concept.

Up Close: 2009 Suzuki Equator

The Suzuki Equator midsize pickup trucks on display at the Chicago Auto Show are customized trucks, not the production versions that will arrive at Suzuki dealerships late this year. They do, however, exhibit the general shape of the truck, and it's a reasonably nice looking pickup — even if it does look a lot like the Toyota Tacoma.

2008 Chicago Auto Show: 2009 Suzuki Equator

• Competes with: Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota
• Looks like: A rebadged Nissan Frontier
• Drivetrain: 152-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder or 261-hp, 4.0-liter V-6 with five-speed manual or five-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Late 2008

Suzuki's got a new pickup — its only pickup, in fact — and hopes that the automaker's diehard motorcycle fans will help it sell enough of the Equator to make it worth its while.

Since there are plenty of motorcross enthusiasts who ride Suzukis, the company is trying to position the Equator as the perfect truck to help those enthusiasts get their rides to their favorite destinations. If that destination means going over sand, rocks or a mountainside, the Equator has the latitude to get that done.

It comes with an offroad traction system, including a four-wheel limited slip, electronic-locking rear differential, stability control, hill descent control and hill start assist. The Equator also has an all-steel double-wishbone front suspension and solid axle rear suspension. It has a towing capacity of 6,500 pounds.

First Look: Suzuki's New Truck

Here’s the first official image of the new mid-size truck that Suzuki will debut at the Chicago Auto Show next week. There still isn’t an official name attached; however, Equator is the heavily rumored title. The truck is based on the Nissan Frontier and was developed with Nissan. In this image, the similarities between the two are striking. Hopefully, when we learn more about this new Suzuki, there will be more to distinguish it.

Friday Fleet Notes: 10.12.07

They may not be the sexiest of test vehicles, but a few of us got to check out two important entries for their respective brands. One other staffer also discovered why the Mini Cooper S is so beloved when it returned to our fleet for a short time after topping our Top 10 Urban Cars list.

Suzuki SX4 Sport

• I'd driven the SX4 Crossover before with the automatic transmission and thought it was OK, but not great. The SX4 Sport with a manual transmission was a lot more fun to drive. I didn't push it, but it was reasonably peppy away from stop signs and, given its small size, decent over rough pavement. The large A-pillar didn't bother me, but it did bother Mike Hanley when he had the car for a much longer time than I did, so it's something to check out. (I really liked the little window in the A-pillar, though it's more of a decorative than functional thing. It'd be even better if it were an old-fashioned vent window.) Sedans aren't my thing, but I left the SX4 Sport hoping I'd get the chance to put its Crossover brother, with a manual, to the Weekend Athlete test. — William Jackson, Buying Guides editor

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport

We’re not sure why Suzuki calls the sedan version of its SX4 the “Sport” instead of the “Sedan,” but we’ll go with it. Much like the Nissan Versa sedan, the SX4 Sport is the more traditional version of Suzuki’s popular SX4 hatchback and offers a lot of car for relatively little dough. Mike Hanley takes a close look at the SX4 Sport — did you know it comes with standard 17-inch wheels? — and even ends up a fan of the little Suzuki with a trunk.

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Expert Review

Reader Review of the Week: 2007 Suzuki Forenza

When you think of Italian designer Pininfarina and its lengthy resume of exotic cars, including many Ferraris, Suzuki probably doesn’t come to mind. But, surprisingly, the Suzuki Forenza was partially designed by Pininfarina. Go figure. Also surprised was the author of our most recent Reader Review of the Week, aptly named “Surprised to be a Suzuki fan,” who after a recent unfortunate incident with a previous car looked to buy a used vehicle, but ended up with a new 2007 Suzuki Forenza. Read the full review below and if you want to write your own consumer review just go here.

Women Like Suzukis, Volvos

According to J.D. Power’s most recent study, it seems women prefer Volvos to any other luxury brand, while men still go for sports cars. The highest female ownership of any luxury model for 2007 through the month of August was the Volvo S40 sedan. For men? The uber-fast Audi RS4. On the non-luxury side, the most popular model for women was the Volkswagen New Beetle, with 58.3% of its buyers being women. The top non-luxury brand for women buyers was Suzuki.

BusinessWeek tries to explore the “whys” of the numbers, but anytime you do that you’re looking for trouble. Meaning: We’re not going there. Keep reading for the top 10 luxury cars bought by women.

The Luxury Cars Women Want (BusinessWeek)

First Drive: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport

Following last year's debut of the SX4 hatchback, Suzuki has a new sedan version of the car, dubbed SX4 Sport, for 2008. Suzuki bills the Sport as a value-oriented yet sporty compact car, and after driving it for a day on winding country roads in northern Michigan, that statement rings true.

The sedan carves confidently through fast, sweeping turns with minimal body roll, and steering effort is relatively light; the Sport responds eagerly to your command, which furthers its sporting nature. Large 17-inch wheels and tires are standard, and the Sport is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 143 hp and 136 pounds-feet of torque. The engine provided decent power during the drive, but it's not a fire-breather by any means. It remains relatively smooth at high rpms, though the sound it makes near its redline doesn't encourage you to stay there for long.

Suzuki Recalls 2006, 2007 Forenza and Reno Models

Faulty front seat belts are the reason behind a large recall of Suzuki Forenza sedans and Reno hatchbacks. More than 75,000 cars in the U.S. and Puerto Rico are included. The problem seat belts don’t latch properly to the buckle and may pop out under strain. Obviously this is a serious issue, and Suzuki will replace the belts at no cost to owners.

Suzuki has been seeing improved sales of late with the new XL-7 SUV and SX4 hatchback, but neither the Forenza nor the Reno are the company’s finest products; they’re manufactured in conjunction with Korea’s Daewoo. The Forenza is in line to be completely redesigned and built in Japan, while the SX4’s success may spell the end of the Reno.

Suzuki Recalls ‘06 and ‘07 Cars (AZCentral.com)

2007 New York Auto Show: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sedan

Following on the surprise success of the SX4 hatchback, Suzuki is bringing a sedan version of the vehicle to market this fall. It features the same peppy 143-hp engine, but unlike the hatchback, it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. No mileage figures were released but we expect it to be significantly higher than the SX4 hatchback.

Suzuki is aiming at delivering a lot of standard equipment. We were impressed with the hatchback’s low base price, above-par interior and its long list of standard features, and that doesn’t change with the sedan. However, stability control is not being offered on the SX4 sedan. There are standard disc brakes on all four wheels and ABS. There are also front seat mounted side airbags as well as side curtain airbags for all passengers.

No prices were announced but the sedan should be expected to start for less than the $14,999 hatchback because of the lack of AWD, a costly upgrade. We’d guess the price will end up at least $1,000 less. Updated: New photos can be found below.

Big Apple, Small Car: Suzuki SX4 Sedan Set for New York Auto Show

Suzuki just announced that it will debut the SX4 sedan at the New York Auto Show in early April. We saw a few early images of the trunkified SX4 last month and speculated about it coming to the U.S., but now we have some more hard facts to report. The 2008 SX4 sedan is based on the popular Suzuki Swift which is sold overseas. We’re happy to hear the new model will have a competitive 143 hp 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine.  There will be a choice of five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions like in the SX4 hatchback. The SX4 sedan will go on sale stateside this fall with prices still to be set.

Related:
Suzuki SX4 Sedan Planned for Geneva Motor Show, Maybe U.S.

Reader Review of the Week

Since it’s a busy news day at Cars.com, we went with a short but sweet review this week. Sean from Bergen County, N.J., gives a brief report on his new Suzuki SX4, which we have for you below. After checking out the past SX4 reviews left by our readers, though, we can honestly say there is some interesting feedback from all of them regarding different transmission and trim levels. You can read them all here, and check out Sean’s award-winning comments below. Don't forget you can write your own car review anytime.

Suzuki SX4 Sedan Planned for Geneva Motor Show, Maybe U.S.

We hate to bring you news that isn’t complete, but sometimes web buzz dictates such. Today, MotorTrend brings us word that the new Suzuki SX4 — which we reviewed in a positive light — will add a sedan body style to its lineup. Currently in the U.S., the SX4 is an all-wheel-drive hatchback, and this sedan would only be available with front-wheel drive. For Europe, the new sedan will pack a smaller 107-hp four-cylinder engine. Like we said, we don’t have complete information yet, but we wanted to bring you these pictures of the sedan. An SX4 sedan would be a great replacement for the aging Suzuki Aerio here, if they gave it the 143-hp engine found in the hatchback.

[Suzuki Releases Photos of New SX4 Sedan Ahead of Geneva, MotorTrend]

Suzuki's Park-In Movie Theater: The Flix Concept

We have some time before the floor opens in Detroit, and a release from Suzuki about the Flix concept got our attention. Basically, take a new XL7 SUV, outfit it with four swiveling seats, a DVD entertainment system, plenty of speakers and a roof that transforms it into a personal movie theater, and you get the Flix. Get it? Flix, watching movies…yeah we feel your pain, too.

We have absolutely no earthly idea why anyone would want one of these, but perhaps the near-extinction of the drive-in movie theater, combined with the rise in car customization, naturally led to this. Still, it’s just a concept, so perhaps Suzuki is merely having a little fun. More photos below.

Cars.com Review Roundup

We’ve been so busy flying to auto shows that we keep forgetting to mention all the new car reviews that have been posted on the main Cars.com site. Since our last roundup, the editorial staff has reviewed some of today’s most anticipated new models, from the economical Suzuki SX4 to the premium Jaguar XKR. Here’s a full list with links. Enjoy.

• 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL550
• 2007 Saturn Outlook
• 2007 Suzuki SX4
• 2007 Ford Five Hundred
• 2007 Suzuki XL7
• 2007 Jaguar XKR

Four Will Enter, One Will Leave: The Final Two

Our first installment pitted the all-new Suzuki SX4 against the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent. We put the Accent and SX4 to pasture in round one, leaving the Fit and Versa to duke it out. Who’s the last man standing? Read on.

Four Will Enter, One Will Leave: Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa and Suzuki SX4

At last week’s media rally, staffers Bill Jackson and Kelsey Mays tried four entry-level cars — the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Suzuki SX4 and Hyundai Accent. Since most people don't rush out and buy four cars, each from a different manufacturer, we thought we'd narrow the field down to an overall winner.

In true beauty-pageant fashion, we'll start with the third runner-up.

Get 'Em While They Exist: 2006 Models That Will Be No More

It’s the end of the model year, and some vehicles just didn’t make the cut for 2007. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad cars; we guess you would just call them underappreciated. Here’s our list of 2006 models you can buy brand new today that will be gone tomorrow (or when they sell out). Some of 'em even have significant cash back.

Acura RSX: The sporty two-door is the last coupe in Acura’s lineup to say goodbye. As fine a car as it was, the RSX just couldn’t compete with Honda’s new Civic Si in the performance versus value equation. We couldn’t uncover any cash back for the RSX.

SUVs Earning Better Rollover Ratings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released crash-test ratings for the new Mazda CX-7 SUV and a slew of other 2007 SUVs. In front- and side-impact tests, the Mazda — currently one of the most-searched vehicles on Cars.com — scored the top rating of five stars and chalked up an impressive four-star rollover rating.

The CX-7 was far from alone in the good tidings. The 2007 Honda Pilot, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Freestyle, Chrysler Pacifica, Nissan Murano, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Highlander and Toyota RAV4 all earned identical four-star rollover and five-star front- and side-impact ratings.

Related:
2007 Mazda CX-7: Test-Drive Tips
Cars.com Mazda CX-7 Review

2007 Suzuki SX4 and XL7 Pricing Now In

Suzuki just announced pricing for its new SX4 compact car and XL7 midsize crossover. The SX4 is an all-new four-door hatchback with all-wheel drive and starts at $14,999. The XL7 is redesigned for 2007 and starts at $22,899. The car-based SUV will hit showrooms later this fall, but the SX4 is arriving at dealerships now.

The company's press release says the SX4 is the most affordable all-wheel-drive car in its segment, but right now we can't find a single AWD vehicle in our database that starts for less. The SX4 has a 143-hp four-cylinder engine and includes standard side-impact and side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels and power windows. There's also a Sport trim that adds traction and stability control, cruise control, a more powerful stereo and exterior enhancements for a starting MSRP of $16,399. Mileage comes in at 23/28 mpg city/highway for the manual transmission and 24/30 mpg for the automatic. That might not be as high as other compacts, but the assurance of an all-wheel-drive system also means lesser fuel economy.

What's in a Frame?

As automakers put the kibosh on all things truck-based – witness the demise of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy – and trade them for car-based successors, you might be wondering what all that means.

Not to worry, we’ll explain: A truck-based model has body-on-frame construction, with a steel ladder-like frame underpinning the chassis. Imagine a wide, rigid ladder under the cabin floor with suspension and engine components bolted onto it. The rear suspension is typically non-independent, and the whole package is usually better suited for off-roading and heavy load-bearing. Examples include most pickup trucks as well as larger SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Toyota Sequoia.

Suzuki Says No to Verona, Yes to Swift

Automotive News is reporting that Suzuki has discontinued the Verona sedan and dealers have stopped taking orders. The Verona's last model year will be 2006, and the company says slow sales and poor reliability for the GM/Daewoo-sourced vehicle are the main reasons it's ending the car’s life cycle.

In good news, Suzuki is having a record year and plans to bring a small pickup truck and a hybrid to the U.S. by 2010. Even more interesting is the fact that Suzuki will also bring the subcompact Swift to the U.S. to compete with the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. Although the Swift is a huge success overseas, it won’t arrive stateside until 2010. We’re never sure why it takes so long for existing products to reach our shores. The Swift, shown above, is a nifty looking product and has won multiple awards; why should we have to wait four years before buying one? Especially since it averages around 38.5 mpg.

[Source: Automotive News]