Comments on: First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi [Review]

By: abupu

abupu — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:33:47 +0000

i read the review here: http://www.carverdict.com.au/suzuki/kizashi-sedan

By: abupu

abupu — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:32:44 +0000

i reckon its a briliant car! looks great and from what i hear, drives great!

By: 03T4R

03T4R — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:59:26 +0000

Not bad for a Suzuki. Looks like the love child of a Jetta and Maxima or Jag in the back.

By: vwoom

vwoom — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:17:43 +0000

As noted in another auto site, Suzuki gave in to public clamor for a manual tranny AWD SX4 (instead of a sole slush box choice with AWD from prior years).

I do agree. With enough public pressure to demand a 6sp AWD option for the Kizashi…I’d bet Suzuki would do the same.

By: HINKS

HINKS — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:58:11 +0000

Nice Japanese Jetta. Still the best looking car they may have ever put out, but good luck selling it. That segment is way too crowded, and Suzuki just doesn’t have the brand power.

By: teahead

teahead — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:10:32 +0000

Looks great.

Too bad can’t get AWD and a 6-speed. $27k?

Sorry, but that’s right up there w/a Subaru Legacy GT AWD 6-speed.

By: mugengsr

mugengsr — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:07:52 +0000

Love the back!

By: zfenderguy

zfenderguy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:34:59 +0000

Nice looking car. I’d much rather drive this than ride that Gladius! I’d look far more masculine in this!

By: vwoom

vwoom — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:49:46 +0000

“Suzuki to VW:This is how you make a proper Jetta.”

Addendum: reliable Jetta (for short)

By: A4

A4 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:31:10 +0000

I agree on the Mazda6 thing Jake, they really dropped the ball when they made the new one so damn big. The old Mazda6 was the perfect size and it’s nice to see Suzuki pick up slack. It will be a shame when this car grows in 6-8 years. Oh and sorry to whichever one of you was bitching in another thread that I don’t condense my thoughts.

By: A4

A4 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:28:55 +0000

VW made a proper Jetta and then dropped “Jetta” from the name and left it at GLI.

By: vwoom

vwoom — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:59:46 +0000

Suzuki to VW:This is how you make a proper Jetta.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:21:41 +0000

That’s a great point Jake. Just maybe Suzuki knows what they’re doing after all. Compared to the outgoing model the new Mazda 6 does nothing for me. If Suzuki can pick up the rest of the disenchanted and claim that niche for their own more power to them. Of course you’re still left to scratch your head when it comes to Mazda’s decision to move the 6 up a weight class. I don’t have any sales numbers to back it up but I’m sure not seeing many of the new ones on the road if that’s any indication.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:56:39 +0000

I like how the reviews on this car mention 2 of my favorite sednas of all time for what this car really is competing against (the 04-08 TSX and 05-09 Legacy) This might end up being that unknown car that only enthusiasts will know of and appreciate. Who knows, give me a year and I might end up being an owner. The best aftermarket on this thing besides the turbo will be a new grill sans the “S” and rear end logo delete. It will confuse everyone and people will think you’re driving a custom Jetta.

I wish instead of the 3.6 V6 they would put in the 2.8 turbo from Saab/Opel OR even the 2.4 turbo from the SS Cobalt/Solstice GXP – that would solve the weight issues that work against handling and fit the young character of this car

I was thinking of why these are already all around St. Louis being driven by the manufacturer for several months now – then I realized something about my own market. Suprisingly, St. Louis is one of the top Mazda markets in the country – Suzuki’s main competitor and what a perfect car for people displaced by the new larger Mazda6… Man, I love this class of car!

By: Need More Oil For Imports

Need More Oil For Imports — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:39:04 +0000

Not a fan of suzuki but this car actually looks pretty decent to drive!

By: johngalt

johngalt — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:23:55 +0000

Oompa, Loompa, Doompa dee dee,
If you are wise you’ll buy Kazishi!
When it’s released in the United States.
Check out our low annual interest rates!

Oompa, Loompa, Doompa dee doo,
Suzuki has a midsize sedan for you.
If you need to buy a new rig
You can be our first guinea pig!

Oompa, Loompa, Doompa dee dum,
We’re so sure we’re gonna sell some,
Come on in and buy a Kazishi.
We’ll even change its oil so you don’t get to greashy!

(My artistic talents have been looking for an outlet for decades. Thank you, LLN, for this forum!)

By: Bosley

Bosley — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:10:41 +0000

Speaking of milk, isn’t Kizashi a breakfast cereal?, Oh wait, that’s Kashi……..

What’s up with car names these days? I don’t even think that Kizashi is a word in ANY language…… Soon words like ‘Oompa Loompa’ or something equally dumb will be used……..

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:37:51 +0000

mmmmm… insect legs. I like how they stay crunchy in milk.

By: Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust

Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:46:33 +0000

From beautiful concept model to humdrum release.

By: johngalt

johngalt — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:11:49 +0000

I thought “Kizashi” translated to “bland tasting health food cereal products consisting of mostly twigs, roots, insect legs, and pebbles consumed by younger-than-they-look skeletal types who have over-regular bowel movements.”

By: alsvw

alsvw — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:53:11 +0000

nice looking auto, i don’t see it putting a dent in the accords, camry, sonata, and altima’s of world. but, this is a very nice looking car and lot of standard features that toyota cannot compete with for the same amount of money. this car has a personality, something that the camry is struggling with today.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:26:13 +0000

They had better name it something other than Kizashi…

By: mitzo

mitzo — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Yup, this is an all-Suzuki engineering and design effort. The company is successful and profitable outside of N. America, and they are fully up to being able to engineer and build vehicles. They are probably the world leader in small cars. Here behind the SUV curtain, we wouldn’t know that.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:48:53 +0000

jdasch, Saturn was supposed to be bought by an American company, Penske.

protonz, they did design it themselves along with the platform.

-iluvamcars

By: Suzhou

Suzhou — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:03:46 +0000

nice front, clean, simple. looks like Holden Cruze, but better looking than Cruze.

By: protonzdead2me

protonzdead2me — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:47:05 +0000

Where did Suzuki get this 2.4L engine from… another manufacturer or did they design it themselves?

By: jdasch1

jdasch1 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:49:18 +0000

Nice rental car. The “S” on the hood will make it hard to sell. Maybe Saturn should of partnered with Suzuki instead of the french company they were working with….that fell apart. I rented a Suzuki a month ago and it felt very cheap inside…lots of road noise like Toyota’s. Great rental car I thought….thats how I see Toyota…great rental car…cheap. I wasn’t expecting much from it but getting from point A to B safely and soundly….not needing any more than transport. I would never make a payment on one though…I need more from a car than this.

By: gogogodzilla

gogogodzilla — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:10:17 +0000

Not bad. I think I’ll test drive it.

By: leftwingagenda

leftwingagenda — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:54:38 +0000

ok, consider yourself harassed! honestly, i like it better this way…when you flog yourself (ahem, not that way) it makes it easier for me, i don’t have to type as much…kizashi isn’t my fav name for a car…it sounds like raw seafood cuisine…sushi, sashimi, kizashi…

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:23:34 +0000

Nice looking car for a Suzuki

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:41:52 +0000

First thing I did was look at the picture of the back of the car just to see it for myself. Yep… it’s called the Kizashi all right. Ok leftwing you can say it, …’typical LLN commentary, focusing on one minor item and ignoring all the other positive aspects’. Well sorry… but for me at least it is your asymmetrical nostril deal all over again.

The silliest part is had they named one of their bikes Kizashi I wouldn’t have even flinched. But for what is supposed to be their major foray into the largest segment in the industry it just doesn’t seem… appropriate. I hope it doesn’t cost them sales because I like Suzuki, but I have a sneaking suspicion the decision to go with Kizashi did not come from my side of the Pacific.

By: Smegley Wanxalot

Smegley Wanxalot — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:02:27 +0000

Nice review. Have read many positives about this car.

By: Dr.Martens

Dr.Martens — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:29:38 +0000

wow, im impressed.

By: KarLoveBoy88

KarLoveBoy88 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:49:50 +0000

Nice attempt Suzuki. But the back screams LS450 humped by an X6. And the front looks like a Jetta and Legacy. I get the 2010 Hyundai Sonata from the inside. Although its heavily crossed referenced by other cars in the industry, what car isn’t? And when was the last time Suzuki had an original design? I still give an A in effort and C+ in originality.

By: StillHaventFoundWutImLookinFor

StillHaventFoundWutImLookinFor — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:22:57 +0000

Not bad.

By: anyclearer

anyclearer — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:02:22 +0000

This SCREAMS Jetta!!! Inside and out look very VW

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:49:00 +0000

nickkop, GM helped them deveolp this car. However, it no longer uses GM’s platforms or engines.

-iluvamcars

By: nickkop

nickkop — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:46:36 +0000

they seem to be doing a lot better without general messups

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:46:21 +0000

huh, this review reminds me of another website’s review…***cough autodlog cough*** but that is expected since they had to goto some corporate dog and pony show where they highlight the features of their model. I’ve been those types of events many of times with several manufacturers, you come out feeling like it’s much more than the competition

Anyways, as being one of the few to actually get inside of one, it’s a nice car that you know will be very reasonably priced once rebates start kicking in. It’s really, very Jetta looking in person too – with it’s size and feature content too. I would like to add that the grill on lighter color versinds would look better if they would black it out on the like the MkV GTI.

By: psiclone

psiclone — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:46:09 +0000

Wow Suzuki, very clean design.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:45:29 +0000

Superb car! Congrats to Suzuki for giving us mid size sedan with taste. I t took some time to get over its size, but i like it now. Looking, i really don’t want a mid size sedan that is just a few inches shorter than the average full size sedan. The front end offers a nice dose off aggressiveness and sportiness. I think the “S” logo makes the car look cool. Styling is obviously in line with the SX4, but that is not a bad thing at all as the SX4 in nice little player too. A lot will probably call the side profile boring, but i think not. The flares and sloping beltline along with the thick c-pillar are attractive enough for me. At one angle, the side profile looks similar to the Saturn Aura, and that is not a bad thing at all either. The rear fascia is quite impressive. I thought no one would ever be able to pull off the “bangle butt”, but they did. The tail lights feel a little dated, but the rest is nice. I like the interior, but LLN is right. Overall, great car.

-iluvamcars

By: nickkop

nickkop — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:45:14 +0000

nice zuki !!!

By: Auto X

Auto X — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:31:09 +0000

They need to make a 2.4 turbo variant of this car and it would be really cool. I don’t think it looks to bad

By: 2WheeledSpeed

2WheeledSpeed — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:18:12 +0000

Not bad Suzuki!