Kizashi a 'headache' : Suzuki

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hotnyh
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:19 am

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-ne ... 2yq4s.html
(Australian news)

Kizashi a 'headache': Suzuki

Date
December 5, 2013




David McCowen
Motoring Writer



Mid-size sedan unlikely to be replaced.

The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.

The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.

Suzuki is unlikely to replace its mid-size Kizashi sedan following the model’s failure to gain traction with buyers.

Australians are buying record numbers of new cars, but less than 5000 people have taken home a Kizashi since 2010 - a number that Toyota’s Corolla can reach in little more than a month.

The brand’s Australian managing director, Masaaki Kato, says the Kizashi was compromised by poor timing.

Suzuki developed the car during a boom phase for the company just before the global financial crisis hit the US in 2009.
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“That’s my headache,” Kato says, “Kizashi was a very unlucky car.”

“We had so many arguments about the question: how to handle Kizashi.

“At that time, frankly speaking, we should not have introduced the car into the market in 2009.

“But you see, we made a big investment to develop this car… after heavy and hard discussion, we decided to introduce this Kizashi.”

Kato says Suzuki started work on a turbocharged performance Kizashi and also planned V6-powered and wagon versions of the car before “all the plans completely disappeared”.

He suggested a new Kizashi could be too much investment for too little return.

The car’s future was not helped by Suzuki’s decision to pull its automobile arm out of the US in 2012, along with the implosion of an agreement with Volkswagen to develop cars for emerging markets.

But only part of the Kizashi’s sales struggle can be blamed on its circumstances.

The sedan commands a steep price - from $29,990 plus on-road costs - and its 2.4-litre engine uses almost 50 per cent more fuel than mid-size rivals such as the Mazda6.

Kato says Suzuki is considering a local restructure for the Kizashi that could see prices drop, but could not say how far prices would fall.
murcod
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Deja Vu? I recall that being posted here previously with ensuing discussion on real world fuel economy etc.
David
murcod
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Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
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David
hotnyh
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:19 am

Oops, didn't see it! :facepalm:

But have to agree that it was very unfortunate that it didn't take off.
A good car.
Was planned to receive VW drivetrains/ DSG boxes and a hybrid system. It would be been great as a 2L Turbo (from the Golf GTI) and a 6 speed DSG!

And it would have sold a lot better in my part of the world with a 1.4 TSI engine...

Recently I was at the local Lexus dealer with a friend and was oohing and ahhing at the new GS and IS models. The salesgirl asked what I was driving currently and when I said Kizashi she smiled ruefully and said "Ah! A most misunderstood car. I guess you like unique or unusual cars!"

I was impressed she knew... and she's not too far from the truth re my likes but I must say I bought because it was simply a good deal!
sx4rocious
Posts: 485
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:31 pm

hotnyh wrote:Oops, didn't see it! :facepalm:

But have to agree that it was very unfortunate that it didn't take off.
A good car.
Was planned to receive VW drivetrains/ DSG boxes and a hybrid system. It would be been great as a 2L Turbo (from the Golf GTI) and a 6 speed DSG!

And it would have sold a lot better in my part of the world with a 1.4 TSI engine...

Recently I was at the local Lexus dealer with a friend and was oohing and ahhing at the new GS and IS models. The salesgirl asked what I was driving currently and when I said Kizashi she smiled ruefully and said "Ah! A most misunderstood car. I guess you like unique or unusual cars!"

I was impressed she knew... and she's not too far from the truth re my likes but I must say I bought because it was simply a good deal!
^^marry her^^
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

The Kizashi is a looker. I've had a guy driving 2012/2013 Lexus IS 350 ask me about my car and he said he really liked it. Similar thing happened a while back with a guy driving a late model Range Rover.

The Kizashi did come at a bad time and the circumstances around the car were pretty bad (like the VW fallout). However, the car itself is quite good. As we know, it drives very well, is affordable, and is among one of the safest cars ever made to the surprise of many in the industry.

However, unless Suzuki plans to put in new technology into the next generation of the car, it will not survive the markets it's still offered in. I'm thinking it may need to be reborn or at least offered as a hybrid or PHEV, much like what Mitsubishi has done to the Outlander.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

Just incorrect marketing in the US.
murcod
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Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Australia

WESHOOT2 wrote:Just incorrect marketing in the US.
Not just the US.
David
SamirD
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Location: HSV and SFO
Contact:

sx4rocious wrote:
hotnyh wrote:Oops, didn't see it! :facepalm:

But have to agree that it was very unfortunate that it didn't take off.
A good car.
Was planned to receive VW drivetrains/ DSG boxes and a hybrid system. It would be been great as a 2L Turbo (from the Golf GTI) and a 6 speed DSG!

And it would have sold a lot better in my part of the world with a 1.4 TSI engine...

Recently I was at the local Lexus dealer with a friend and was oohing and ahhing at the new GS and IS models. The salesgirl asked what I was driving currently and when I said Kizashi she smiled ruefully and said "Ah! A most misunderstood car. I guess you like unique or unusual cars!"

I was impressed she knew... and she's not too far from the truth re my likes but I must say I bought because it was simply a good deal!
^^marry her^^
^^^ VERY GOOD ADVICE ^^^

Marry another enthusiast if you can. It gives you something you both love in common, which is very important. Not saying you can't marry a non-enthusiast, but you have to find a common love that you both have that same passion for. 8-) Cars just make that easy. ;)
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