Suzuki Kizashi V6 & Hybrid Plans Dependent on Sales Numbers

[vwoom]

Suzuki Kizashi sale figures will influence decision to offer V6, hybrid variant

Posted: Feb 16, 2010

Filed under: 2010 Releases, Industry News, Suzuki

Suzuki knows that its new Kizashi midsize sedan will have a tough time competing with bigger rivals in the segment – with hopes to avoid that, Suzuki will steer half of this year’s $30 million marketing budget for the new sedan to U.S. dealers.

“The budget for a national launch just wasn’t there, and Suzuki listened to the dealer advisory board about redistributing the marketing funds,” said Scott Pitman, president of Suzuki of Wichita in Kansas.

The 2010 Suzuki Kizashi has started arriving in showrooms as the company aims to shake last year’s drop of 54 percent in U.S. sales, more than double the industry’s decline. Even 2010 started on a bad note, as Suzuki’s sales dropped 44 percent in January while the market rose 6 percent.

Many things depend on the sales of the new Kizashi sedan. The company hopes that its dealers can initially move 1,000 units a month and expand that to 2,500 within a year. If Suzuki can hit 5,000 units a month in global volume, it will consider building a hybrid or V6 variant. Also, if that happens, Suzuki will use the Kizashi platform for other vehicles such as the replacement for the XL-7 crossover.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/02/16/su ... d-variant/

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In addition to the just introduced US availability and impending Kizashi sales in EU, India and China (Chang’an-Suzuki), etc..hitting 5k sales/mo globally I would believe would be a given for Suzuki.

Regarding marketing ads for the Kizashi, I hope Suzuki US would vastly improve on this for 2010 (above the $30M allocated)...so far, I've only seen full page ads/postcards in car rags such as C/D, Motor Trend, etc...nary any tv ads in the Los Angeles market.

X-sing fingers for the V6 and hybrid variants...ditto for a TDI.

[kuruma]

Crap, I was waiting for the V6.

There is no way in hell Suzuki will hit 2500 units per month of the Kizashi in the first year or even second year. Suzuki does not have the marketing power of it's rivals to promote it.

This car has the potential to be a rule breaking halo car for Suzuki - much like the Passat was for Volkswagen in 1998. I know because I followed that car as it was developed in Germany then brought to the US in 1998. Problem with the Passat was nobody knew about it and the automotive press was lukewarm about it due to the rather anemic performance of the 4 cylinder. I was waiting for the V6 model - it came in 2000. With the performance of the V6 the Passat became VW's halo car since it was offered with many luxury amenities that rivals from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did'nt. See the parallels in this car with the Kizashi? especially the lukewarm automotive press?

For the price the Kizashi like the Passat offers luxury amenities that rivals do not. Also the fit and finish put it on par with an entry level luxury car. BTW the dimensions of the Kizashi is within and inch or two with the VW Passat of 1998 to 2003.

If Suzuki cannot put out the Kizashi V6 or hybrid by the end of next year, be it no guts or no money, it will become an also ran in the automotive market. The Kizashi's 4 cylinder engine can only be massaged so much- it needs the V6 or hybrid as a halo car to suck in customers to the showrooms.

This car has so much potential especially in regards to it's multilink suspension, body structure, etc - it just begs to be tuned and refined. I hope Suzuki does'nt miss the boat on this one.

[NJKizashi]

Crap, I was waiting for the V6.

There is no way in hell Suzuki will hit 2500 units per month of the Kizashi in the first year or even second year. Suzuki does not have the marketing power of it's rivals to promote it.

This car has the potential to be a rule breaking halo car for Suzuki - much like the Passat was for Volkswagen in 1998. I know because I followed that car as it was developed in Germany then brought to the US in 1998. Problem with the Passat was nobody knew about it and the automotive press was lukewarm about it due to the rather anemic performance of the 4 cylinder. I was waiting for the V6 model - it came in 2000. With the performance of the V6 the Passat became VW's halo car since it was offered with many luxury amenities that rivals from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did'nt. See the parallels in this car with the Kizashi? especially the lukewarm automotive press?

For the price the Kizashi like the Passat offers luxury amenities that rivals do not. Also the fit and finish put it on par with an entry level luxury car. BTW the dimensions of the Kizashi is within and inch or two with the VW Passat of 1998 to 2003.

If Suzuki cannot put out the Kizashi V6 or hybrid by the end of next year, be it no guts or no money, it will become an also ran in the automotive market. The Kizashi's 4 cylinder engine can only be massaged so much- it needs the V6 or hybrid as a halo car to suck in customers to the showrooms.

This car has so much potential especially in regards to it's multilink suspension, body structure, etc - it just begs to be tuned and refined. I hope Suzuki does'nt miss the boat on this one.

If kept up in the rev-range the 2.4 4/cylinder is more than enough in my SLS, especially in the congested roads of NJ/NY in which I drive in, the V-6 would bring in more torque, but for steady cruising and every day driving at 80MPH the 4-Banger is enough. And if people don't buy it...well thats ok,,I'm the only guy in my county with a Cool looking "Kizashi"