Kizashi Club

Now me if this has already been asked.

When Suzuki was looking to pull the plug on the Kizashi here in the states and were looking for partners, why didn't they partner up with either Mitsu or Dodge?

If they'd partnered with Mitsubishi, we might have gotten a Lan-Evo XI based off of the Kizi with Evo tech. Or we could've gotten manual Kizashi with AWD/Active Yaw Control, and a turbo to possibly give the Kizashi at least 300hp and allowed it to compete with the Blue Oval's Focus RS.

Conversely, if Suzuki had partnered with Dodge/FCA; the contemporary Dodge Dart might have remained in production with well-tested Suzuki Technology. Unlike some others, I actually liked the Dart.

Besides, I think one of the car mags compared the Kizashi with either the BMW 2 or 3 series stating that the Kizashi had BMW Quality and Performance without the Bavarian Motor Werks price.

Can youse mugs imagine a baby M series built by Japan for at least 1/3 the price?

Yeah, we're driving them! It's what my brother referred to as "Ron's Japanese BMW".

In my opinion, partnering with FCA or Mitsu would have had the same effect on the Suzuki brand as when they rebadged those awful korean Daewoos.

That's the thing. They were in a partnership, but it was not working and souring very fast. Suzuki was partnered with VW which bought something like 20% stake in Suzuki. Suzuki was hoping this was going to supply them with more advanced engines like turbos for the Kizashi and the GV and diesels for their smaller cars. However, VW wasn't cooperating, saying that Suzuki was violating agreements by sourcing small diesels from FIAT. Suzuki and FIAT had a small partnership largely based on the SX4 from a while back.

Given VW left Suzuki out to dry, they really could not offer anything other than their own technology. While reliable and sound, it wasn't exactly competitive as rivals were developing and releasing newer technology. This is the main reason why the Kizashi isn't nearly as fuel efficient as rivals, especially in the later model years. This hurt especially when the car, much like all Suzukis, were only offered with one engine.

If anything, I think Mitsubishi would have been a good partner so Suzuki could get their more advanced powertrains and drivetrains, including electrified powertrains. Suzuki could have delivered newer models in return, especially since Mitsubishi models are so stagnated and their cars aren't exactly high on desirability. Furthermore, Suzuki makes excellent small cars globally while Mitsubishi was always stronger with larger vehicles, especially SUVs. Basically, there wasn't a structure for one to abuse the other as they both had much to benefit from the other.
They are also both from the same country and have similar corporate structures and cultural values. They are also linked with investments into the same companies with JATCO being a prime example. However, both seemed to want to link up with bigger companies. Now, Mitsubishi is under Nissan and Suzuki seems to want to link up with Toyota, much like Subaru and Mazda have.

Many industry experts believe the future of the auto industry will prove to show that only a few major corporations will remain in business. This is because of the paradigm shift in automotive technology. Internal Combustion Engine technology is in its final stage and the future is certainly electric. Consumers may not realize this but the auto companies know it and nearly all are shifting their R&D to electrified powertrains. The small companies that can't possibly do it on their own therefore are seeking partnerships with large ones for this. This is the reason why Subaru, Mazda, and now Suzuki want to link up with Toyota who themselves are behind in the EV scene. Japan is a country with more independent major companies than any other but the future will likely reveal that only the big three will survive, much like the Big 3 of the United States. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 30 years, only Toyota, Nissan, and Honda remain as ICE get replaced by electrified powertrains. The smaller companies will get absorbed by the Big 3 and serve as brands rather than separate corporate entities.