IMHO, there are a few things that need repeating:
1. Stonger yen to dollar tightens margins, so that any Japanese manufacturer who wants to sell here should build here.
2. With the dollar relatively low compared to the Euro, many foreign companies have been exiting as well (not just in cars).
3. Suzuki has always had this "budget" brand impression. Kizashi is like a good solid hail Mary pass to blast off the impression. It didn't work.
4. In the budget segment, Huyndai and Kia have had a more consistent approach to their advertising. They've stayed on the budget message.
5. In contrast, the Suzuki advertising has been imaginative but off the value message. Eskimos? Just should have been straightforward and sell the value with what's inside and the warranty.
6. Some bad rebadged cars like the Forenza.
Kizashi included in list of "11 New Cars to Avoid"
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chazyouwin
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:57 pm
- Location: Northern New Jersey USA
2010 Kizashi SLS FWD Gray; 2013 Grand Vitara 4wd red; 2012 SX4 blue; 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV black
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
To be fair, most Yahoo articles are just re-posts of other media publications. The original article was written by Forbes and they cited Consumer Reports and J.D. Power.Firefly wrote:I have never been a fan of anything to do with Yahoo, so I expect their journalism to be crap.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
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chazyouwin
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:57 pm
- Location: Northern New Jersey USA
Apropos of my posting above, here is today's announcement that Honda will soon join Toyota as a net exporter of cars from the U.S. and North America. A way to combat the strong yen. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-1 ... th-america
2010 Kizashi SLS FWD Gray; 2013 Grand Vitara 4wd red; 2012 SX4 blue; 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV black
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
You mean the country or the state in the US?NiteRider wrote:Wait a minute, I thought I read somewhere that that they also started building Kizashis in Georgia. Am I wrong about this?
I believe you are misinformed. I have not read anything saying it is built anywhere outside of Japan. In fact, I think only one plant in Japan is making the Kizashi.
The car failed to sell well in India and is no longer sold in the USA so I doubt they will make it in another plant.
The Kizashi is a great example of Suzuki's competent engineering and incompetent management and marketing at a global scale.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
Say what you want about the actual effectiveness of the Kizashi superbowl commercial I love it. It's different, showcases the car well, and has heart/humor. Most car commercials are obnoxious, I wish there were more like this one. I guess similar to owners of this car I'm in the extreme minority! 
I did not care for any of the Kizashi commercials in the US. They were forgettable and some were stupid. Early ads comparing the car to a motorized sofa just made people ridicule Suzuki. Also, comparing to cars like the Audi A4 and Acura TSX was too ambitious. They should have targeted the cars people bought instead of the Kizashi like the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy, etc.
In my opinion, the best commercial for the Kizashi came from Australia. I believe it was already posted on this forum before by someone else. The ad features a red Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle morphing into a red Suzuki Kizashi on a road in the woods.
While the Hayabusa is a powerful and venerable motorcycle and the Kizashi is a rather new under-powered sedan, Suzuki makes a good point in tying up the fact that its a company that has an established foundation in engineering and the Hayabusa is proof. The Hayabusa is respected around the world by motorcyclists and many Americans know Suzuki better as a motorcycle company. The commercial also shows it in the curvy roads of a mountain where a Kizashi would really outshine it's lesser handling rivals like all those I named above.
The morphing of the 'Busa to the 'Zashi is also well done. Some may think it's too Transformer-like and has childish appeal, but it looks great and it's done in a manner where the details of the car are emphasized as it morphs. You take notice to the styling cues of the car more this way.
Lastly, the music is perfect with the imagery and the vibe the commercial is giving. It makes me excited about the car and want to run out, hop in my car, and tear ass off into curvy roads.
Had I not already owned a Kizashi, it would make me say, "Wow, what was that car by Suzuki? I want to go check it out." You see, the ad clearly sends the message that this is a Suzuki product by showing and talking about the Hayabusa for half of the commercial. It doesn't allow for it to be an anonymous car, which was Suzuki's main problem as a brand in the US.
Hell, I would even say the Australian accent is even enticing. Americans respond well to other accents (hence the GEICO gecko's London accent, the luxury car ads with British accents, early Subaru Outback ads with Crocodile Dundee's Paul Hogan, etc.) Accents command attention because we are not used to them.
This is the Kizashi ad American Suzuki Motor Corporation should have made and aired. Instead, they chose uninspiring ads featuring angry snowmen and then Eskimos and huskies. Now, they are bankrupt. Go figure.
Here's the ad from Down Under:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jklVczZKf7w
In my opinion, the best commercial for the Kizashi came from Australia. I believe it was already posted on this forum before by someone else. The ad features a red Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle morphing into a red Suzuki Kizashi on a road in the woods.
While the Hayabusa is a powerful and venerable motorcycle and the Kizashi is a rather new under-powered sedan, Suzuki makes a good point in tying up the fact that its a company that has an established foundation in engineering and the Hayabusa is proof. The Hayabusa is respected around the world by motorcyclists and many Americans know Suzuki better as a motorcycle company. The commercial also shows it in the curvy roads of a mountain where a Kizashi would really outshine it's lesser handling rivals like all those I named above.
The morphing of the 'Busa to the 'Zashi is also well done. Some may think it's too Transformer-like and has childish appeal, but it looks great and it's done in a manner where the details of the car are emphasized as it morphs. You take notice to the styling cues of the car more this way.
Lastly, the music is perfect with the imagery and the vibe the commercial is giving. It makes me excited about the car and want to run out, hop in my car, and tear ass off into curvy roads.
Had I not already owned a Kizashi, it would make me say, "Wow, what was that car by Suzuki? I want to go check it out." You see, the ad clearly sends the message that this is a Suzuki product by showing and talking about the Hayabusa for half of the commercial. It doesn't allow for it to be an anonymous car, which was Suzuki's main problem as a brand in the US.
Hell, I would even say the Australian accent is even enticing. Americans respond well to other accents (hence the GEICO gecko's London accent, the luxury car ads with British accents, early Subaru Outback ads with Crocodile Dundee's Paul Hogan, etc.) Accents command attention because we are not used to them.
This is the Kizashi ad American Suzuki Motor Corporation should have made and aired. Instead, they chose uninspiring ads featuring angry snowmen and then Eskimos and huskies. Now, they are bankrupt. Go figure.
Here's the ad from Down Under:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jklVczZKf7w
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
The Australian advert sucks. The Kizashi is slow (relatively speaking to other modern vehicles) and the handling isn't anything like a motorbike.
At least in the USA they displayed the market it was designed to compete in and areas where it outperforms the opposition. Anyone here who took one for a test drive (after seeing the motorbike advert) would quickly be disappointed with the lack of sporting character and slow acceleration. You only have to look at the low sales figures here to see the advert isn't a success.
One problem for the Kizashi is it's size- it's in "no man's" land. The latest Mazda 6 (just released) is bigger than the previous model 6 - and that was already substantially longer than the Kizashi. The Kizashi is the size of the original (ten odd year old) Mazda 6.
At least in the USA they displayed the market it was designed to compete in and areas where it outperforms the opposition. Anyone here who took one for a test drive (after seeing the motorbike advert) would quickly be disappointed with the lack of sporting character and slow acceleration. You only have to look at the low sales figures here to see the advert isn't a success.
One problem for the Kizashi is it's size- it's in "no man's" land. The latest Mazda 6 (just released) is bigger than the previous model 6 - and that was already substantially longer than the Kizashi. The Kizashi is the size of the original (ten odd year old) Mazda 6.
David
I don't think the Aussie ad sucks, especially compared to American ads.
The American ads failed to even invoke much attention by the public, less so convince them to buy one.
Among people who paid attention, the ads were often ridiculed. See what car enthusiasts said in car sites like autoblog.com, truthaboutcars.com, and jalopnik.com on articles related to Suzuki marketing. The consensus was that Suzuki ads in the US were a joke or entirely forgettable.
They were right as marketing in the US was so bad that Suzuki even failed and went bankrupt. At least you guys in Australia still have the brand selling cars including the Jimny and Swift.
We Americans never got the Jimny (the Samurai got such a bad rap that the replacement Jimny was never sold here) and the last Swift we saw was over 10 years ago, essentially a different car to what it is now. These two cars are praised in markets they are sold.
Say what you want about low sales volume in Australia for the Kizashi, at least the brand and the car is still sold there.
Also, I really like the size of the Kizashi. I don't think it's too small, but more just right. Why make a car bigger than it needs to be? The trend has been to make midsizes bigger and bloated. Look at the bloated late model Legacy and Mazda6. Both have grown in size and decreased in sporty handling.
As you mentioned, the Kizashi is sized similarly to the original Mazda6. Back then, the Mazda6 was smaller, but also handled best in class. Mazda wanted to offer a sporty alternative to sterile, dull people movers like the Camry. It was critically acclaimed then for its handling and drivetrain. A smaller size also means less weight which aids in performance.
When it came time to redesign, Mazda decided to make it bigger and the handling suffered. They turned their sporty small midsize into a bloated "me too" Camry chaser. It is well documented that the car lost its sporty edge in pursuit of following the trend. Its unique appeal tanked.
Suzuki took a different approach for the Kizashi when they developed it. They basically did what Mazda did when they first released the 6. Create a midsize, but don't make it bigger than it needs to be. Focus on sporty handling and smaller dimensions to cut down on weight. Suzuki affirmed their commitment to this and even tuned the suspension on the famous Nurburgring in Germany. What other non-luxury midsize can claim this? The result was a small midsize that basically outhandled everything in its class while costing a little less. I appreciate this and favor better handling over rear seat legroom any day.
Also, yes motorcycles handle very differently than cars, but cars corner much better. A motorcycle will out-accelerate a car, but a good handling car will catch up in corners unless the rider is very skilled in cornering. I have personally done this by following my two friends riding motorcycles in my Mazda3 on a mountain pass. They blew me away on the straights, but I was right on their tails for the corners.
The American ads failed to even invoke much attention by the public, less so convince them to buy one.
Among people who paid attention, the ads were often ridiculed. See what car enthusiasts said in car sites like autoblog.com, truthaboutcars.com, and jalopnik.com on articles related to Suzuki marketing. The consensus was that Suzuki ads in the US were a joke or entirely forgettable.
They were right as marketing in the US was so bad that Suzuki even failed and went bankrupt. At least you guys in Australia still have the brand selling cars including the Jimny and Swift.
We Americans never got the Jimny (the Samurai got such a bad rap that the replacement Jimny was never sold here) and the last Swift we saw was over 10 years ago, essentially a different car to what it is now. These two cars are praised in markets they are sold.
Say what you want about low sales volume in Australia for the Kizashi, at least the brand and the car is still sold there.
Also, I really like the size of the Kizashi. I don't think it's too small, but more just right. Why make a car bigger than it needs to be? The trend has been to make midsizes bigger and bloated. Look at the bloated late model Legacy and Mazda6. Both have grown in size and decreased in sporty handling.
As you mentioned, the Kizashi is sized similarly to the original Mazda6. Back then, the Mazda6 was smaller, but also handled best in class. Mazda wanted to offer a sporty alternative to sterile, dull people movers like the Camry. It was critically acclaimed then for its handling and drivetrain. A smaller size also means less weight which aids in performance.
When it came time to redesign, Mazda decided to make it bigger and the handling suffered. They turned their sporty small midsize into a bloated "me too" Camry chaser. It is well documented that the car lost its sporty edge in pursuit of following the trend. Its unique appeal tanked.
Suzuki took a different approach for the Kizashi when they developed it. They basically did what Mazda did when they first released the 6. Create a midsize, but don't make it bigger than it needs to be. Focus on sporty handling and smaller dimensions to cut down on weight. Suzuki affirmed their commitment to this and even tuned the suspension on the famous Nurburgring in Germany. What other non-luxury midsize can claim this? The result was a small midsize that basically outhandled everything in its class while costing a little less. I appreciate this and favor better handling over rear seat legroom any day.
Also, yes motorcycles handle very differently than cars, but cars corner much better. A motorcycle will out-accelerate a car, but a good handling car will catch up in corners unless the rider is very skilled in cornering. I have personally done this by following my two friends riding motorcycles in my Mazda3 on a mountain pass. They blew me away on the straights, but I was right on their tails for the corners.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)