Interesting. The "standard" engine here is a 1.4l 70kW, with the Sport a 1.6l 100kW.
PS: The earlier versions of the current shape had a 1.5l 74kW engine as the "standard" engine. So the Sport isn't really such a huge upgrade over here.
Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Suzuki Vehicles Gallery
So I was able to visit two different car dealerships that sold Suzuki's. One was a non-Suzuki dealer in Kobe that sold a few Suzuki models under license and the other was an authorized Suzuki dealer in Kyoto.
Here's the breakdown on the Kizashi in Japan from these folks:
Unfortunately, sales for the Kizashi are dismal in Japan. In fact, according to the car salesman in Kobe, no dealers that he knows of actually have them on the lot. They are more of a special order kind of car. He told me that the "Suzuki higher-ups" are the people who are known to drive them.
The car salesman was very nice and he let me check out and photograph the Suzuki's (and other cars) on his lot.
In Kyoto, I went to a legitimate Suzuki dealership. Again, no Kizashi's on the lot. Again, I was told that Kizashi's are rare, but the main dealer in Kyoto had a few on the lot. The saleswoman stated that the Suzuki district manager drove one (considered a premium Suzuki vehicle in Japan). On their lot, there was a Jimny among other popular Suzuki's. They also had a Swift Sport in the shop.
In true Japanese fashion, after conversing with the Suzuki salespeople and telling them that I was a Kizashi owner in the United States, they got up from their seats and bowed deeply upon me leaving the dealership office.
The Suzuki people here in Japan are very nice and friendly.
Regarding JDM accessories:
Because no dealer I have gone to have actually had Kizashi's on their lot, I have not seen any Kizashi parts or accessories. Both dealers gave me a brochure on the Kizashi, but the accessories in the brochure appear to be pretty much the same as the US and/or UK. I have also browsed the Kizashi's Japanese website for accessories and saw nothing remarkable. It's pretty much the same as the US/UK.
Given the poor sales of the Kizashi in Japan, the future of the car is rather disconcerting. The car is no longer sold in the US (probably was one of its main intended markets) and it was also discontinued in India (where Suzuki is a huge name with its smaller cars). I can't image it's very popular in Europe or anywhere else. With such poor sales everywhere, I can't imagine it will be viable to keep producing in the long run. It's rather a pity because it's such a good car in its segment.
Here's the breakdown on the Kizashi in Japan from these folks:
Unfortunately, sales for the Kizashi are dismal in Japan. In fact, according to the car salesman in Kobe, no dealers that he knows of actually have them on the lot. They are more of a special order kind of car. He told me that the "Suzuki higher-ups" are the people who are known to drive them.
The car salesman was very nice and he let me check out and photograph the Suzuki's (and other cars) on his lot.
In Kyoto, I went to a legitimate Suzuki dealership. Again, no Kizashi's on the lot. Again, I was told that Kizashi's are rare, but the main dealer in Kyoto had a few on the lot. The saleswoman stated that the Suzuki district manager drove one (considered a premium Suzuki vehicle in Japan). On their lot, there was a Jimny among other popular Suzuki's. They also had a Swift Sport in the shop.
In true Japanese fashion, after conversing with the Suzuki salespeople and telling them that I was a Kizashi owner in the United States, they got up from their seats and bowed deeply upon me leaving the dealership office.
The Suzuki people here in Japan are very nice and friendly.
Regarding JDM accessories:
Because no dealer I have gone to have actually had Kizashi's on their lot, I have not seen any Kizashi parts or accessories. Both dealers gave me a brochure on the Kizashi, but the accessories in the brochure appear to be pretty much the same as the US and/or UK. I have also browsed the Kizashi's Japanese website for accessories and saw nothing remarkable. It's pretty much the same as the US/UK.
Given the poor sales of the Kizashi in Japan, the future of the car is rather disconcerting. The car is no longer sold in the US (probably was one of its main intended markets) and it was also discontinued in India (where Suzuki is a huge name with its smaller cars). I can't image it's very popular in Europe or anywhere else. With such poor sales everywhere, I can't imagine it will be viable to keep producing in the long run. It's rather a pity because it's such a good car in its segment.
Last edited by KuroNekko on Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
That is sad to hear. It sounds like a good assessment of the situation though.
Here are some photos I took recently of cars in the Kobe dealership.
- Attachments
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- The Suzuki/used car dealer in Kobe. Under the Suzuki sign, many dealers list the cars they sell. Here, it states the Alto, Swift, and Wagon R.
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- Suzuki Swift and Solio on the left.
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- Rear of Swift and Solio.
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- Suzuki Solio. This car has power rear sliding doors which makes it stand out from other kei's like the Wagon R.
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- Suzuki Wagon R Stingray. It's a model within the Wagon R lineup.
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- Rear seats of the Wagon R. The rear leg room is very generous though hard to tell from the photo. Easily about twice as much as the Kizashi if not more. For such a small car, the Wagon R is very spacious inside. That's the whole point of kei-cars. Minimum space on the outside, yet maximum on the inside. Hence, the tall box shape.
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- Cockpit of the Wagon R. It's rather simple, but better than other kei cars which were really bare-bones.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
Kobe dealer cars part II.
- Attachments
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- The Daihatsu Mira. It's one of the main kei-cars that define the segment. It's the Daihatsu rival to Suzuki's Alto while the Daihatsu Move and Tanto rival Suzuki's Wagon R and other models.
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- Cockpit of the Daihatsu Mira. Very basic, but it did feature a digital instrument panel. The controls were spartan.
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- Rear seats of the Daihatsu Mira. For being such a tiny kei-car, the rear seat leg room is rather impressive. On par with many midsize sedans.
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- Isuzu Vehicross!!! These cars are very rare both in Japan and in the US. This one happened to be parked in front of the dealership.
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- Suzuki Palette. I think it's one of better looking kei-cars. Like the Solio, it features power rear sliding doors.
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- Suzuki Palette rear. It features clear tail lights for a sleek look.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
Photos from the Suzuki dealership in Kyoto.
- Attachments
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- Suzuki Swift Sport. Distinguishable by the aggressive bumper and fascia around the fog lights.
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- Suzuki Jimny. This model is the kei-truck version with a 660cc engine. A non-kei 1.3L engine is also offered. The hood scoop is for an intercooler for the turbo. Although the power output is roughly 67hp, the vehicle's light weight allows for some spirited driving according to many. The car is said to be the Mazda Miata of the offroad world. I personally really like the Jimny given my offroad experiences in Suzuki SUVs.
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- Jimny side. This model was the X-Adventure trim with a Salomon package. The darkened wheels looked great with the paint scheme.
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- Jimny rear quarter.
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- Suzuki Jimny cockpit. Rather simple, but it featured a button-activated part-time 4x4.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
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Northernstar
- Posts: 590
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:49 am
- Location: Surrey Canada
Thanks for sharing the photos! Too bad Kizashi doesn't do very well in any of the countries. But it still puzzles me, how can a car with such good value sells so little. Even though Japan is a kei-car based country, I am pretty sure there are quite a few people who buys camry, mark x, auris and corolla, mazda6 etc.
I would probably get a turbo Jimmy for the girl friend if they had sold it over here. Too bad their dealers were always so poor in my area.
Oddly, other than the Prius vehicles and kei-cars, very few car models are very popular in Japan. There are quite a few Toyota Crowns, but they are like a status symbol for older men with money. It's really like a Japanese man's Cadillac.
I don't see many Camrys, Accords, or even Corollas for that matter. They don't even sell the Civic in Japan anymore. The Mazda3 (called the Axela in Japan) is also not too common but I've seen a number of them.
I see many Priuses (Prii?) and the Prius C (called the Aqua) is also popular. I've seen a good number of Prius Vs as well. The Prius lineup got very popular in Japan in the last couple of years because the gov't offered a tax break for hybrid cars. That tax break is said to have ended for 2013.
The Prius vehicles are so popular that auto parts stores actually sell aftermarket accessory sets just for them. You can actually buy a box of LED bulbs that were made to replace the lights in the specific car. They also have interior accessories specially made for the cars to fit their unique interior design and trim.
In terms of the Jimny, I would love to have one too. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the kei-version (660cc turbo) is only sold in Japan. Other markets that have the Jimny like Russia, Australia, and Brazil get the larger N/A 1.3. I am not certain about other Asian countries, but from my research, it appears the kei-engine is a Japanese exclusive. To get a 660cc Jimny outside of Japan, you'd have to import a JDM model. I've heard many used Japanese cars get exported to countries like Russia and other Asian countries.
I don't see many Camrys, Accords, or even Corollas for that matter. They don't even sell the Civic in Japan anymore. The Mazda3 (called the Axela in Japan) is also not too common but I've seen a number of them.
I see many Priuses (Prii?) and the Prius C (called the Aqua) is also popular. I've seen a good number of Prius Vs as well. The Prius lineup got very popular in Japan in the last couple of years because the gov't offered a tax break for hybrid cars. That tax break is said to have ended for 2013.
The Prius vehicles are so popular that auto parts stores actually sell aftermarket accessory sets just for them. You can actually buy a box of LED bulbs that were made to replace the lights in the specific car. They also have interior accessories specially made for the cars to fit their unique interior design and trim.
In terms of the Jimny, I would love to have one too. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the kei-version (660cc turbo) is only sold in Japan. Other markets that have the Jimny like Russia, Australia, and Brazil get the larger N/A 1.3. I am not certain about other Asian countries, but from my research, it appears the kei-engine is a Japanese exclusive. To get a 660cc Jimny outside of Japan, you'd have to import a JDM model. I've heard many used Japanese cars get exported to countries like Russia and other Asian countries.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
What type of driveline is in that Jimny? solid axles? Geared t-case?
Thanks, great pics.
Thanks, great pics.
Ron
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
)
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
) 1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)