Car Throttle

The Suzuki Kizashi has seen a lot of action on the performance front. It has become a favorite of tuners, who use the car as a perfect blank canvas for their creations. Also, there have been Suzuki-sanctioned extreme models like the Bonneville Special Kizashi. That car broke a speed record for its class, hitting 203.720 mph. A significant upgrade package comes now with the Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi from Road Race Motorsports. RRM says the Platinum Edition Kizashi can "boss around most double priced European Sport sedans" and that is a pretty big claim. Stylistically, we aren't too sure about those side sticker decals, but the ground effects package and rims look good. The Platinum Edition Kizashi is available from RRM in a variety of configurations  - you can

Suzuki set it's sights on the bigger things with the Kizashi, which literally means "something great is coming" in Japanese. Indeed, as the Kizashi has been welcomed to critical acclaim. It should be hitting the CarThrottle garage sometime soon for a full-review. For now, Suzuki is making waves - big ones, in the performance industry by breaking the speed record for its class. It all starts out with a Kizashi modified to produce 500 horsepower from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That is accomplished using a Turbonetics turbocharger at 16 psi, forged rods and pistons, an intercooler, new intake manifold and tuned "long tube" header to boost the 2.4-liter four-cylinder over 500 horsepower. Other modifications include seam welded steel wheels, coilover shocks, special Goodyear tires and a front air dam. As

The new Kizashi (which means "something great is coming" translated from Japanese) is set to arrive in dealerships this month. As part of a promotional campaign surrounding the car's launch, they are announcing the Kizashi Test Drive Challenge incentive program that kicked off on Wednesday. Ever since introducing the Kizashi, Suzuki has tried to position the car as sort of an alternative to luxury brands. The feature list is quite lengthy, and while technically "mid-size", it actually is more on the compact end of the spectrum. I applauded it at introduction for the possibilities: a starting price of $18,999, a manual transmission, and the likelihood of great driving characteristics. Still, I never expected it to be compared against vehicles like the Audi A4 and Acura TSX. Apparently, Suzuki

Suzuki is a brand that has a history in motorsports - dirtbikes, ATVs, motorcycles - you name it and Suzuki makes it. Not only that, they rank quite highly in doing so. Ask about their automobiles on other hand and you'll get a different answer, as Suzuki has found it difficult translating that excitement to its automotive division. That is something they are looking to change with a product offensive here in the United States. That plan begins with the Kizashi - its name translated from Japanese means "something great is coming." Today Suzuki has announced pricing for the trim levels of the entire lineup. There are four: Kizashi S, SE, GTS and the most upscale model,  SLS. As rumored, the base Kizashi S comes in at only $18,999.

Suzuki first revealed the Kizashi mid-size sedan at the end of July this year. Spyshots came out quite a bit earlier than that, and some speculation swirled that the car could possibly have been cancelled after a delay in introduction. Thankfully that proved not to be the case! Suzuki recently held a media event for the Kizashi, and the reviews from the press are starting to trickle in. Unsurprisingly, they are quite good. From the first time the car was revealed, I was impressed with what it had to offer. The Kizashi's styling doesn't break any new ground (it looks a like the Jetta in the front) but it is good looking, and most importantly seems to offer a good performance value. The specifications list on the

Suzuki is a brand name world-renowned for it's excellence in motorcycles, dirtbikes and ATVs.  Many people recognize the company as the leader in the area. With all that goodwill, it's a shame not to try to build on that with the company's automotive business. Suzuki has now recognized this and is working to do just that in it's products as well as advertising. One of the first examples of this is the Suzuki Kizashi mid-size sedan. According to Suzuki, the name Kizashi "tells us something great is coming." I think they're right! For some reason I really have taken to this car. I like the clean, modern and forward-looking design. In addition, Suzuki's expertise in packaging small cars has resulted in a car with larger interior space