2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS Test Drive

I'm admittedly a little late to the party here.  This is not exactly a new car: the Suzuki Kizashi midsize sedan went on sale in the US market at the beginning of December 2009 as a 2010 model, so it's closing in on two years old.  My question, then - why can I count the number of these cars I've seen on the road since then on my own two hands?  I was curious.  the Kizashi is, in my opinion at least, a pretty good looking midsize sedan with appealing specifications and an almost too-reasonable price.  Why aren't there more of these things buzzing around?  After driving one, I'm even more curious - this is a really nice car.

First, some background.  The Kizashi is the top of Suzuki's model lineup in the US, slotting above the SX4 hatchback and sedan.  It's the replacement for the unloved Verona, which you're forgiven for not remembering.  That's been the big issue with Suzuki cars in the US: while the rest of the world gets real, actual Suzukis (like the Swift Sport - dear Suzuki, I want one), for about the last decade we'd been getting GM-Daewoo knockoffs.

Why you so angry, Suzuki?

Cars like the Reno, Forenza and Verona (which for some reason had a transverse-mounted inline six)  were seemingly designed about 6 product cycles ago.  There was, to put it nicely, nothing to recommend them to anyone.  Poorly built, not particularly comfortable or well equipped or fun, it was a lowest-common-denominator kind of product.  Which is odd for a company that produces some of the world's best-engineered motorcycles.

So the separation from General Motors was probably a good thing for Suzuki, because ask Daewoo-  if you pedal crap in this country long enough, you'll be asked to leave.  The SX4 and Kizashi aren't exactly lighting the sales charts on fire, but they seem like good cars.  The Vitara has always been a capable off-roader, and it's a surprisingly nice product as well.

Step into the Kizashi, and it's immediately evident that all the traces of "bad Suzuki" are gone.  There aren't leftover Verona or Forenza parts here.  The cabin is, umm, pretty damn nice - even just from a materials quality standpoint.  Soft-touch plastics where they should be, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with aluminum trim and bulges in all the right spots, modern standard panel gaps, this is a Suzuki?  This is not lowest-common-denominator.

kinda looks like an Acura.

The design itself is thankfully conventional.  If you're not fond of bizarre double tiered analog-and-digital dashboards, or center mounted speedometers, or "motorcycle styling," or any of the other things manufacturers will pull these days to make cheap plastic seem cool, you'll like the Kizashi.  You sit in it, and hey!  Everything is exactly where it should be!  Maybe I'm just prematurely turning into an old fart, but I tend to appreciate logical control placement.

Steering wheel hand controls that make sense!

Interior features are a strong suit on the Kizashi, especially at the price point.  Small stuff - like a tilting/telescoping steering wheel, and a seat you can actually adjust in a way that is comfortable - sometimes go amiss at this level, but they're here.  Then there's the glitzy tech stuff.  I continue to see no problem with inserting a key into an ignition and turning it to start the engine, but I suppose the Kizashi's standard push-button keyless start is nice too.  The upper level Kizashis have a 425w stereo by Rockford Fosgate, with 10 speakers and an integrated subwoofer.  There's a USB port and iPod connectivity through the factory head unit, and Bluetooth hands free is an option as well.  Dual-zone climate control keeps marital road-trip squabbling to a minimum.  Audio, Bluetooth, and cruise control functions are all in logical places on the steering wheel as well.  A small note:  I prefer these roller-type volume controls on the wheel, rather than the buttons you have to push repeatedly - it's a nice touch.

Gauges are legible even in direct sunlight

The gauges are well-marked, and the tunnels they sit in help prevent wash-out from sunlight.  The small digital display in between reads odometer and fuel economy numbers while you're driving - what is up with these "instant fuel economy" gauges that manufacturers use?  I don't understand the point of knowing how many MPG's you're getting at one instant, the figure is an average.  I blame the BMW MPG "Swingometer" for this trend.

Size-wise, the Kizashi is marketed as mid-size, but the dimensions are a lot closer to conventional compact sedans in the US - it's about the size of the current Jetta in most dimensions.  Compared to the VW, the wheelbase is 48mm longer, it's 42mm wider, and it's 23mm longer overall.  Mid-size?  Well, an Accord is quite a bit bigger - 100mm longer wheelbase, 27mm wider, and 280mm longer overall.  So call it a healthy compact sedan.  There's room for four full sized adults comfortably, although a fifth could be coerced in.

Seen one of these on the road yet?

The exterior styling is good, for the most part.  It's almost like they couldn't decide between interesting and conventional, so they went for interesting on the ends, and normal in the middle.  There's no swooping "4-door-coupe" greenhouse - it actually looks a little like a Cobalt sedan from the side - but the front and rear have a highly sculpted appearance that reminds me a lot of the current Sonata - which I mean in a good way.

Fake tail pipes: a lot more acceptable on a $23k Suzuki than a $60k Lexus IS-F.

One of the most interesting things are the exhaust exits molded into the bumper, in satin-metal finish.  Like most other integrated exhausts, it's not actually - if you look inside, there are small tail pipes jutting into them, but it certainly makers the bumper look more interesting.  There aren't a whole lot of straight lines to be found anywhere on the Kizashi, and while sometimes it seems overstyled (tail lights, grille), it does stand out in the sea of beige on the roads.

The GTS Sport model adds some attractive 18" wheels, and more importantly a stiffer suspension setup with a 10mm lower static ride height.  Base model Kizashi S's have steelies with hubcaps, and if I'm honest they look a bit out of proportion - so just from an "impressing the neighbors" standpoint the Sport package helps.

There is an engine under there, and it doesn't face front to back.  I don't understand engine pictures covers.

All Kizashis in the US get power from a 2.4L four-cylinder.  Nothing especially fancy - a twin-cam 16v MPFI engine with intake-side VVT, this four is actually derived from the Vitara's engine.  It makes 185 horsepower (at 6,500rpm) and 170lb-ft of torque (at 4,000rpm) when equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission, like my test car.  A Jatco CVT is an option (as is Suzuki's push-button i-AWD system, only with the CVT) and that reduces the pony count to 180.  No direct injection or turbocharging or a V6 option - this is the only engine the Kizashi comes with.  It was originally intended to have GM's 3.6L 24v V6 as an option, but GM and Suzuki broke ties and the plan fell through.  There are rumors that the turbo, intercooled engine in the Kizashi Apex concept will go into production, but we'll see.

Suspension is also typical - Macpherson Struts up front, multi-link independent rear, with anti-roll bars at both ends.  Suzuki has also jumped on the "components by x" trend; the shocks are KYB's and the brake components are supplied by Akebono.

Funny that anything smaller than this looks goofy.

How's it drive?  Well, that's the thing: surprisingly well.  The first thing you notice is how quiet it is, all the time.  You can tell a lot of attention was paid to keeping road and engine noise down - there are cloth wheel well liners, for one.  The whole thing is quite refined.  I'd forgotten how light the clutch is on most Japanese cars, and almost put it through the firewall a few times when I first took off.  Clutch takeup is predictable and the pedal is softly sprung; this would be a pretty easy car to teach someone to drive stick in.  The six-speed manual has long throws but is precise and smooth; it feels like the gearchange in a GTI, basically.

It even looks like a VW shifter.

On the road, the creepy quietness continues.  The 2.4L just doesn't make a lot of sound, even at higher rpm's - which is nice, because if you want to make rapid progress you'll be there a lot.  It's a bit low on torque for a 2.4L, despite the 10.0:1 compression ratio, but the cooperative gearbox, good spread of ratios, and easy clutch mean multiple downshifts aren't a chore.  Unlike a lot of "bigger" I4's, this one doesn't have any roughness or concrete-in-a-blender noises towards redline, either.  The CVT would likely do a better job of keeping the engine near it's torque peak, but probably at the expense of most of the driving fun.

The suspension on the Sport Models (GTS, SLS) is well judged.  It's never overly harsh, taking rough pavement in stride, and body roll is pretty minimal.  It's impressive how well this car handles given it's intended demographic - it's not an Evo, but the GTS could potentially please those both looking for a fun to drive car, and a comfortable ride while they're taking the kids to school.  The seats are comfortable and supportive enough that you're not hanging onto the steering wheel in corners, and the brakes have good pedal feel.  The steering is electric-power assisted, and you can tell - it's really too light, never really weighting up like you might want it to on a longer corner, and somewhat slack just off center.  It won't light your hair on fire, but it's fun to hustle down a curvy road - which is more than can be said about most of the cars in this segment.

Quite a curvy car, no?

The biggest impression it leaves you with is refinement, though.  Perhaps it's a case of overshooting expectations; I expect a Camry or Accord to be a smooth operator.  For a brand without a strong reputation in the US, the Kizashi is an overachiever.  It's smooth, slick, and quiet in everything it does.  It feels like a fully developed, modern product - and it's pretty fun to drive as an added bonus.

What I really see the Kizashi as is not a CamCordSonata competitor.  It's too small, the sales volume will never be there, and the dealer network won't either.  What it is though, is the car for all the people who are trading in their high-mileage MkV Jettas, who took a ten minute test drive in the new one and shook their head in disappointment.  While VW has lost the plot with their budget family/sport sedan, Suzuki seems to have picked it up, which is kind of cool.  The same could be said of the previous generation Acura TSX and Mazda 6, which both moved up in size and luxury appointments, and down in the fun to drive department.

I am under the impression the government told them to stick those orange turn signals there.

The one last thing worth mentioning about the Kizashi: man, this thing is a good value.  My test car, which has almost all the "stuff" I would ever really want in a car, stickered at $23,669 including destination.  All Suzukis come with a 7-year, 70,000 mile inclusive powertrain warranty with a $0 deductible.  Suzuki should be pitching this car against smaller sports sedans like the Acura TSX, Audi A3, Buick Regal (Opel Insignia) and Volvo S40.  And while it doesn't have as much power or luxury features as most of them, it undercuts all their price tags by a large amount.  And while it's more expensive than the most basic new Jetta, that's because that Jetta has a 20 year old 2.0L 8v engine with 115 horsepower under the hood.  And a torsion-beam rear end.  And a McDonald's interior, and styling inspired by refrigerators.

So, back to the original question.  If this car has been for sale for almost 2 years now, why haven't we seen many of them?  Well, it certainly isn't because the car's bad.  It's actually a pretty great car, especially considering the price tag and competition.  It's got a great interior, a lot of the tech goodies people like these days, and it's fun to drive.  It's probably more down to a lack of publicity, and the negative perception of Suzuki cars in this country as the lowest common denominator.  If you want that, you're going to have to look else.  (like, say, a Mitsubishi dealership.)  If you're in the market for a mid-size fun sedan, the Kizashi deserves a test drive.

2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS

Base price: $22,249Price as tested: $23,669Options: Floor & Cargo Mats ($210), Metallic Paint ($130), Bluetooth Hands Free w/ Wireless Audio Streaming ($250), Trunk Sub-Floor Organizer w/ First Aid Kit ($65), Destination & Handling Charges ($765)

Body: 4-door unit construction sedanDrivetrain: Transverse front-engine, front wheel drive.  6 speed manual transmissionAccomodations: 5 passengers

Engine: Inline 4-cylinder, aluminum block & head Displacement: 2393cc (2.4L, 146 in³)Aspiration: n/aFuel delivery: Sequential Multi-Port Fuel InjectionValvetrain: Dual overhead camshafts, 4v/cylinder, Variable Intake Cam TimingCompression ratio: 10.0:1Horsepower: 185bhp@6,500rpmTorque: 170lb-ft@4,000rpmRev limit: 6,500rpm

Suspension (F): MacPherson Struts, Coil Springs, Anti-Roll Bar Suspension (R): 5-link Independent, Coil Springs, Anti-Roll BarSteering: Rack & Pinion, Electronic Power Assistance Wheels/Tires: 18" alloy, 234/45/18 Dunlop Brakes (F/R): Vented disc/Solid disc (Akebono), ABS

0-60mph: 7.4sTop speed: 124mph1/4 Mile@ET: 15.6s @ 90 mphEPA fuel mileage estimate: 20 city/ 29 highway/ 24.5 combinedRecommended fuel: RegularFuel Tank Capacity: 16.6 gallonsTheoretical Range: 481 miles

Wheelbase: 106.3"Length: 183.1"Track (F/R): 61.6"/61.6"Width: 71.7"Height: 58.3"Cargo Capacity: 13.3ft³Curb weight: 3241lbs

Main Competitors: Volkswagen Jetta, Honda Accord, Acura TSX, Buick Regal, Volvo S40, Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima, Subaru LegacyPros: This is a Suzuki?  High quality, well designed and equipped interior.  Interesting looks.  Well-composed chassis, good handling, eerily quiet and smooth ride.Cons: Car - short on torque, no optional engine, MPG behind more mainstream rivals, not a lot of steering feel, no manual/AWD option.  Suzuki - bad reputation unfairly leads to bad resale, sparse dealers, no one knows what it is.Conclusion: The replacement for your MkV Jetta/ 1st generation Mazda 6/ 04-08 Acura TSX is here, if you're disappointed by the new one.  Why aren't there more of these around?  They're great cars.

Thanks again to Matt Webb at Capital Ford/Suzuki for the test drive!  If you're in the Raleigh area and looking for a Kizashi, or a Ford, check them out.