Suzuki Offers Kizashi Test Drive Challenge

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 thinks differently.

Suzuki is offering $100 (or a "stored value debit card", depending on state laws) to customers  who - get this, drive the Kizashi and still purchase either a 2010 Audi A4 2.0T or a 4-cylinder 2010 Acura TSX within 10 days. Pretty interesting program - paying people the $100 if they don't buy your car.

"The Kizashi was designed and engineered to offer a premium driving experience consistent with the near-luxury sport sedan segment," says Koichi Suzuki - "We're definitely putting Kizashi's premium without the premium moniker to the test." Indeed! If just a few sales come out of this program, I'm sure Suzuki will have considered it worth it.