Remember the 200 mph attempt by Road & Track editor Sam Mitani we told you about here? Good news, sports fans: the turbocharged Kizashi hit 203 mph in a qualifying attempt, besting the previous Blown Gas Coupe class record of 202 miles per hour. The bad news is that this doesn’t go in the record books just yet, since this was only a qualifying run.
A 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS
Left Lane News reports that Suzuki has suffered a 75% decline in automobile sales over the past three years. From their peak of nearly 102,000 cars sold in 2007, Suzuki is on pace to sell just over 23,000 cars in 2010. The number of Suzuki dealers has been cut dramatically as well, from a high of 486 dealerships in 2007 to roughly 300 today. Are these signs that Suzuki is preparing to exit the U.S. market?
Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima was confident that he’d break the 10:00 barrier in the Unlimited Class during this year’s Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. Conditions weren’t in his favor, but Monster still took victory in this year’s event with a time of 10:11.46. This video documents his epic run, and it’s about ten and a half minutes of barely controlled, hammer-down driving. Tajima has balls of steel, and seems completely oblivious to the consequences of making a mistake. The bumper cam view is unreal, and you’ll cringe watching him put his wheels in the loose stuff time and time again. Monster takes “use all the racetrack” to the extreme, and you can’t help but think, “this isn’t going to end well”.
Of all the things I don’t currently associate with Suzuki automobiles, 200 miles per hour is probably close to the top of the list. I liked the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi well enough, but I had a hard time thinking of it as a sport sedan. Suzuki’s out to change all that, by campaigning a modified Kizashi prototype at the Bonneville Salt Flats, in an attempt to break the 200 mile per hour barrier.
Sorry, you can't buy a Tata Nano here yet...
Just the other day we gave you some tips on buying a $1,000 beater car from Craigslist. Let’s say your financial circumstances are a little better, and you actually want to buy something new, with a warranty. Fun really isn’t in your price range; instead, you’re looking for practical and affordable. I’ve got good news for you, Mr. Bargain Hunter: you can still buy a new car for under $15,000, and in some cases quite a bit under $15k. If you’ve got good credit and put some money down, you can be rolling in low budget style for less than the cost of breakfast and lunch out every day.
I recently put up my review of the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS, and I have to say it was a nice midsize sedan. I equated it to a slightly less expensive VW Jetta, which says a lot. Like them or hate them, Jetta (and their badge equivalents) are some of the most popular cars in the world. Despite Suzuki’s claims that the Kizashis GTS is a sport sedan, that simply isn’t the case. It’ll run with a Jetta, but it’s no Audi A4.
Thumbs Up: A comfortable mid-sized sedan with great build quality, surprising content and reasonable performance.
Thumbs Down: Six speed transmission has long throws, loose gates and tall gearing.
Buy This Car If: You want a Japanese-built Volkswagen Jetta at a slightly lower price point.
If you would have blindfolded me and put me behind the wheel of a 2010 Suzuki Kizashi, then asked me what I thought I was driving, my answer would have been a Volkswagen Jetta. Sure, the engine note is different, and the six speed in the Kizashi isn’t up to VW standards, but aside from that, the cars feel remarkably similar. Some would take that as an insult, but I mean that as praise. The Kizashi GTS won’t challenge an Audi A4 (like Suzuki’s marketing department claims), but it will compete favorably against Volkwagen’s midsized sedan.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about the new Suzuki Kizashi, and there’s one in my driveway right now. Look for my review of this mid-sized sedan next week, but in the mean time pay attention if you own one.
Leftlane News reports that Suzuki is recalling Kizashi sedans built between October 13, 2009 and May 31, 2010, to repair a hinged door in the front dashboard area. Glovebox? Possibly, but the recall doesn’t specify that. In any case, the door can come open in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. No injuries have been reported to date, but it’s worth getting the work done to be safe.
Owners will be contacted by Suzuki when the recall begins July 9. If you have any questions or concerns, Suzuki’s customer service hotline number is (800) 934-0934.
It was a disappointing day for Rhys Millen, whose attempt to take back the crown from Nobuhiro Tajima (nicknamed Monster), fell short. In fact, Millen finished a distant third in Sunday’s 88th running of the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb, nowhere near his stated goal of under 10:00.
I’ve got good news and bad new if you own a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara or XL-7. First, the bad news: Suzuki is recalling 46,549 model year 2006 Grand Vitara and XL-7 SUVs. Now the good news: the recall is tied to a possible failure of the power steering pump belt tension pulley, so the recall doesn’t involve spontaneous combustion, unintended acceleration or steering failure. The worst result is likely to be heavy steering until you can get the vehicle repaired.
