Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Interactive Review: 2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS AWD

    William Maley

    Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

    August 17, 2012

    This time at the Cheers & Gears Detroit Garage is a newcomer, the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS AWD (takes breath). For $26,404 (the pricetag on the car) 2.4L inline-four, CVT Transmission, AWD, sunroof, dual-zone climate control, an appearance package, and a banging 425 watt Rockford Fosgate sound system.

    The Kizashi sits in a interesting position in the new car field. Its size and pricetag puts somewhere between a compact and a mid-size vehicle. Think the last generation Volkswagen Jetta.

    First impressions are mostly good. The interior is put together well, steering and handling is quite good, and the powertrain combo works well when you get above about 2000 RPMs.

    I'll have more thoughts as the week with Kizashi goes on. In the meantime, if you have any questions, post them and I will do my best to answer them.

    William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    sent one out the door that exact color this a.m. was looking at a Cruze, he moved up! LMK what your mpg tests turn out. too bad you didn't get leather SLS.....

    I'll be real interested in your comparisons to other cars like Jettas, and anything else.

    2013 brings back NAV / infotainment with pandora, bluetooth streaming, and other stuff. The 012 non NAV radio has the better sound. 012 didn't ship any nav units cars anyways.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It is sharp, and I am glad your reviewing the AWD version. From what I hear the AWD system in this car is just fantastic, and I am really looking forward to future input on how you like it.

    I know why they do it (separate emissions certification) but I wish they didn't have CVT only with the AWD.

    Interested to know how you like the CVT also, I have heard the Suzuki CVT is much nicer than the Nissan CVT.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Kizashi and Cruze have nearly near identical dimensions, worth considering interior space and trunk comparo between the two. Elantra also has near identical dimensions. I would imagine the Dart is near identical also. The interior space inside is excellent in comparison to the Cruze.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    sent one out the door that exact color this a.m. was looking at a Cruze, he moved up! LMK what your mpg tests turn out. too bad you didn't get leather SLS.....

    I'm averaging 25 MPG at the moment, which is the combined EPA rating. I'm liking the cloth in the Sport GTS, along with the 10-Way power seats.

    It is sharp, and I am glad your reviewing the AWD version. From what I hear the AWD system in this car is just fantastic, and I am really looking forward to future input on how you like it.

    I haven't tried the AWD system yet. There's a button on the driver's side which turns it on and off. I will likely try it later on in the week.

    Interested to know how you like the CVT also, I have heard the Suzuki CVT is much nicer than the Nissan CVT.

    I wouldn't go that far. I think the CVT is just as good as Nissan's.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I'm interested to know if you can feel any difference in handling as soon as you turn the AWD system on. Can you feel it "engage" at all?

    Years ago when I was in love with the Eagle Talon, I drove a FWD and an AWD back to back and the handling difference was amazing.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The AWD button is merely an electronic 'yes' or 'no' with regards to allowing the rear clutch pack to engage.

    There is very little mpg drop using AWD, not really noticeable. The predictive all wheel drive system is similar to the Porsche Panamera in that it can use the all wheel drive for performance driving. For example, if cornering hard and accelerating, some power will be sent aft and you will even get additional power steering assist. The coordination of the AWD and power steering and its ability to predict the intended motion of the vehicle and respond ahead of time is what sets the all wheel drive apart from the FWD.

    I get people tell me high twenties in everyday driving and I have also pulled 37 mpg on 40 mile freeway loops with some stopping at lights and such. The car can pull low thirties on the computer at a cruise set at 75 mph. The EPA ratings are a bit conservative. Any CVT car with constant redlining instead of even throttle foot will drop mpg fast.

    Compared to what I hear Cruze automatics and Elantras get for real world mpg, its pretty amazing for a car with more hp and all wheel drive to be right in the mix.

    The AWD is really nice to have in wet conditions and snow. The stock Dunlop 18" ers have stiff sidewalls and are average at best in snow conditions. They are better suited to dry warm weather.

    Average drivers can't tell any difference in AWD vs. FWD. If you drive a FWD only car you notice the car is lighter and more nose heavy, but the suspension feels pretty much the same. So hard driving and getting some rear wheel assist helps to not plow the vehicle.

    I am surprised at how many folks think the GTS is too stiff.....even the SE's.....I'd be interested in seeing if you think the car is too stiff. I've had some folks buy the base with 16th and gummy soft tires only because the softer ride.

    The CVT is a function of how willing people are to adapt to a CVT.. its one of the better ones, maybe not the very best. But if you hate CVT's anyways then it's not your car.

    I test drove a Focus Titanium the other day, in comparison the K steering is not as spot on hardcore as the Focus..... but it is very good. The Cruze's steering is lighter and very good for many consumer's everyday driving.....but it's not quite as quick and responsive as the K.

    Kizashi has a few pounds over the Cruze and Focus but I think the Dart and K have close to the same curb weights.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Would like more input on AWD handling and fuel economy, please.

    Well I can give some input on the AWD system. Like Reg said above, the system doesn't engage till you turn it on. The only way you know its on is a light in the gauge cluster. You can feel it working if you decide to floor the Kizashi on pavement or a gravel road.

    I will be trying the AWD system some more later on in the week.

    Fuel economy: Right now, I averaging about 23 to 25 MPG in mostly suburban and rural driving. I just finished doing a couple highway runs with my average being about 32 MPG. The Kizashi was on cruise control set at 70 MPH.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Not bad, but the 1994 Concorde I had did better, and was a larger car.

    I would think a Cruze would do better in real world mileage....and most GTI owners I know are seeing better MPG than that...hmmm..

    The Kizashi should be doing a lot better. I left the AWD system off for most of the time and haven't stuck my foot into it. And, the Kizashi is lighter than a lot of vehicles, weighing somewhere around 3000 lbs..

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    GTS AWD curb weight is like 3450 or 3500 pounds.

    truedelta reports of mpg for AWD CVT is usually mid twenties. FWD only high twenties. MT FWD seems to average out at 30 or above, which is slightly odd since the rpm at 70mpg on the MT is several hundred more than the auto CVT once it settles in. but you don't rev the MT as much to get it going.

    Most of my homeys report high twenties in mixed driving with the AWD CVT. Once you learn that you don't need to constantly floor it to get motivation, is when the magic light comes on. If your city driving is more than say 2/3 of the driving, yeah, you will get 25 probably.

    I do admit the Kizashi does not possess stump pulling torque. However, the 4 is smooth in running top to bottom on the rev scale. Even if low end torque is not overly plentiful...the wily nature of the engine and its smoothness at least make the higher rpms livable.

    Edited by regfootball
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    So the Kizashi has left the garage and I'm really impressed with it. I have some complaints and worries about it that I will explain when the review comes out in a week or two.

    Final fuel economy average for the test.. 24.8 MPG. Just under the 25 MPG combined.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • Community Hive Community Hive

    Community Hive allows you to follow your favorite communities all in one place.

    Follow on Community Hive
  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • Yeah, it doesn't seem super space efficient.
    • So three major problems with this car, one, terrible Jellybean external shape, not impressed at all with the style. Second is the buttonless dash having everything via a touch screen and rotary knob, terrible safety issue as your eyes will be off the road more than on trying to find the right option in the right menu. Third is the center pack clearly cuts into valuable leg space based on their own picture. This is a hard pass.
    • Great Masculine shape, really digging the style they did here.
    • First seen at the Shanghai Auto Show (see article: Polestar 4 - The New Breed of Electric SUV Coupe), Polestar brought the Polestar 4 to the New York International Auto Show for North Americans to see in person. Polestar calls the Polestar 4 an "electric SUV 4-door coupe". Outside of that marketing speak, the Polestar 4 is a slightly lifted four-door hatchback about 190 inches in length, or roughly 2 inches shorter than a Toyota Camry.  Built without rear glass, the Polestar 4 makes use of a rear camera for visibility astern. Polestar 4 features a plethora of standard content, including 20-inch 5 V-spoke black diamond cut alloy wheels, panoramic glass roof, adaptive cruise control, 360 parking camera with 3D view, energy saving heat pump, front-illuminated Polestar logo, e-latch doors, power-operated tailgate with soft close, Polestar digital key, wireless phone charging, and 8-way electrical driver seat and 6-way electrical passenger seat. The fastest production car the brand has ever developed to date, Polestar 4 can accomplish a 0-60 mph sprint in 3.7 seconds and in top spec can produce 544 horsepower. Long-range single-motor variants have 272 horsepower and a targeted EPA range of over 300 miles. All long range variants have a 102 kWh battery capable of 200 kW charging on a DC Fast Charger and 11 kW on home level-2 charging. Google built-in is ... built in and includes Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play. Polestar continues to offer a leading connected in-car experience. As with all other Polestar cars, regular over-the-air updates allow for new features and improvements to be sent remotely to all vehicles. Pricing starts at $54,900, with orders opening in April for deliveries in the latter half of this year.   View full article
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings