2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS AWD

I still have to get my hands on one some day....

My 2010 SLS was a real nice car. I got rid of it.

Fuel mileage from the 2.4L was miserable vs the fuel mileage of any of the ION 3 2.4L's.

Next while the car went down the road pretty good when it came to the time of needing to pass on two lane blacktop it just didn't have the power to make moves I could make in the ION's.

If this car had 205 hp without a turbo it would be a nice driver, 220hp would make it real nice.

Suzuki needs to merge with mitsu and mazda, this is one company that also has a sparse portfolio and while the few products are pretty good up to a point, they could use working with a larger group to lower costs and improve/expand product offerings.

why would suzuki need to merge when they sell over 2.5 million vehicles a year.

Footnote, Suzuki USA made money and was in the black in the US last year. The low volume production is likely the mode until the next wave of new products comes out in a year or two, the number of dealerships has stabilized and while obviously the advertising and such is not to the level of the big boys, the business plan for the next year or two is just to run lean, be in the black and once the new products come out the and VW situation is resolved, grow volume again.

Footnote, Suzuki USA made money and was in the black in the US last year. The low volume production is likely the mode until the next wave of new products comes out in a year or two, the number of dealerships has stabilized and while obviously the advertising and such is not to the level of the big boys, the business plan for the next year or two is just to run lean, be in the black and once the new products come out the and VW situation is resolved, grow volume again.

Yes, Suzuki was in the black.. But they didn't really make any money. What they did was cut everything to the bone; marketing, people, vehicles, etc.

As for product, there was a report from Automotive News saying new product could be here in 2015.. or an eternity in the automotive world.

2014 is more accurate. 2, likely 3 new models. yup an eternity, just like GM used to take with their products.

Remember the global market, the US is not a primary country for everyone.

why would suzuki need to merge when they sell over 2.5 million vehicles a year. Footnote, Suzuki USA made money and was in the black in the US last year. The low volume production is likely the mode until the next wave of new products comes out in a year or two, the number of dealerships has stabilized and while obviously the advertising and such is not to the level of the big boys, the business plan for the next year or two is just to run lean, be in the black and once the new products come out the and VW situation is resolved, grow volume again.

Since reaching black was due to cost cutting and gutting of the network, products and marketing, I do not see this as sustainable.

I do not see the Suzuki product line as surviving on it's own without a long term tie up with a much bigger auto company or merging with a couple smaller companies to save costs and build a broader portfolio.

We live in global times and this is a small pea size company that I do not see surviving as is.

I should rephrase my comment above.. There is a refreshed Grand Vitara and a new SX4 coming this year. After that, nothing.

My big problem with Suzuki is there is nothing coming out. I don't mean vehicle wise.. I mean they're being silent.

Look at Mitsubishi. They're in the same boat as Suzuki.. The difference is they're talking. They have some ads, they Facebook and tweet. They're noticeable and actually have presence. Not Suzuki.

That's my worry.

Mine also.

Suzuki seriously needs to think of itself as the largest marketer of specialty vehicles rather than the smallest mainstream car maker. Build on the motorcycle heritage, and then get unique dealer look and feel, something along the lines of Fiat or Smart-

The Swift is a neat little car, but I don't even think its sold here in the states.

No Shift here.

Swift not here due to yen rate. Pretty much all the other 2.5 million plus vehicles are Swift size or much smaller.

...and yen rate is going to kill a lot of Aian cars from coming here. And not to get political, but either party is pretty much going to continue printing money like a drunken sailor if elected, so the yen thing will stay the same.

I loved the Kizashi when I test drove it.

I've had this car for about 1 1/2 years and love it. I am luckily and have several dealers near me. It's a great car period. I love the fact that there are not 500,000 on the roads here. I don't car how good a car is, if they are selling into the hundreds of thousands each year I'm not interested period. I want a great car that stands out in a crowd and is unique.

STill a looker....

The car is a looker. To bad it's not as hot as it looks.

Oddly enough, my wife didn't want to test drive as she didn't like the styling....

they made a mistake not offering the turbo model

Great review, and I couldn't agree more. I just bought this exact same configured, and color car about 1500 miles ago. Traded up from a Suzuki SX4. I really love driving this car, and can't wait for a little snow (well, I can wait to be sure, but you know what I mean). I don't honestly see the performance issue off the line, except if you're racing to the next light. Merging and passing are not a problem, and the steering, and brakes are very nice, not to mention the Rockford Fosgate audio system. Did I mention how much I like this car? Seriously, if you're in the market, you at least need to drive one before you pull the trigger. One last post, I'm averaging 26-27 MPGs on every tank.

It does not seem like that long ago when Suzuki kept saying things like "We will be launching 10 new cars in the next 5 years". But those never really surfaced. I remember many were due to the GM alliance, rebadging a bunch of Daewoos. I do not think that was the swiftest move since their products did not do well with their own badge here in the US. Maybe they will rebound as we look at smaller and smaller cars.

As a side, I have test-driven the Kizashi a couple years ago and I do remember it being pretty nice.

13 model year, the AWD GTS and SLS model lose the rockford forgate audio.......because the new radio / nav was not engineered to work together. Was at CHI last week to see and play with the new unit. It's a nice unit. Much easier than a myfordtouch, maybe not as wow inducing. Looks cheap due to an aftermarket look but that was simple to do.

the only version of the 13 with rockford fosgate is the front wheel drive GTS-L, which has the standard radio.

no powertrain, styling, or interior changes for 2013. There is no longer an S model automatic. All are SE models now. SE AWD gains bluetooth. 17" alum wheels standard on any other model that does not have the 18".

base manual gets a standard radio.

No rockford Fosgate on the most expensive model means if I ever get one I will prob have to look at used. Prior rockford fosgate plsu pre-13 navs had issues working with the subwoofer and other electrical issues.

Sorry to hear about the Rockford Fosgate changes. That had a huge push on my decision to go with the GTS AWD, after test driving the SE. PS; My original post was under the "guest" name R. Pealer, on the Sept. 22

Sorry to hear about the Rockford Fosgate changes. That had a huge push on my decision to go with the GTS AWD, after test driving the SE. PS; My original post was under the "guest" name R. Pealer, on the Sept. 22

How do you like the car? I still haven't been able to drive one.

I love driving it. I think the interior is very refined, much better than most other cars in it's price range. I have about 1600 miles on her, and I really have no issues what-so-ever. I've owned, and driven nothing but manuals for the last 30yrs, and I actually like this CVT. The paddles work quick, and smooth. I really haven't used the slap stick so much. The electronic steering has great feedback, and the braking is super. I don't know what else say. It's just a great overall package, and I actually look forward to my morning commute to work, and often take the long route home just for kicks. One last note, the Fosgate stereo has incredible sound, and my iPhone linked up without a problem. In fact, I set everything up using voice control. It also has a USB port (I use a 16gb flash drive in it), or you can plug any other medium into it. Good luck with your search. I think it will be well worth your time.

Cool, they seem very solid cars.

Thanks. Sorry for the rambling, but I do love driving this car, and I really can't wait for a little Pittsburgh snow.

as of tuesday, I no longer am in the sales gig and no longer sell the wazukis.... but the last couple of days I have test driven a few cars again and i have to tell everyone that if you get a chance just drive the Kizashi. It's a nice simple car with a nice interior and good tactile feel for it's pricing. It's unique (and yes, rare) but perhaps it's best attribute is it's directness and lack of hyperbole.

rp2s, glad you like your Kizashi. Everyone I ever sold one to, they love their car more and more all the time. Well, there are a few exceptions. People who were used to things like the auto headlights and remote start on the GM proudcts miss some of those convenience features.

There are sometimes some decisions Suzuki makes as far as features and options that really boggle my mind, but the reason is to keep possibly warranty issues and vehicle price down. The older nav + rockford fosgate units were a bit testy as far as playing nice. They dropped XM for 13 because very few folks re-upped on the trial subscription. The best combination of sound and features is the standard radio plus rockford fosgate on the 10-12 GTS and SLS (and the 13 GTS-L front drive). The new Garmin setup for 13 is a peach, does 3/4 of the myfordtouch with a lot less hassle. It just looks like a tack on solution, and does not sound big.

My biggest regret was not being able to buy one while I sold em. It's probable I could buy in the next year now though. If so, I would have the Kizashi on my short list of cars. And as much as I love sticks, I think the automatic + AWD would probably be what I would buy. I can probably use my pipelines now to find a real cheap used one with low miles.

I have one beef. The Dunlops that S puts on their cars, and the Bridgestones on the SX4, all their AWD cars, are not rated well for snow / wet weather. Why have AWD if the tires are not the best for that?

Wazuki makes a good car. The competition is fierce and outmarkets Wazuki. But mechanically the Wazukis are nice and fun and just good solid transportation.

Thanks. Sorry for the rambling, but I do love driving this car, and I really can't wait for a little Pittsburgh snow.

Ah! Glad to see another member from CheersandGears.com's home town!