American Suzuki Motor has launched its first in house-developed mid-size sedan – the 2010 Kizashi, also the company’s first entry into the all-wheel-drive sport sedan segment.
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The car, heralded by a series of concepts displayed at motor shows in the last couple of years (and once reportedly cancelled) is built at a new plant in Sagara, Japan, and has a 2.4-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder engine with aluminium block and cylinder head plus a balancer shaft.
A six-speed manual transmission is standard and continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel is optional.
Four wheel drive is also optional.
Suzuki has already ruled the model out for most of Europe – Japanese makers historically have not done well with non-premium four-door D-segment sedans in a market that prefers hatchbacks, wagons and crossovers.
Suzuki has previously offered mid-size buyers in North a rebadged version of a GM-Daewoo-built model line.
