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2007 Suzuki Kizashi Concept

Suzuki's business is all about small. Not small financially, or small production-wise

Suzuki doesn't do big sedans... though with a concept like this, you'd wonder why they haven't by now. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

(it's the 12th largest automaker in the world) but small as in the size of the vehicles that it makes. Suzuki, believe it or not, supplies most of the mainstream Japanese automakers such as Nissan, Subaru and Mazda with tiny kei automobiles, and has quite a lineup of their own consisting of cars and SUVs. What's more is that business is picking up sharply around the globe as fuel prices are beginning to rise and small is starting to be cool once again. So why would Suzuki show up to this year's Frankfurt auto show with a midsize, D-Segment automobile?

While small is the way to go for most manufacturers, it must be said that there's still a lot of life in the D-Segment in Europe. Frankfurt also saw the debut of the new Mazda6, the new Audi A4, offshoots of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a preview of the next European Honda Accord (our Acura TSX). It seems that after successfully turning over a new leaf with the Grand Vitara, the SX4 and with the Swift in Europe, Suzuki is ready to enter into uncharted territories. I should note that I'm not at all forgetting the Suzuki Verona, which wasn't really much of a Suzuki. Beneath the badge it was actually a Daewoo Magnus

Details like these are usually reserved for concept vehicles. Maybe the Kizashi's production equal will feature these wacky lights? (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

sedan, a product that Suzuki ended up with when it took in a variety of GM products including the Canadian exclusive Swift+ (Aveo), and the American exclusive Forenza and Reno.

But before dumping a new product onto the market, Suzuki wisely chose to show off a concept of a design it has in mind for production. The Kizashi isn't really a midsize sedan, it's more of a midsize wagon/hatchback; the closest competitor sold in North America would be the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. In terms of its size, it's between a regular Malibu and a Cobalt Sedan, and is actually just a hair shorter in length than the current Mazda6. Because Suzuki hasn't really designed a midsize vehicle of its own, and all of its previous sedans are more or less hatchback converts, it's a bit difficult to picture what a Suzuki sedan might look like.

Not really a sedan per se, but a hatchback-ish wagon. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

What's surprising to see is the design language that Suzuki has created for this car. The Swift and SX4 are great looking little machines, but they're not long, lean and low – the general attractive descriptors for automobiles. The Kizashi's gloss black grille is offset to both sides by LED headlamps that hug the form of the grille, a very similar trend in shape to what Opel and some of the other automakers have been experimenting with. The tail of the car is a little less ornamental but no less interesting with its curved hatchback shape and strong shoulders. Dressing up the car is a set of 21-inch, 9-spoke alloy wheels on very low profile tires.

Suzuki is fairly good about keeping its production cars fairly accurate to their concept forbearers, and there's some strong indications that the Kizashi might make it into production looking like this. Why wouldn't it, especially with a name that when translated from Japanese means “prelude”?

Note the subtle use of bright red Brembo calipers. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Power comes from a newly developed 2.0-liter inline-four turbodiesel engine that has dual overhead camshafts with 16 valves. It's not a particularly glamorous powertrain, but Suzuki does have some aspirations for it. The brand hopes that this engine will be an integral part of the production sedan, with hopes to make it the midsize, all-wheel drive car with the lowest CO2 emissions. That might not mean much to us here in North America, but in Europe where every gram counts, this could be the big ticket for Suzuki into corporate fleets and into the driveway of private buyers. If the engine could produce in the area of 140 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, Suzuki should be set. For North America, the car would need a high-powered inline-four cylinder or a small V6 at the very least to be successful (if not a turbodiesel that could pass emissions).

All-wheel drive? Diesel? That should be a hit wherever Suzuki ends up selling the Kizashi. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

And what of this all-wheel drive system? Details are scarce, but we would imagine that with the name i-AWD it is indeed derived from the drivetrain of the SX4. This doesn't necessarily mean switchable four-wheel drive, but a smart system that can vary the torque as needed between the front and the rear axles. Before getting to the all-wheel drive system, Suzuki says that the Kizashi will divvy things up through a new sequential six-speed gearbox for the control of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic. For production, Suzuki seems pretty intent on having all-wheel drive in the picture, bolstering its range of mostly four-wheel drive products for Europe with the exception of the subcompact Swift.

Suzuki is a brand with huge potential. Critics around the world have been seeing that it is serious about turning things in a new direction through vehicles such as the latest Grand Vitara and the European-market Swift and new SX4. As an earnest brand that strives for success, we can see Suzuki doing a good job at bringing a midsize car to production. While we can't say that is what we pictured Suzuki doing, its plan seems solid in expanding the brand and keeping business running smoothly as usual.

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