2008 Suzuki Kizashi 3 Concept

Suzuki is a brand that's poised for big growth, and this is the vehicle that's

Suzuki's Kizashi 3 will be Suzuki's new family sedan. You've got to admit, it looks pretty good. (Photo: Suzuki)

going to help kick the company's sales into high gear, particularly here in North America.

Over the past twelve months, Suzuki has released a series of concept cars under the Kizashi nameplate, numbered 1, 2, and 3. Each was designed with a particular market in mind, drawing from market trends and tastes, using different types of motors and vastly different body styles. The bottom line is that the Kizashi 3, the sedan variant which was shown in New York a week ago, is the closest concept to a forthcoming production model expected to arrive sometime in 2010.

Over the previous two generations, the Kizashi has morphed from a dramatic looking show car into a vehicle that's feasible, and fit for production. The biggest changes have occurred at the front of the car, where the flowing, gloss-black grille and downward spearing headlamps of the previous concepts are switched for a more conventional setup. Don't, however, mistake conventionality for boring, as the Kizashi 3 is one of the nicest looking sedans presented in quite some time. It's a tasteful looking

The body is simple, yet through its flared fenders and wide track, muscular. (Photo: Suzuki)

machine, and if Suzuki's promise of this car being near production can be relied upon, it isn't hard to picture this vehicle on the road with slimmer fender flares and smaller non-21-inch wheels. It certainly creates a much stronger impression than Suzuki's last non-compact sedan, the mostly forgettable Korean-made Verona (aka Daewoo Evanda).

Because the Kizashi 3 is well proportioned, it doesn't look nearly as small as it actually is. In terms of its physical dimensions, it measures just 15.2 feet in length, which is significantly smaller than your average midsize sedan, yet larger than a compact car. Even against typically smaller European and Japanese compact luxury sedans, there isn't a close match short of Saab's 9-3. It's bigger than a 3-Series, yet smaller than an Acura TSX. And yet, because Suzuki has stretched the wheelbase to a hardly believable 9.2 feet, which is equal to the new Accord, the Kizashi should have no shortage of room in the cabin;

Looks good from this angle. And, since it's got a 300-hp V6 under its hood, this is an angle that quite a few cars will be seeing. (Photo: Suzuki)

that is, when they create an inside. So far the Kizashi 3 is more or less a styling exercise, with no images of the interior made available. Nevertheless, Suzuki says that the car will be positioned as a near-luxury alternative, so expect plenty of content and a higher level of quality than we've seen from the brand before. With two years between now and the expected arrival of the production car, there's even enough time for another Kizashi concept... with a cabin.

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