What's more, the seats provide feel and comfort at a level never before experienced in a Suzuki in North America. Finding a driving position is kid's play and four total occupants on board will find enough comfort for a long trip. That is, unless those sitting in the rear are an inch or two under six feet tall or more. Trunk size is fair, and the high point of all this is that the Kizashi's cabin remains fairly quiet even at speeds roughly 20% greater than the suggested highway limit.
Roughed up diamond
The diamond here is a willing and more-than-adequate 180-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. On its own, it would do nothing more than make noise, consume fuel and annoy your neighbours. Mated to the only 'box available in Canada, a CVT automatic, it still does most of those things except it irritates and disappoints the driver and not the citizens from across the street.
I think I found where Suzuki cut in its R&D budgets... This CVT was probably based on (or a rebadge of) Nissan’s first-generation Xtronic transmission. As its programming is deficient or something of the like, the gearbox chokes the life out of the 4-pot, crushing its spirit and doing little more than making it scream and whine to its redline.
Suzu-wagen
Thankfully, once up to speed, the car demonstrates what no one ever would have ever envisioned; a fantastic drive! And I mean it! The Kizashi out-drove every other car in our recent comparo test, even the “sporty” Mazda6 and the completely re-thought Hyundai Sonata.
Praise goes to precise, predictable steering, a well-balanced and poised chassis and a genially configured independent suspension. Volkswagen has long since been recognized as a brand that makes affordable cars that are amongst the best to experience behind the wheel. Honestly, Suzuki's engineers must have either escaped the clutches of the German maker or were abducted by little green Japanese men. Although midsize in classification, the Kizashi is more of a polished “Japanized” Jetta. This is another compliment BTW...
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| The diamond here is a willing and more-than-adequate 180-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Roughed up diamond
The diamond here is a willing and more-than-adequate 180-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. On its own, it would do nothing more than make noise, consume fuel and annoy your neighbours. Mated to the only 'box available in Canada, a CVT automatic, it still does most of those things except it irritates and disappoints the driver and not the citizens from across the street.
I think I found where Suzuki cut in its R&D budgets... This CVT was probably based on (or a rebadge of) Nissan’s first-generation Xtronic transmission. As its programming is deficient or something of the like, the gearbox chokes the life out of the 4-pot, crushing its spirit and doing little more than making it scream and whine to its redline.
Suzu-wagen
Thankfully, once up to speed, the car demonstrates what no one ever would have ever envisioned; a fantastic drive! And I mean it! The Kizashi out-drove every other car in our recent comparo test, even the “sporty” Mazda6 and the completely re-thought Hyundai Sonata.
Praise goes to precise, predictable steering, a well-balanced and poised chassis and a genially configured independent suspension. Volkswagen has long since been recognized as a brand that makes affordable cars that are amongst the best to experience behind the wheel. Honestly, Suzuki's engineers must have either escaped the clutches of the German maker or were abducted by little green Japanese men. Although midsize in classification, the Kizashi is more of a polished “Japanized” Jetta. This is another compliment BTW...
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| Finding a driving position is kid's play and four total occupants on board will find enough comfort for a long trip. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |