2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport TS AWD

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 19 April 2012 14:57

The Suzuki Kizashi

Drive a Suzuki Kizashi, study the pricing, read a few reviews, listen to the compliments of passersby, and you’ll end up wondering why you’ve never seen one on your block.

A nice, moderately entertaining, value-laden car with a nice price, it’s not racking up anything like the sales numbers you’d expect based on all that it has going for it. But the figures don’t lie: Through March, Suzuki had sold just 1,431 Kizashis in the U.S. market, a decline of 28 percent compared with the corresponding period in 2011.

What’s so special about the Kizashi? It’s a stylish, midsize four-door sedan with a smooth, quiet ride not normally associated with Suzukis, available all-wheel drive, and a long list of standard features, a 100,000-mile power-train warranty and, on the Sport GTS AWD model we drove, continuously variable automatic transmission and 18-inch lightweight sport wheels.

Strangers who thought we owned the car complimented us on our good taste. A family member who hadn’t driven a Suzuki since the bad old days of the Sidekick was full of praise for the Kizashi.

And the price? About $19,000 for a base front-wheel-drive Kizashi S with a six-speed standard transmission. Our middle-of-the-line, all-wheel-drive Sport GTS, with just $655 in options, had a sticker price of $26,404, compared with more than $31,000 for a Toyota Camry without the extra pair of drive wheels.

Reviewers we consulted single out Suzuki’s small dealer network as one reason the Kizashi isn’t a bigger seller. In Connecticut, for example, just four dealers are selling new Suzukis. The brand’s top sellers this year have been the compact SX4 and the venerable Grand Vitara, a compact SUV.

Front seating in the Kizashi is roomy and comfortable even for tall drivers and passengers. The rear is a little tighter. Tall passengers will have to ask those in front to move up an inch or two, but headroom is adequate.

Performance, especially cornering, is quite sharp for a modestly priced family sedan. The 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine develops sufficient torque (170 lb.-ft.) to overcome the CVT transmission’s tendency to allow the engine to lug. The transmission holds its place better under a heavier foot, and for those who can’t change their driving style, Suzuki provides paddle shifters on the steering wheel on Sport GTS models.

Without a heavy foot (for the most part), we coaxed about 25 mpg from our Kizashi, which is rated at 22/29. Highway MPG ratings climb to 31 mpg in front-wheel-drive units with manual shifters.

In addition to its attributes as a driver’s car, the Kizashi has compiled good safety marks, though it fell just short of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick designation because its rollover rating was Acceptable, rather than Good.

Suzuki seems committed to the Kizashi, now in its third model year, and it may just be a matter of time before the motoring public takes notice of its standout qualities.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $26,404

Engine: 2.4-liter inline Four, 180 horsepower, 170 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 5-speed continuously variable automatic

Drive: All-wheel

Weight: 3,241 lb.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Wheels: 18-in. alloy

Tires: 235/45R18 all-season

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 13.3 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 16.6 gallons

Fuel economy: 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular unleaded