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Chicago 2011: Suzuki is sofa king awesome

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Etc., Suzuki, Humor, Design/Style

Suzuki Motorized Sofa – Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki is proudly displaying its “motorized sofa” at the Chicago Auto Show. The chugging chaise appears in its new “Kizashi Kicks” advertising campaign, a television spot comparing the Kizashi sedan to an Audi A4 2.0T and the well-worn sofa. We’ll let Suzuki tell you about it, before we deliver the technical insight:

This 1970s-era sofa commissioned by American Suzuki retains its original synthetic trim finished in a fashionable tan and brown plaid motif. The sofa is complete with small tears and frayed stitching to meet Suzuki’s overall design intent. The sofa also features a variety of loose coins, cookie crumbs and pocket lint resting just beneath the seat cushions. The steering wheel is comfortably positioned at the center of the sofa, making ingress and egress easy for passengers looking to accompany the driver on casual journeys. The throttle pedal is unmistakable in that it features a custom bare foot shape finished in chrome-plated metal with black accents.

The three-passenger davenport is powered by a single-cylinder Subaru (doh!) “Robin” SP170 engine. With a displacement of only 169 cc, the air-cooled, four-stroke overhead cam gas engine is rated at a whopping 5.7 horsepower at 4,000 rpm. No word on top speed, but the self-propelled furniture reportedly gets about 40 mpg. Braking is accomplished through a hydraulically-operated single-disc on the rear axle, and steering is rack-and-pinion. The tires are appropriately knobby, sized 14.5×7 up front, and 16×8 in the rear, hidden beneath tattered fabric skirting. We’ve asked for a test drive, of course.

Gallery: Suzuki Motorized Sofa: Chicago 2011

Chicago 2011: Suzuki is sofa king awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki readying Swift S-Concept for Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Suzuki

Suzuki Swift S-Concept

Suzuki Swift S-Concept – Click above for high-res image

With the Geneva Motor Show coming up in a matter of weeks, a whole mess of new debuts and concept cars are rolling in. The latest comes courtesy of Suzuki and its European operations.

Called the Swift S-Concept, the show car looks like it could be a pretty mean interpretation of the latest Swift hatchback in a higher-performance guise with a healthy dose of rally-inspired action. The Japanese automaker has released very little in the way of details, essentially announcing the debut accompanied by the preview rendering you see above.

We’ll have to wait as the expo approaches for more, but for now you can check out the press release after the jump and click on the image above to view in high-resolution.

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki readying Swift S-Concept for Geneva

Suzuki readying Swift S-Concept for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Suzuki Kizashi get VW power?

Filed under: Sedan, Suzuki, Volkswagen

2010 Suzuki Kizashi

2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Volkswagen announced it was teaming up with Suzuki for some joint projects, initial talk centered around small cars for emerging markets and possibly even a spate of two-wheeled ventures. Now, the rumormill is buzzing with speculation that the Japanese automaker might be interested in securing some of Volkswagen’s well-regarded powerplants for its midsize Kizashi sedan.

Prior to its tie-up with VW, Suzuki had enjoyed a partnership with General Motors that had the Japanese automaker using The General’s engines and transmissions. Those contracts died off after the VW deal, and, according to Ward’s, it now appears that any future engines for the Kizashi beyond the 2.4-liter DOHC four-cylinder (185 horsepower and 170 lb-feet of torque) will be sourced from Volkswagen.

Currently, there’s no indication what powertrains Suzuki is interested in procuring from Volkswagen, but we’d have to guess that a V6 or possibly even a hybrid would be on the menu, if possible.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS

[Source: Ward’s Automotive]

Could Suzuki Kizashi get VW power? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New year, new livery for Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4

Monster Tajima Suzuki SX4 hill-climb special

We assume that Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima is already thinking about his next run up Pikes Peak. His Suzuki SX4 hill-climb special is one step ahead and wearing a fresh new livery courtesy of sponsor GoPro. The car looks as unique as ever and our eyes are particularly drawn to the icy blue HRE wheels. They’re custom-forged 20-inch rollers built to take the abuse that 910 horsepower and Mr. Monster throws at them. Hopefully at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, we’ll see this bright white-and-blue blur streak by on its way to a record-setting run.

[Source: HRE]

New year, new livery for Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Suzuki pits Kizashi against unlikely competitors

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Suzuki, Humor

Suzuki Kizashi vs Audi A4 vs Motorized Sofa

Suzuki Kizashi versus two unlikely competitors – Click above to watch video after the jump

Suzuki is pitting its Kizashi against a handful of surprising competitors for a series of new television ads The spots are set to begin airing on Christmas day. Who are the surprising competitors? An Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C300 and Volvo S40… as well as a motorized sofa, stretch limo and a man wearing a bubble-wrap suit.

Seeing the Kizashi defeat the odd-ball entries is no surprise, but it is a bit of a shock that it also beats the Germans and the Swede, at least in Suzuki’s arranged testing. Suzuki uses the advertisements to highlight the Kizashi’s handling, braking, safety and price. The TV spots are part of a larger campaign called Kizashi Kicks. You can head over to KizashiKicks.com for more information, and we’ve made the ad clips available for your viewing pleasure after the jump.

[Source: Youtube, KizashiKicks.com]

Continue reading Video: Suzuki pits Kizashi against unlikely competitors

Video: Suzuki pits Kizashi against unlikely competitors originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

Filed under: Aftermarket, Budget, Performance, Hatchback, Suzuki, Reviews

The aftermarket put some more heat in Suzuki’s hot hatch

2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports – Click above for high-res image gallery

When we think of production vehicles that can double as daily drivers and weekend racers, the Lotus Exige, Mazda MX-5 Miata and Porsche Boxster come to mind. They’ve got to be light, nimble and handle the rigors of the road along with the demands of the track. That’s why we had a little chuckle when a 2010 Suzuki SX4 with “Road Race modifications” came up on our schedule for vehicles to review. When we drove the 2008 SX4 Sport, we found it to have a “sporty feel and rather quick reflexes,” but the chassis had fairly low limits and we couldn’t imagine the squat hatch being that much fun on track.

Still, we were curious how a hopped-up SX4 would perform, particularly in 2010 MY guise, which adds seven additional horsepower (143 to 150 hp) and a six-speed manual transmission. Suzuki has billed its new five-door as a worthy competitor to the world’s best hot hatches, but can it really deliver a world-class combination of practicality and sportiness? With several days of Southern California’s back roads marked down on our schedule, we aimed to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

Continue reading Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear America’s Reasonably Price Car outed as Suzuki SX4

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Suzuki, Celebrities

U.S. Top Gear Big Star in a Small Car Here in the good ‘ole United States of America, we like things big… and small. Over in UK, they can have their reasonably priced cars, we don’t need ’em. We’re putting a Big Star in a Small Car instead.

Naturally, the premise is the same. Take one name-brand celebrity and place them behind the wheel of a run-of-the-mill car available to the masses here in America and send them around a makeshift race track. While the British version of Top Gear currently uses a Kia Cee’d for star-shuttling duty, America’s TG spin-off will feature a Suzuki SX4.

For what it’s worth, we had a couple of guys in the audience during the taping of the U.S. show’s first episode and we had signed statements restricting us from publishing this information. Apparently, though, it’s been leaked by either someone at Top Gear or by Suzuki.

In any case, we genuinely like Suzuki’s little runabout. It’s not particularly fast, but it’s an able handler and it has the beans to pull itself around a track quickly enough. Plus, it’s pretty reasonably priced… not that we care, of course. And, as you’d expect from any show that carries the name Top Gear, there will indeed be an American Stig. Current internet rumormongering suggests that F1-ace Rubens Barrichello is the American Stig, but that hasn’t been, nor is it likely to be, officially confirmed.

In related news, some of the American stars that will be piloting the SX4 include Tim Allen, Buzz Aldrin, Ty Burrell, Tony Hawk, Bret Michaels, Dominic Monaghan, Kid Rock and Michelle Rodriguez. Suitably big stars?

[Source: Variety]

Top Gear America’s Reasonably Price Car outed as Suzuki SX4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki quietly updates 2011 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750

Filed under: Suzuki, Motorcycle

2011 Suzuki GSX-R600

2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 – Click above for high-res image gallery

You’d be forgiven if you forgot all about the brand spankin’ new motorcycles brought into the States by Suzuki last year… because there weren’t any. Purse strings were pulled so tightly during the global economic collapse that the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer decided not to bring in any new models for 2010.

However, all of that is set to change for 2011, and the first major announcement from Suzuki are updates to its GSX-R600 and GSX-R750. Interestingly enough, the engines are all new but there isn’t actually any more horsepower than before – 123 horses from the 600 and 148 from the 750.

Instead of more peak power, Suzuki focused all of its efforts on reducing weight, lopping off four pounds from the motor, three pounds from the exhaust and another three pounds from the aluminum frame. Add it all up and Suzuki has cut about 20 pounds from each model, with the 600 coming in at 413 pounds wet and the 750 tipping the scales at 416 pounds.

Another notable feature new for 2011 are the brakes: 310mm fully-floating front brake discs and radial-mount, four-piston Brembo monoblock calipers. Styling closely mimics that of the range-topping GSX-R1000, featuring new vertically stacked headlamps; see for yourself in our high-res image gallery below. Pricing comes in at $11,599 for the 600 and $11,999 for the 750, and full details can be found after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600

2011 Suzuki GSX-R600

Gallery: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R750

2011 Suzuki GSX-R750

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki quietly updates 2011 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750

Suzuki quietly updates 2011 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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203-mph Suzuki Kizashi stops by for coffee

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Suzuki, Racing

203-mph Suzuki Kizashi

Record-setting Suzuki Kizashi – Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember that 500+-horsepower Suzuki Kizashi that recently went over 200 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats? The one that Road & Track’s Sam Mitani drove to a new F/BGC record of 203.720? Well, R&T brought it down to Cars and Coffee this weekend and we got our first up-close look at it. Color us impressed.

The exterior features a large air dam up front, Moon discs and a pair of dorsal ridges running along the roof, but other than that, the car looks pretty much stock. Sure it sits a bit lower and it is covered in decals, but it doesn’t look much different from a tuner Suzuki that one might see at this weekly show. Even the engine looks relatively streetable.

Looking inside, you see much of the same – a fairly stock dash and center console, the original door panels, and even the stock steering wheel, albeit with the airbag removed. The biggest mods inside are for safety, with a single racing seat and a roll cage, plus a couple of fire-suppression tanks and a slew of switches and levers to keep everything moving smoothly. The biggest tip-off that this is something a little more special than just a tuner Kizashi is that giant parachute out back. Click below to check out our high-res gallery.

Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special

203-mph Suzuki Kizashi stops by for coffee originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki SX4 blacks out for UK special edition

Filed under: Hatchback, Suzuki, UK

Suzuki SX4 SZ-L

Suzuki SX4 SZ-L – Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki has released details on a new special edition version of its SX4 for the UK. Called the SZ-L, the five-door will come from the factory wearing a host of appearance upgrades aimed to give the vehicle an urban flair, including a few splashes of gunmetal accents on the roof rails, grille, wheels and skid plates. The gray theme continues on inside with Alcantara trim in all the right places and ghost stitching around the leather steering wheel. Unfortunately, as awesome as all of the menacing gunmetal trim is, the hatchback’s mechanicals leave something to be desired.

Instead of pairing the blacked-out goodies with the company’s bones-cheap all-wheel drive system, the SZ-L is only available with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine powering the front-wheels. That blows one sad trombone in our book. The upshot is that Suzuki is only offering the special edition with a five-speed manual, so slusher fans need not apply.

The Suzuki SX4 SZ-L starts at $20,533 in the UK (at current conversion rates) and there’s no word as to whether or not a similar model will show up on our shores. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Suzuki SX4 SZ-L

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki SX4 blacks out for UK special edition

Suzuki SX4 blacks out for UK special edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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