Road Race Motorsports creates Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Suzuki

Road Race Motorsports Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi – Click above for high-res image gallery

Road Race Motorsports has given the Suzuki Kizashi not just a boost, but a kick in the pants and elsewhere. Instead of the stock sedan’s 185 horsepower, RRM turbocharged the engine up to 300 hp, adds a sports suspension and sport brakes, along with a choice of bodykits. If 300 ponies is a little more than you’re after, RRM also has a 200-hp package, and the suspension offerings come in Stage 1, 2, and 3.

Our own Jeff Glucker drove it this week and wrote that “the carbon bucket seat was not built for my butt and I was half-assing (literally) in the seat. Thankfully, [the RRm Kizashi] was still easy to drive and predictably more fun than the stock model.” Follow the jump for the press release and check out the high-res images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Road Race Motorsports Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi

[Source: Road Race Motorsports]

Continue reading Road Race Motorsports creates Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi

Road Race Motorsports creates Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology, Suzuki

Suzuki SX4 Sport sedan

Suzuki SX4 Sport with Garmin navigation system – Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki SX4 with Garmin navigationWhen Garmin issued a recall on its Nuvi portable navigation system a couple of weeks ago, Japanese automaker Suzuki informed us that it would need to issue a follow-up recall for a few vehicles in its lineup. After all, Suzuki offers dashboard-mounted Garmin GPS units in its Equator, Grand Vitara and SX4 models, and unfortunately, the Nuvi navis supplied to Suzuki are among the ones that need repair.

Approximately 20,692 Suzuki vehicles are affected by this recall – specifically the 2008-2010 SX4, 2010 Grand Vitara and 2009-2010 Equator equipped with Garmin Nuvi 750, 760 and 765 navigation systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the batteries in these nav units can potentially overheat which could result in a fire.

Garmin technicians will replace the existing batteries free of charge and owners will be notified within the next few weeks. The official recall notice from NHTSA is available after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport with TRIP

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units

Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Suzuki Swift delayed in the U.S., again

Filed under: Hatchback, Suzuki

Suzuki Swift

2011 Suzuki Swift – Click above for high-res image gallery

The on-again, off-again plans to bring the Suzuki Swift to the U.S. have been thwarted yet again as the automaker fleshes out its global product plans with its new partners at Volkswagen.

According to Autoweek, the recently redesigned Swift – due to go on sale in Europe and Japan later this year – was nearly federalized for the U.S. and set to arrive Stateside this fall. But after VW gobbled up a 20% stake in Suzuki, the two automakers delayed the launch to analyze product strategy, align resources and, according to Steve Younan, Suzuk American’s head of product development and business development, “get some indication of where they may have found some efficiencies in platform development and powertrain development.”

However, the Swift’s passport to the U.S. may not have been stamped because of something as simple as pricing. Suzuki was determining the Swift’s MSRP when the VW deal went through, stalling the launch in the process, and the combination of a rising yen and recent reduction in Suzuki’s U.S. marketing budget are also to blame for the delay.

If the Swift does get the greenlight for the U.S., expect it to arrive in the summer of 2011… maybe.

Gallery: 2011 Suzuki Swift

[Source: Autoweek]

Report: Suzuki Swift delayed in the U.S., again originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin Nuvi GPS recalled over fire risk – Suzuki threatened?

Filed under: Aftermarket, Technology, Suzuki

Garmin Nuvi GPS systemGarmin has recalled a total of 1.25 million portable GPS units for a possible fire risk, with 796,000 of those sold here in the United States. According to Consumer Reports, the problem stems from a faulty battery that may cause the device to overheat while in use. So far, there have been no injuries or property damage due to the defect, and fewer than 10 units have been reported with the problem.

The recall covers Nuvi 200W, 250W, 260W and a few models in the 700 series that land in a certain date-code range and that use a specific type of printed circuit board design. The easiest way to tell if your unit falls under the recall is to head over to Garmin’s site and enter in your model’s serial number. If yours comes up as one of the unlucky few that has to be returned, Garmin will provide you with all of the necessary mailing instructions.

Interestingly, several automakers have offered cradled Garmin products in place of costlier in-dash navigation systems, some of which will be covered under the recall. Among those manufacturers, Suzuki has been the first to confirm to Autoblog that some of its models will be impacted. The company said that it is currently working with regulators to deduce which vehicles shipped with the faulty Nuvi systems and how to proceed with getting the units fixed. Stay tuned for more information.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Garmin Nuvi GPS recalled over fire risk – Suzuki threatened? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki Kizashi topples 200 mph at Bonneville for new Land Speed Record

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Budget, Sedan, Suzuki

2010 Suzuki Kizashi takes Bonneville – Click above to watch video after the jump

The crew from Suzuki and Road & Track officially hold the new Land Speed Record for the Blown Gas Coupe Category. The team wheeled out their modified 2010 Suzuki Kizashi to the Bonneville Salt Flats and managed to average an impressive 203.720 mph across two high-speed runs, besting the previous record by a little less than a second and a half. R&T commissioned legendary engine builder Richard Holdener to rework the engine in the Kizashi before it hit the salt, and as a result, the car wore forged internals and a beefier turbo that shoved a full 16 pounds of boost into the four-cylinder as the Sam Mitani-helmed Suzuki headed down the dry lake bed.

Now that the Kizashi has one record under its belt, Road & Track is planning to try for a second, naturally-aspirated record by unbolting the turbo and going hog wild. Now all we have to wonder is how much it’s going to take to convince Suzuki to offer those slick seam-welded steel wheels as an option on the Kizashi Sport. Hit the jump to take a look at a video of the car during its record-setting run, as well as a press release detailing the occasion.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Sport

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki Kizashi topples 200 mph at Bonneville for new Land Speed Record

Suzuki Kizashi topples 200 mph at Bonneville for new Land Speed Record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Suzuki, Specialty

Why does a Suzuki Kizashi need a parachute? Click above to watch the videos after the jump

We’d heard it from the gearheads over at Road & Track, and now it’s been officially confirmed by Suzuki. A brand new Kizashi sedan will make the trek out to the Bonneville Salt Flats in an effort to set a new world speed record.

Suzuki hopes its highly modified Kizashi, piloted by R&T’s Sam Mitani, will be able to attain speeds of over 200 miles per hour. To hit that kind of velocity, a massive Turbonetics turbocharger will pump up to 20 psi of boost into the flowed cylinder head. An air-to-water intercooler will keep that massive rush of oxygen nice and cool while a methanol/water injection system will ward off any untoward detonation.

Naturally, safety is a concern. To that end, this Kizashi has been equipped with a full roll cage, seam-welded steel wheels and special rubber from Goodyear. Good thing, since there’s going to be 900 horsepower funneled to the ground. Oh, and let’s not forget the parachute as seen above. Check out the official press release after the jump, which is also where you’ll find the four latest videos from the boys at R&T.

[Source: Suzuki, Road & Track]

Continue reading Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi

Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak run

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

“Monster” Tajima’s Pikes Peak assault – Click above to watch video after the jump

This is the kind of video that should be in the core curriculum for auto enthusiasts: A 2,618-pound Suzuki SX4 with a 3.1-liter twin-turbo V6 blown out to 897 horsepower and 654 pound-feet of torque. The pilot: Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima. No theatrics, no gimmicks, just 11 straight minutes of speed, dirt, opposite lock and ghastly mechanical fury. Follow the jump to watch the vid.

[Source: Falken Tire]

Continue reading Video: Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak run

Video: Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak run originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?!

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Sedan, Videos

Road & Track record-breaking Suzuki Kizashi – Click above to watch video after the jump

You can’t accuse the guys at Road & Track of lacking ambition. The magazine has announced plans to tackle the seemingly impossible by building a Suzuki Kizashi to do battle at Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The crew will be shooting for not one, but two different land speed records. On the low end is the naturally-aspirated gas coupe record which, for some odd reason, sits at a lowly 103 mph. The plan is to unbolt the factory turbo and run the car as a naturally aspirated machine. That shouldn’t be so much of an issue considering that the stock Kizashi can knock off that kind of speed without so much as turning a wrench under the hood.

The really impressive feat will be seeing whether or not the Kizashi can topple the blown gas coupe category. That record sits at a more respectable 202 mph, which means the Road & Track team will need to work the little Suzuki up to at least 203 mph. To do that, the crew turned to Richard Holdener – a man with plenty of experience pulling other worldly speed out of common cars. Hit the jump for a look at the first three in a series of videos about the build.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Sport

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: Road & Track]

Continue reading Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?!

Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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