2010 Suzuki Kizashi sedan live in Tokyo

Suzuki has officially launched the all-new Suzuki Kizashi sedan in Japan. The car hit the showroom floor earlier in the week.

With a 2.4-liter, 180+ horsepower engine, the sedan gets enough power to provide enough quickness for a daily driver. The engine produces a maximum of 230 Nm of torque, meaning the sprint time will certainly be good enough for the morning commute. Intelligent all-wheel drive is also available for "smooth off-the-line acceleration and great cornering performance."

Suzuki also focused on keeping the cabin quiet. Dual-exhaust silencers and sound absorption material was used to make the ride more pleasant.

Those in Japan wanting to purchase a new Suzuki Kizashi can head to a dealership. Sales should begin in the United States within the next few weeks.

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Suzuki SX4 Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept

Suzuki could not be left out of the electrifying party being hosted by its bigger fellow Japanese automakers. Therefore at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show the company which produces about 1.4 million cars a year will show a glimpse of its future plans.

Leading the charge so to speak, is a previously announced Swift with a plug-in hybrid system that runs on lithium-ion battery power. A petrol engine sized 660cc is fitted to recharge when levels of power drop. The car is ideally suited for people who travel about 20km (12 miles) or less daily as it is designed to primarily run on electric power.

The second car is a full-on electric vehicle called the SX4 FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle). Its source of go is a fuel cell developed by General Motors which is coupled with a high pressure hydrogen tank and a light and compact capacitor. Brake energy regeneration is part of its technology arsenal. Suzuki is currently testing the SX4 FCV on Japanese public roads.

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Suzuki to Debut Plug-in Hybrid Swift Prototype in Tokyo

Despite the lack of particpation from the major U.S. and European automakers, there is still news to be had about debuts at the upcoming Tokyo motor show.
Suzuki will be introducing a new plug-in hybrid Swift at the Tokyo show later this month (which runs October 21 to November 4).
Not much info is to be had on the Swift plug-in hybrid as no performance or output figures are available. Suzuki doesn't even give us the displacement of the engine. The details provided say only that it will be powered by a small gasoline/petrol engine coupled to an electric motor with electrical current stored in a lithium-ion battery pack.
As a plug-in hybrid, the Swift is capable of being charged from a standard home electrical outlet. It runs on electrical power only, with the engine acting as a generator to recharge the batteries if they run low while driving.
The Suzuki Swift plug-in hybrid is still a concept and so the Japanese automaker has added certain features to distinguish it from the standard-powered production model. These include a new set of headlights and wheels for the exterior. On the inside, the Swift plug-in hybrid comes with its own cabin trim which also features lightweight seats for the driver and front passenger done in a 'web-design' material finish.

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New Suzuki Alto Concept Points to Production Model

Strangely enough, and even though the latest generation Suzuki Alto, which is also marketed in some regions including Europe as the Nissan Pixo with a different nose job, was introduced only last year at the 2008 Paris show, the Japanese firm has announced that it will display a near-production concept model of the next generation Alto at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show in late October.
The only reasonable explanation (since Suzuki did not bother to clear things up for us in its press release...) is that the production model of the "concept Alto" is destined for markets other than the ones that the current Alto is offered including of course Japan.

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Suzuki Adds 1.9-liter Turbo Diesel to UK Market Grand Vitara SZ 5-Door Range

Completing its revised Grand Vitara line-up in the UK, Suzuki has introduced a new 1.9-liter DDiS turbo diesel engine to the five-door model range. The four-cylinder diesel unit produces 129HP at 3,750 rpm and 300Nm or 221 lb-ft of peak torque at 2,000 rpm launching the compact SUV from zero to 62mph (100 km/h) in 13.2 sec and on to a top speed of 106mph or 170 km/h.

Suzuki said that CO2 emissions are reduced to 185g/km from 191g/km compared to the previous unit while the new model achieves 40.4mpg UK or 33.7mpg US / 7.0 lt per 100km on the combined cycle.

The new model is available in two different trim levels, the SZ4 and SZ5 grades, both of which come equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, in-dash 6CD changer with radio, MP3 audio-compatibility and seven speakers, heated leather seats and automatic climate control air conditioning as standard.

UK prices have been set at £17,975 OTR for the SZ4 and £19,475 OTR for the SZ5 trim.

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New Special Edition Suzuki Swift SZ-L, Production Limited to 500 Units

Suzuki is enhancing its UK line-up with the introduction of a special edition model to the Swift range called the SZ-L. Based on the five-door model with the 1.3-liter petrol engine, the SZ-L gets a higher level of standard equipment that includes air conditioning, pearlescent or metallic paint, 15-inch alloy wheels, electrically retractable exterior mirrors, side protection mouldings, specific floor mats and chrome finish for the exterior door handles, front grille and rear tailgate trim.

Furthermore, chrome bezels are added to the instrument gauges while the door trims and audio surround have aluminum effect detailing.

Suzuki offers the special edition Swift in four colors, Cool White Pearl, Cosmic Black Pearl, Supreme Red Pearl and Silky Silver metallic. The Swift SZ-L will be produced in a limited run of 500 units with prices set at £10,250.

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Suzuki Adds SX4 Saloon to its UK Lineup

Suzuki has finally rolled out a four-door sedan version of the SX4 for the UK market. Measuring 4,510mm in length, 1,730mm in width and 1,545mm in height, the sedan's most prominent feature is its enlarged boot capacity that has 515 liters. Priced from at £11,895, the sedan is offered with a 107HP 1.6-liter engine that powers the car from nought to 62 mph (100km/h) in 10.7 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).

According to Suzuki, in combined cycle driving, the SX4 saloon returns a combined fuel consumption of 41.5 mpg UK with CO2 emissions of 165g/km.

The SX4 Saloon is similarly equipped to the SX4 1.6 GLX five-door hatchback and comes with six airbags, four electric windows, MP3/WMA compatible CD tuner, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start and heated door mirrors as standard.

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Hyundai Group Overtakes Ford in First Half of 2009 and Becomes World's Fourth Largest Automaker

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company that includes KIA has overtaken the Ford Group in the first half of the year to become the fourth largest carmaker in the world selling 2,153,000 units or 8,000 more vehicles than the US giant in the same period, according to figures published by the Automotive News Data Centre. Only a decade ago, the then newly unified Hyundai and Kia company was in 11th place overall.

The Korean automaker attributed the growth to its decision to create factories in several countries including Slovakia, the United States and China that built products designed and engineered specifically for local markets.

"Results for all of last year saw Hyundai-Kia trail Ford by around 1,000,000-units, but by reducing the impact of the global recession by producing the right product for the right times, the group has managed to take fourth place much quicker than had been predicted," the South Korean automaker said in a prepared statement.

While the economic downturn has taken its toll on all of the top 10 automakers, Toyota managed to hold on to the first place with 3,564,105 units (-26% compared to H1 2008) followed by General Motors that sold 3,552,722 vehicles (-21.8%) and the Volkswagen Group that was the less affected by the slowdown (-5.1%) with 3,100,300 units sold in the first half of the year. Ford slipped to fifth place with 2,145,000 vehicles sold (-30.6 %).

Global Sales – first half of 2009
	Manufacturer	H1 2009	H1 2008	% change
1	Toyota	3,564,105	4,815,442	-26.0
2	General Motors	3,552,722	4,541,125	-21.8
3	Volkswagen	3,100,300	3,265,200	-5.1
4	Hyundai-Kia	2,153,000	-
5	Ford	2,145,000	3,093,000	-30.6
6	PSA Peugeot-Citroen	1,586,900	1,844,700	-14.0
7	Honda	1,586,000	2,022,000	-21.6
8	Nissan	1,545,976	2,013,611	-23.2
9	Suzuki	1,152,000	1,283,000	-10.2
10	Renault	1,106,989	1,326,164	-16.5

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Suzuki Kizashi 3 Live Pics: It Still Looks Good!

Revealed for the first time at the New York Auto Show, the third iteration of Suzuki’s Kizashi series is not only the better looking among the three concepts, but it’s also the one closest to the forthcoming production model that’ll follow in 2010. The live pictures from Suzuki’s NY Show booth give us a more realistic view of the Kizashi compared to the press photos we showed you earlier. The concept features a 300 horsepower, 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated V6 engine with power delivered through a six-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters, to all four wheels. –More images after the jump

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2010 Suzuki Kizashi Revealed - Hybrid Model to Follow: Mega Gallery with 100 High-Res Photos

The production version of the Suzuki Kizashi sedan was officially revealed today in a special launch event in Detroit. Built at Suzuki's new manufacturing plant in Sagara, Japan, the Kizashi will serve as the company's flagship model when it arrives in North American showrooms this winter. Available in both front- and all-wheel drive versions, Suzuki's Mazda6 and VW Passat rival will initially be offered with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine linked to either a 6-speed manual transmission or optionally, a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

While the Japanese automaker did not disclose any output figures for the base four-cylinder engine, Suzuki did reveal that other powertrain options are also under development for the Kizashi including a fuel efficient hybrid version that will be added to the lineup in the very near future.

Built on a brand-new platform, the Kizashi features MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the back with Suzuki supporting that the sedan will offer drivers "a dynamic and exhilarating driving experience".

An Electronic Stability Program and anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution as well as the Suzuki-developed synergetic vehicle dynamic control system that assists drivers control will be offered as standard on the Kizashi.

Measuring in at 183.1 in. (4,650 mm) long, 71.7 in. (1,820 mm) wide and 58.3 in. (1,480 mm) high with a wheelbase of 106.3 in. (2,700mm), the Kizashi is roughly the same size as the latest generation Audi A4 Sedan.

Despite the fact that the Kizashi originated from the Concept Kizashi series introduced over the last two years, the production model's styling is far less dramatic, which is a shame as the concept study featured an extremely well executed design that received positive reactions from European and North American consumers alike.

As for the mid-size sedan's interior, Suzuki's designers crafted an elegant looking dashboard that features an Alfa Romeo-esque instrument panel with two deeply set gauges and an uncluttered center console.

More details as well as North American prices are expected to be released closer to the sedan's sales launch in December. Suzuki has yet to announce when the Kizashi will arrive in other international markets.

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