With the launch of American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s (ASMC) new “Kizashi Kicks” ad campaign, the 2011 Kizashi proves that you don’t need a premium badge and associated price tag to get the driving excitement, luxury and safety attributes of a premium sedan.

Developed in conjunction with El Segundo, Calif.-based Siltanen & Partners Advertising, the campaign illustrates the Kizashi’s competitive spirit against luxury competitors Volvo S40, Audi A4 and Mercedes C300 in safety and braking, handling and quietness tests. However, the comparative tests don’t stop there. Suzuki also incorporates a motorized sofa, bubble wrap suit and stretch limo to add a little humor to the spots.

The “Kizashi Kicks” campaign features three 30-second and two 15-second television commercials that further communicate the Kizashi’s performance, capability and value story. One of the commercials highlights Kizashi’s cornering ability by pitting it in a slalom test against a Mercedes C300 and a less than graceful stretch limo. Another spot compares the Kizashi’s dynamic performance attributes to an Audi A4 and a man piloting a motorized sofa. In each instance, the Kizashi triumphs in impressive and hilarious fashion.

The broadcast television advertisements are complemented by a highly interactive microsite, www.KizashiKicks.com, which showcases the new commercial content and provides interactive animation, videos and a suggestion tool for feedback. The website also offers links to Suzuki’s new Kizashi Ring of Fire racing video game, video of the Kizashi’s Tokyo to L.A.: The Hard Way intercontinental road trip, the Suzuki Auto site, dealer locator, and a build and pricing feature. Suzuki will continue to provide additional content on the “Kizashi Kicks” website throughout the year.

Targeted toward younger buyers with a male skew, Suzuki’s new “Kizashi Kicks” advertising campaign will air in ASMC’s top-20 markets, including but not limited to, New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Charleston, S.C., Mobile-Pensacola, Ala., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Baton Rouge, La., Nashville, Tenn., Burlington, Vt., Charleston, W.Va., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Television programming highlights include the Academy Awards, GRAMMY® Awards, the AFC Championship game, NCAA Tournament, “Survivor,” “30 Rock,” “The Mentalist,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “American Idol,” “House” and “Desperate Housewives.”

School bus for Ideal Public School

Fuel Feeding

American Suzuki Motor Corp. today announced its schedule for the upcoming 2008-2009 auto show season, which will include appearances at more than 50 regional and local shows, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. The company will not attend the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

continue reading "Suzuki 2008-2009 Auto Show Calendar"

American Suzuki Motor Corp. today announced automotive sales of 9,669 units in April, an increase of 5 percent over last year’s April sales total. Year-to-date sales stand at 36,099 vehicles.

April sales were led by Suzuki’s midsize crossover SUV, the XL7, which sold an impressive 3,082 units, an increase of 33 percent over 2007. The SX4 model line also contributed to Suzuki’s April increase with 2,860 units sold, up 119 percent year-over-year.

Suzuki Auto’s versatile line of vehicles includes the spirited four-door SX4 Sport, bold and functional five-door SX4 Crossover, exciting XL7 midsize SUV, rugged Grand Vitara compact SUV, popular Forenza sedan and Forenza Wagon, and the European-styled Reno. Every vehicle in the line provides Suzuki’s standout virtues of toughness, leading-edge style and high-end features at very competitive prices. All 2008 Suzuki automobiles are backed by America’s #1 Warranty: a 100,000-mile/seven-year, fully transferable, zero-deductible powertrain limited warranty.

There’s luxury cars, and there THE luxury car. The Suzuki Concept Kikashi 3 definitely falls under the second category. Although it’s still a concept, you can’t deny that it’s already oozing with promise. These car building geniuses never fails to impress us custom car aficionados every time they roll out one of their masterpieces, so we could expect the same from this one. Unfortunately a car this hot and this elegant were made to be driven by casino high-rollers, celebrities and sports stars who own savings accounts we could only dream of having.

In addition to the North American reveals of Concept Kizashi and Concept Kizashi 2, the global introduction of Concept Kizashi 3 coincides with Suzuki’s announcement that it will produce a sport sedan derived from the Concept Kizashi 3 design.

“Kizashi means ‘prelude’ in Japanese, and that’s exactly what this design represents for Suzuki from both a business and a product standpoint,” said Mark Harano, president, American Suzuki Automotive Operations.

The future production model will be built at Suzuki’s brand-new Sagara plant in Japan, currently under construction, and provide an accessible alternative to the near-luxury segment. While a firm timetable has not been announced, Suzuki will deliver the Kizashi-influenced sport sedan to North American dealers by 2010.

continue reading "Suzuki Concept Kizashi 3"

Suzuki showcases its X-HEAD concept, a completely contemporary vision of off-roading built on Suzuki’s 40-year history of credible off-road architectures. The Suzuki X-HEAD, making its North American debut at NAIAS this year, combines form and function — with a healthy dose of “cool factor” — using purpose-built modules for various active lifestyles.

In addition to the go-anywhere X-HEAD, Suzuki will showcase the SXForce, a sportbike-inspired concept based on the all-new 2008 four-door SX4 Sport that embodies the company’s legendary motorcycle heritage. Suzuki also sports its entry in the World Rally Championship (WRC), a head-turning vehicle derived from the five-door SX4 Crossover that has received significant attention since being introduced at SEMA in 2007.

continue reading "Suzuki Offers Truckloads of Fun at 2008 North American International Auto Show"

Suzuki, in partnership with Lifted Research Group, better known as L-R-G, and 2Wheel Tuner magazine, today unveiled a fully customized 2008 Hayabusa sportbike at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show (IMS) at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif. Designed by L-R-G and built by Nick Anglada of Custom Sportbike Concepts (CSC) of Winter Garden, Fla., the L-R-G Hayabusa blends the panache of one of the hottest urban brands in fashion with the iconic personality of Suzuki’s fastest production motorcycle. The L-R-G Hayabusa will be on display at the Suzuki booth through Sunday, Dec. 9 and featured on the January 2008 cover of 2Wheel Tuner.

SXForce

With the arrival of the 2008 SX4 Sport, Suzuki expands its Suzuki LIVE Series (LIFESTYLE VEHICLES) – a line of brand-dedicated concept vehicles specially designed for life enthusiasts, adventurers and thrill-seekers.

Suzuki introduces the SXForce, a sportbike-inspired concept based on the on the all-new 2008 SX4 Sport. Designed and built by Road Race Motorsports of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., the SXForce boasts a powerful 250-horsepower, 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine matched to a five-speed manual transmission.

The exterior shell of the SX4 Sport has been modified to be eye-catching to both four-wheel and two-wheel enthusiasts. It features a striking blend of carbon fiber, Flash Pearl White and Orange Metallic paint and showcases a number of performance-based automotive parts and stunning motorcycle accents, including sportbike-style side rearview mirrors and dual exhaust, also found on the championship-winning GSX-R1000.

While the SXForce is sure to be a showstopper on display, it was designed to look even better on the road. The fully drivable, track-tested SX4 Sport concept receives several performance enhancements, including a fully tuned performance suspension system, F1-style outlet gills to help underhood air flow, tailored rear bodywork with carbon fiber diffuser, Carbontrix rear wing, Tein coilover suspension height and damper setup, and reinforced structure to further enhance rigidity for optimal handling. The SXForce is outfitted with 18-inch Enkei racing wheels and a staggered high-performance Toyo T1-R tire package – 225/45-18 in the front and 235/40-18 in the rear. It also is equipped with Rotora six-piston calipers with two-piece 355mm rotors for sportbike stopping power.

The motorcycle theme continues inside the SXForce, beginning with suede and leather seats and interior appointments, mimicking sportbike leathers. Other interior enhancements include motorcycle instrument cluster and controls, roof air intake for optimal breathing and a revised track-themed interior, featuring carbon fiber components and accents. Engine vitals are monitored via a Zeitronix ZT-2 wideband data logger. All vital engine parameters are logged on a laptop and viewed on the ZT-2 gauge mounted on the Hayabusa handlebars. The SXForce is equipped with an integrated Garmin navigation system, and its rear seats have been removed and replaced by a high-output Rockford-Fosgate audio system.

SX4 WRC

With its sports-minded heritage, coupled with a passion to excel in the world’s most competitive venues, Suzuki Auto drives toward another motorsports challenge with its entry in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Derived from the five-door SX4 Crossover, a prototype model of the SX4 WRC was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2006. Developed as a driver-friendly World Rally Car offering high controllability under a wide range of rally conditions, this creation by Suzuki Sport, Suzuki’s motorsports division, has involved an extensive testing program on many different types of surfaces. As a supplement to the testing, Suzuki Sport chose two events in 2007, the Rallye de France and the Wales Rally GB, to closely represent the majority of surface types. The Rallye de France is known as one of the most challenging tarmac events, and the Wales Rally GB, held later in the year, is well regarded for similar reasons.

The SX4 WRC boasts a 2.0-liter turbocharged J20 engine with full-time 4WD drivetrain and a five-speed sequential gearbox. The vehicle’s 1,997 cc engine delivers 320 brake horsepower between 4,000 and 4,500 rpm, along with a maximum torque of 590 N-m (435 lb.-ft.) at 3,500 rpm.

The SX4 WRC’s powertrain features a carbon three-disc clutch, electronically controlled center differential and mechanical front and rear differentials. Its well-balanced chassis and rigid structure allow the front and rear MacPherson struts with coil springs work to their full potential, and its Reiger shocks deliver dynamic, responsive handling. For tarmac, the vehicle is fitted with 20/65-18 tires fitted on 8X18-inch wheels. On gravel, 17/65-15 rubber is mounted to 7X15-inch wheels.

The SX4 WRC sits on a wheelbase of 2,500mm, stands 1,450mm high and weighs 1,230 kg (the minimum authorized). All specs reflect those of the final-phase development-test vehicle and are not necessarily indicative of the 2008 entry. As noted by Nobuhiro Tajima, vice president of Suzuki Sport, the endeavor is still in the early stages of development, including the engine, transmission and suspension.

The WRC effort builds on Suzuki’s outstanding success in the JWRC, where the Swift Super 1600 has enjoyed an excellent record, creating even more excitement and anticipation in 2008.

Grand Vitara Dune

First introduced at the 2005 SEMA Show, the Grand Vitara Dune is designed for off-road enthusiasts who demand off-road capabilities. Well-equipped with 11.5 inches of minimum ground clearance and a towing capacity of 3,000 lbs., the Dune provides enough muscle to add a huge dose of exhilaration to any weekend. This Grand Vitara concept also features off-road skid plates, fender flares, wear-reducing cladding and running boards, all dressed in lightning yellow paint to match the color scheme of Suzuki ATVs. Roomy on the inside, the five-passenger Dune features a rear off-road gear storage and “mobile garage” work station, ideal for last-minute adjustments. The Dune also is equipped with a built-in GPS and navigation system.
SX4 Crossover Accessories

To complement Suzuki’s versatile, stylish product line, the company offers an array of Genuine Suzuki Accessories – a line of style-enhancing trim packages and accessories designed to personalize Suzuki cars and SUVs sold in the United States. Suzuki showcases a number of pre-production performance-enhancing parts and interior and exterior accessories for the sporty SX4 Crossover.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation showcases the never-before-seen, silver-screen-inspired XL7 concept, Flix and alos its full-line of versatile cars and SUVs, including the all-new XL7 midsize crossover SUV and the bold and functional SX4 compact X-over (crossover).

To further support the launch of Suzuki’s two new vehicles, Suzuki developed a line of 2007 XL7- and SX4-based “Suzuki LIVE Series” concept vehicles. At NAIAS, Suzuki unveils its Flix, a movie-theater-themed XL7 concept, and showcases BaseCamp, an XL7 concept built for outdoor enthusiasts.

continue reading "Suzuki Lifts Curtain on Flix Concept"