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Finally, Suzuki has released their all new Kizashi mid-size sedan. The Kizashi, Japanese for "something great is coming", was designed to mix European styling with Japanese quality. While the latter remains to be seen, the car features an interesting appearance with a bold grille, shapely headlights, and a dynamic rear end. Other styling highlights include 18-inch alloy wheels, an attractive dual exhaust system, and a short front overhang.

While the exterior screams style, the interior says blah. The materials seem nice enough, but any hint of a design effort is lacking. Regardless, the car comes nicely equipped with standard sport seats and iPod connectivity. Options include leather upholstery, heated seats, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 425 watt Rockford Fosgate audio system.



Power comes from a 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine which has an output that is "more potent ... than many competitive best-sellers." This is backed up by a standard six-speed manual or an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) that was designed to deliver outstanding fuel efficiency. Eventually, the company plans on introducing a hybrid model but no details were released.

Riding on a 107-inch wheelbase, the Kizashi features a rigid steel unibody with a reinforced front suspension and multi-link rear suspension that uses several aluminum components. The company promises this setup will ensure "crisp, nimble handling with excellent stability."

The car offers an extensive list of standard safety equipment which includes eight airbags, electronic stability control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake-force distribution, projector beam headlights, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Owners can also equip their Kizashi with an intelligent all-wheel drive system which sends power to the rear wheels as soon as the driver hints a dash-mounted switch.

Kizashi 3 foreshadows a four-door sports sedan that will join the lineup as Suzuki's flagship in 2010. Though much of Suzuki's current product lineup was designed by Daewoo or General Motors, we know their own designers can come up with great small cars -- if they do as well with the production version of the Kizashi 3, Suzuki could become a major player. About time.

Recently, Suzuki has released their new Wagon R. The new Wagon Rs don't lose their signature boxiness, but they wear all-new sheetmetal and sit on a longer wheelbase. The standard Wagon R gets a friendly face with large, tall headlamps, while the sportier-themed Wagon R Stingray gets a chrome grille strip that runs between its thinner, horizontal lamps.

The car is powered by either a normally-aspirated or a turbocharged 660cc engines are offered, mated to either 4- or 5-speed automatics or a CVT, depending on trim level. The turbocharged Stingray with CVT and the car does come with a paddle shifters to give drivers complete control of the car. A snazzier, dark interior with some nifty lighting is also available in the Stingray.