Spied: Suzuki Gets Aggressive
It's a tall order
By Paul Horrell
Suzuki plans to triple North American annual sales from 80,000 to 250,000 in five years. That's a tall order because it means biting into Hyundai's and Kia's growth. But the company plans to roll out a fleet of imaginative new vehicles to help it succeed, according to Hirotake Ono, board member in charge of U.S. and European marketing.
First up for the U.S. is the 2006 Grand Vitara, now on sale in Japan as the Escudo. The five-seater maintains true off-road capability, but becomes more civilized on-road. Equipped with a 2.7-liter V-6, its body is integral with its box-section frame, and the front- and rear-suspensions mount to subframes.
Three big launches make 2008 Suzuki's Big Year
• Mid-2007, Suzuki replaces the XL-7 with a bigger five- and seven-passenger SUV designed for North America. Based on the 2005 Concept X Detroit show car, it uses the Saturn Vue's Theta platform. A 3.6-liter Japanese-built V-6 based on GM's high-feature engines will power the 192-inch-long truck.
• A 2008 Verona replacement will again be built at GM's Daewoo facility in South Korea.
• A 2008 Aerio SX replacement, codenamed New Sport Crossover (pictured) plays a big role. A 2.0-liter engine will power the front-drive U.S. version. The body was "mainly designed" by Italdesign Giugiaro and finished in Japan. Based on an all-new platform, it employs front struts and a rear torsion beam and exhibits little body roll despite its tall bodywork. Suzuki and Fiat versions go on sale in Europe next year, and Ono expects a hybrid-powered version in calendar-year 2008.
A new sport/utility wagon, with a transverse-engine front-drive layout and all-wheel-drive capability, is set for the 2009 model year. Ono says it matches the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series wagons in size but not in price. It'll also have the 3.6-liter twin-cam V-6. Meanwhile, U.S. dealers chose not to take a car as small as the new Swift, until they saw what it looked like. Too late. They'll have to wait until a new 2010 model. Finally, Suzuki wants a sports car, though it hasn't decided on a layout. Accountants nixed a front-drive two-seater for 2007, in part because it was designed just for Europe and Japan. A new project entails the U.S. market, but again not before 2010.