Suzuki Kizashi will struggle
Suzuki’s new flagship, the Kizashi saloon, has a lot in its favour. For example, the styling’s great, on-demand all-wheel drive comes as standard, equipment levels are generous and prices - which start from £21,995 - are competitive.
However, all of that is likely to be ignored by most potential customers because of the Kizashi’s oddball powertrain. The only engine available is a petrol 2.4 litre four-cylinder from the Grand Vitara SUV, and it’s connected to a continuously variable transmission.
In Europe at least, cars in this sector have to have a credible diesel option if they’re not to remain firmly stuck to the showroom floor. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the Kizashi’s figures clearly illustrate why that’s the case.
A power output of 175 bhp (130 kW / 178 PS) and 230 Nm (169 lb/ft) of peak torque aren’t anything special, and neither are a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 127 mph (204 km/h).
But that mediocre performance is nothing compared to its poor efficiency: combined cycle fuel consumption is only 34.0 mpg (8.3 l/100km), while CO2 emissions are a horrendously high 191 g/km.
That puts the Suzuki in Band J for UK road tax purposes, meaning a hefty £245 annual charge. It also gives it a company car tax percentage of 27%, which will probably be enough to put off most business users.
Unsurprisingly, Suzuki’s aspirations for the Kizashi are appropriately modest, although ironically its rarity might be an attraction for some.
Nevertheless, the case for buying it appears thin when comparison is made to more mainstream competitors, such as the 160 bhp (119 kW / 163 PS) 2.0 litre diesel Mondeo.
The Ford has similar performance to the Suzuki, with 0-62 mph taking 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h), yet its combined fuel consumption is 53.3 mpg (5.3 l/100km).
Just as importantly, the Mondeo produces 139 g/km of CO2 which results in a Band E road tax charge of £115 per year, and its company car tax percentage is a much more reasonable 19%.
Related posts:
New Suzuki Swift Sport
Diesel Suzuki Swift DDiS
However, all of that is likely to be ignored by most potential customers because of the Kizashi’s oddball powertrain. The only engine available is a petrol 2.4 litre four-cylinder from the Grand Vitara SUV, and it’s connected to a continuously variable transmission.
In Europe at least, cars in this sector have to have a credible diesel option if they’re not to remain firmly stuck to the showroom floor. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the Kizashi’s figures clearly illustrate why that’s the case.
A power output of 175 bhp (130 kW / 178 PS) and 230 Nm (169 lb/ft) of peak torque aren’t anything special, and neither are a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 127 mph (204 km/h).
But that mediocre performance is nothing compared to its poor efficiency: combined cycle fuel consumption is only 34.0 mpg (8.3 l/100km), while CO2 emissions are a horrendously high 191 g/km.
That puts the Suzuki in Band J for UK road tax purposes, meaning a hefty £245 annual charge. It also gives it a company car tax percentage of 27%, which will probably be enough to put off most business users.
Unsurprisingly, Suzuki’s aspirations for the Kizashi are appropriately modest, although ironically its rarity might be an attraction for some.
Nevertheless, the case for buying it appears thin when comparison is made to more mainstream competitors, such as the 160 bhp (119 kW / 163 PS) 2.0 litre diesel Mondeo.
The Ford has similar performance to the Suzuki, with 0-62 mph taking 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h), yet its combined fuel consumption is 53.3 mpg (5.3 l/100km).
Just as importantly, the Mondeo produces 139 g/km of CO2 which results in a Band E road tax charge of £115 per year, and its company car tax percentage is a much more reasonable 19%.
Related posts:
New Suzuki Swift Sport
Diesel Suzuki Swift DDiS
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You're right it's going to struggle. We've compiled the reviews and ratings for it and they're very poor:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.carbuzz.co.uk/car-reviews/Suzuki/Kizashi
It's actually the lowest scoring car launched in 2011. It seems that introducing a low priced saloon is one of the hardest sectors of the market for small manufacturers to attempt.