Suzuki Introduces New Kizashi Sedan to the UK, Plans to Sell 500 Cars in 2012

The Kizashi sedan hasn't exactly been a runaway success for the Japanese company, but Suzuki is still trying to expand its reach by entering new markets. Today, Suzuki added Britain to the list of countries that the Kizashi will be soon available.

The mid-size sedan will go on sale in the UK next month with a single petrol engine and pricing set from £21,995. The absence of a crucial diesel option limits Suzuki's hopes for any substantial sale numbers, with the company planning to bring only 500 cars to Britain in 2012.

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New Suzuki Swift Sport with 136HP Priced from £13,500 in the UK

The performance flagship of the new Suzuki Swift model range will go on sale in the UK in January of 2012 with a starting price of £13,500, the Japanese automaker announced today.

The 2012 Swift Sport comes equipped with a new Euro 5 1.6-liter VVT petrol engine that delivers 136HP and a maximum torque of 160Nm (118 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm, with a newly designed 6-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.

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Suzuki Envisions a Global Compact Car with Regina Concept in Tokyo

The good thing with concept studies is that reality doesn't have time to sink in during their creation so designers can pretty much do whatever they want. And while Suzuki's Regina concept may not be to everybody's liking, its groovy -almost Citroen-like- styling won't go by unnoticed.

Suzuki says that the Regina embodies its vision of a next-generation global small car featuring a lightweight construction and impressive fuel economy.

The concept is 3.5-metres long and 1.6-metres wide, while it weighs in at just 730kg (1,609 pounds). According to the Japanese automaker, the quirky looking city car has a drag coefficient at least 10% lower than that of current models of the same size and category.

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New JDM Suzuki Alto Eco Returns up to 32km/L – 75MPG

There's a new frugal kid in town or rather in Japan, the 2012 Suzuki Alto Eco that promises an impressive fuel economy of up to 32km/L (~75.3mpg US or 3.1lt/100km) in the Japanese 10-15 test cycle and 30.0km/L in the JC08 driving cycle.

The most fuel-efficient version of the Alto series is powered by Suzuki's new R06A 0.66-liter three-cylinder engine featuring a start/stop system borrowed from the third-generation MR Wagon. It produces an output of 52-horses at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 63Nm (46.5 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm.

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Breaking News: Suzuki Takes Volkswagen to International Court

Suzuki has just released a press statement saying that, because of the Volkswagen Group's unwillingness to sell back 19.9% of its own shares, it has made the decision to take the dispute to an international court for arbitration, marking the latest episode in a long-standing spat between the two automakers. Read more »

Suzuki in Talks with Mitsubishi for the OEM Supply of MINICAB-MiEV

Leaving its problems with the Volkswagen Group momentarily on the side, Suzuki said on Tuesday that it is pursuing a deal with Mitsubishi regarding the supply of electric mini vehicles on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis from February of next year.

If the two automakers reach an agreement, Mitsubishi will provide Suzuki with the new MINICAB-MiEV, a minicar-class light commercial electric van. The EV will be marketed under Suzuki's own brand name in Japan.

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Unhappily Ever After: Suzuki Says VW Deal is Terminated, Wolfsburg Doesn’t Think So…

Suzuki announced today that the cooperation agreement with VW has been terminated and threatened to take the case to an international court for arbitration if the German company continues to hold on to its 19.9% stake.

“In the absence of VW’s cooperation and given its failure to do what was agreed, there is no basis for the partnership to continue,” Osamu Suzuki, CEO of the Hamamatsu-based carmaker said today. “We will now work to restore the relationship between Suzuki and VW to its original state as independent parties who do not restrict each other.”

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VIDEOS: “Monster” Tajima Breaks 10 Min Record at Pikes Peak with 910-hp Suzuki SX4

Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima has broken his own record at this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb, completing the 12.42-mile (19.9 km) “Race to the Clouds” in just 9:51.278, demolishing the 10:1.408 time he set four years ago.

“Monster” Tajima, who has being racing at Pikes Peak every year since 1988, accomplished this extraordinary feat driving an extremely modified Suzuki SX4 with 910-horses. Second fastest was Rhys Millen in the modified Hyundai PM580, with a time of 10:09.242.

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BMW Takes Top Spot Among Automakers and 4th Overall in New Study for the World’s Most Reputable Companies

A recently released study by research-based consulting firm Reputation Institute, found that BMW is considered the world’s most reputable company in the automotive sector and fourth overall behind Google, Apple and the Walt Disney Company. German automakers in general performed well in the study with Daimler, owner of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart, ranking 7th overall, while Volkswagen finished in 10th place, followed by Honda (29), Toyota (60), Nissan (61) and Suzuki (63). Read more »

New Suzuki Swift gets a Diesel Option in Britain

If you want to be successful in Europe, diesel options are a must for any carmaker, even more so in the mainstream segments. Following the launch the gasoline powered versions of the new generation of the Swift last summer, Suzuki has now added a diesel option to the supermini’s range. The Swift DDiS features a revised 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine rated at 75-horsepower and 190Nm (80 lb-ft) at 1,750rpm. Read more »

Suzuki Cooks Up New Alto SZ-L Special Edition for UK Buyers

A new special edition version of the Suzuki Alto has been released in Britain. Featuring various cosmetic and equipment upgrades, the SZ-L model is available in a limited number of 500 units, priced at £8,170 a piece.

Offered in either Superior White or Bright Red non metallic colours, the Alto SZ-L is based on the SZ3 mid grade model with air conditioning, pollen filter and side airbags fitted as standard equipment. Exterior upgrades include unique wheel caps, black fog lamp surrounds and black 'B' pillar trims as well as SZ-L embossed tailgate trim and black side mouldings.

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More than 5,000 Suzuki Kizashi Sedans Recalled Over Glove Box Glitch

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Suzuki's U.S. division is recalling a total of 5,701 Kizashi sedans manufactured from October 13, 2009 through May 31, 2010. The reason? The safety agency said that the center-lower glove box on the dashboard may open during a crash and possibly cause injury if it comes in contact with the front passengers.

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2011 Suzuki Swift: New Photo Gallery and Complete Specs

You might remember that we reported on the all-new 2011 Suzuki Swift earlier this month, but now we have a fresh batch of photos including the first shots of the supermini's interior as well as the complete spec sheet for both the five-door and the yet to be revealed, three-door version.

Starting with cabin, the pictures reveal that the dashboard design and layout is clearly inspired by the larger Suzuki Kizashi sedan with restrained metallic accents and a similar styling for the center console that houses new switchgear and LCD displays for the audio system and A/C.

As we noted in our previous post, despite the fact that the 2011 Swift is based on a new and longer platform, the car's exterior styling is a subtle evolution of the outgoing model's design.

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New Suzuki Swift Breaks Cover: No Really, It's a Completely New Model

We know many of you will have a hard time believing us just by looking at these photos, but this is not a facelift of any sort; it's actually the all-new generation of the Suzuki Swift and it was unveiled today at the firm's Magyar Suzuki Corporation production facility at Esztergom, in Hungary.

Evidently there's not much to say about the 2010 Swift's exterior styling. We can understand Suzuki's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality to a certain extent - the current Swift is one of best-looking cars in the segment in our opinion- but a fresher approach would have been welcome.

There are no official photos of the interior, but some leaked cell phone pics on the net suggest that the dashboard and center console design of the car are heavily inspired by the Suzuki Kizashi sedan.

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2011 Suzuki Swift Spied Uncovered on Car Hauler!

A keen-eyed driver in Hungary managed to spot the next-generation of the Suzuki Swift without a single trace of camouflage on a vehicle transporter. And if you're wondering how come in Hungary, that's because like today's model, the European market Swift will be manufactured at Suzuki's Hungarian plant in the town of Esztergom, about 60 km north of Budapest.

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New 2011 Suzuki Swift Snagged on Film, Could Debut in Paris This Year

Having presented the new Kizashi sedan, Suzuki is now focused on finishing the development of the new generation of the Swift supermini that was spied here on film during testing in and around the Nurburgring race track.

Riding on a new platform, the 2011 Swift will be slightly bigger than today's model but it will maintain its MINI-like design feel and shape. The most notable styling changes (or at least those that can be seen on the camouflaged cars) concern the more prominent and significantly larger headlamps and tail lights.

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