New York show: Suzuki to build Kizashi

SUZUKI has confirmed it will build a sporty new mid-size sedan derived from the Kizashi concept design, which appeared last week at the New York show in near-production form (despite the 21-inch wheels).

The Concept Kizashi 3 appeared alongside its two earlier design studies – the first of which appeared six months ago at the Frankfurt show and the second of which followed just one month later at Tokyo.

Suzuki makes no secret of its ambitions for the new five-seater, which will be the company’s flagship model and is designed to build the company’s image, primarily in the US.

Known as a maker of motorcycles and small vehicles, Suzuki wants to compete in the larger sedan market against the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, but its statement that the Kizashi-based model will “provide an accessible alternative to the near-luxury segment” suggests it will also be pitched against European cars like the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5.

Suzuki will build the new sedan at a new plant under construction in Japan and has promised to have the car on sale by 2010.

Like the Tokyo concept, the New York show car was fitted with a 224kW 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. It rides on a 2800mm wheelbase and is 4650mm long, 1900mm wide and 1450mm high.