KIZ OF DEATH? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Andy Enright

Introductionword count: 88

It's true. We Brits are prone to a bit of a parochial view. We overstate our own importance in the world and we tend to react badly when we're reminded of our true status. Such a reminder occasionally comes in the form of cars that do very well for their manufacturers in other markets but are clearly not aimed at the UK's very specific set of requirements. Such an example was the Suzuki Kizashi all-wheel drive saloon. Here's what to look for when searching for a used example.

Modelsword count: 4

4dr saloon (2.4 petrol)

Historyword count: 168

Think Suzuki cars and you'll probably think of buzzing superminis and Grand Vitara SUVs. The idea of Suzuki producing a car that might compete with an Audi or even an upper specification SEAT or Skoda doesn't seem particularly credible. Suzuki had other ideas, however, and attempted to convince us that it was able to trade as equals. To that end, it introduced the Kizashi, a really good looking car but a model that was never a great fit for the UK market, being better suited to the US and Australia. This was something of a shame as the Kizashi is an unusual and talented vehicle. Suzuki imported a couple of demonstrator vehicles for the UK press to try and the feedback was almost overwhelmingly positive. As a result, the UK importers dipped their toe in the water with an agreement to bring over 500 cars. Even today, Kizashis are a rare sight but just because a car flops when new doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad used buy.

What You Getword count: 277

Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder and all that, but it's tough to find any beholders who felt that the Kizashi was anything but a really handsome piece of vehicle design. The muscular bulging wheelarches and the sculpted tail pipes combine with a classic long bonnet, stub tailed silhouette with an aggressively rising beltline. It's a smaller car than something like a Mondeo or a Peugeot 508. Think SEAT Exeo or Skoda Octavia and you're not too far off the mark. The interior design is neat without offering too much that's particularly ground breaking. Some of the materials aren't up to the standards of the entry-level cars of the premium brands but it feels far from built down to a price. The one shortcoming really only applies to very tall drivers as the sunroof robs you of an inch or so of headroom. The boot looks small but is a reasonable 461-litres. The Kizashi is seriously well equipped. And the fundamentals smack of quality, the all-wheel drive system, clever CVT transmission and sophisticated suspension being features that its rivals will often lack. You'll spot the handsome 18-inch alloy wheels and the full leather interior, extras which could easily tack a couple of thousand pounds onto the price of some other cars. It doesn't stop there. You'll get seven airbags, high intensity discharge headlights, an electric sunroof, ESP stability control, front and rear parking sensors, electric front seats, of which the driver's seat is 10-way adjustable, keyless entry, an eight speaker stereo with subwoofer, cruise control, USB port and audio controls on the steering wheel. The only option available was a touch screen sat nav.

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