You Can Kiss My Kizashi

Saw the commercials and finally saw one in the metal, on the road. I'm talking about the Kizashi. To be quite honest- you have to look hard to see a Suzuki in the wild... This one, reminds me of a slightly shrunken, "poor-man's" version of an Infiniti G37 which is a lot of car for the money- and about twice as much as the Kizashi; base-line Kizashi to a nicely equipped G37. Which is as skewed a comparison as I've ever heard- but then again- it works, if you want it to.

Suzukis are good cars, but for some reason or another- their mass appeal just isn't there. Maybe it still has a lot to do with Consumer Reports finding the Suzuki Samurai's propensity to roll-over back in 1988? Or maybe they're just a bit quirky?

I have a good friend and fellow-car guy who hinted they may be pulling-out of the US market- I mean- I don't know how anyone makes a living selling cars these days- let alone Suzukis. Maybe their motorcycles and ATVs are what keeps them afloat. I think I just answered my question here...

But I'm not here to spread rumors- just wonder a little bit. What the hell are they thinking? Kizashi?

The Kizashi is Suzuki's flagship sedan of sorts- it's a mid-size, so, the flag masts are short on this ship. For the record, Kizashi means "omen" in Japanese.

Looks like a neat little car- good styling, good amenity, in a very competitive segment too I might add.

Some other published auto mavens are even comparing the Kizashi to the prior generation Acura TSX and Subaru Legacy of a few years back; both the TSX and the Legacy have gotten much larger in recent years to swim in larger, Accord and Camry segments.

All-wheel-drive is optional, something not seen on a lot of similar cars its type. All-in-all, seems like a tidy package- yet- this is not the first Suzuki to come in a tidy package.

This car, I think, will make or break them once and for all... But what the hell were they thinking giving it a name like Kizashi?

Sounds like something exotic you order at a sushi place... Or maybe it's that new multi-grain cereal you should be eating? Maybe they just want you to finally forget the Samurai once and for all?

Maybe it's the Suzuki you should be driving, but really... A name may not say a lot about the car it represents- but for brand recognition... it works. If you want it to.