Kizashi a 'headache' : Suzuki
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 4:30 am
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-ne ... 2yq4s.html
(Australian news)
Kizashi a 'headache': Suzuki
Date
December 5, 2013
David McCowen
Motoring Writer
Mid-size sedan unlikely to be replaced.
The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.
The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.
Suzuki is unlikely to replace its mid-size Kizashi sedan following the model’s failure to gain traction with buyers.
Australians are buying record numbers of new cars, but less than 5000 people have taken home a Kizashi since 2010 - a number that Toyota’s Corolla can reach in little more than a month.
The brand’s Australian managing director, Masaaki Kato, says the Kizashi was compromised by poor timing.
Suzuki developed the car during a boom phase for the company just before the global financial crisis hit the US in 2009.
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“That’s my headache,” Kato says, “Kizashi was a very unlucky car.”
“We had so many arguments about the question: how to handle Kizashi.
“At that time, frankly speaking, we should not have introduced the car into the market in 2009.
“But you see, we made a big investment to develop this car… after heavy and hard discussion, we decided to introduce this Kizashi.”
Kato says Suzuki started work on a turbocharged performance Kizashi and also planned V6-powered and wagon versions of the car before “all the plans completely disappeared”.
He suggested a new Kizashi could be too much investment for too little return.
The car’s future was not helped by Suzuki’s decision to pull its automobile arm out of the US in 2012, along with the implosion of an agreement with Volkswagen to develop cars for emerging markets.
But only part of the Kizashi’s sales struggle can be blamed on its circumstances.
The sedan commands a steep price - from $29,990 plus on-road costs - and its 2.4-litre engine uses almost 50 per cent more fuel than mid-size rivals such as the Mazda6.
Kato says Suzuki is considering a local restructure for the Kizashi that could see prices drop, but could not say how far prices would fall.
(Australian news)
Kizashi a 'headache': Suzuki
Date
December 5, 2013
David McCowen
Motoring Writer
Mid-size sedan unlikely to be replaced.
The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.
The Suzuki Kizashi's future is murky.
Suzuki is unlikely to replace its mid-size Kizashi sedan following the model’s failure to gain traction with buyers.
Australians are buying record numbers of new cars, but less than 5000 people have taken home a Kizashi since 2010 - a number that Toyota’s Corolla can reach in little more than a month.
The brand’s Australian managing director, Masaaki Kato, says the Kizashi was compromised by poor timing.
Suzuki developed the car during a boom phase for the company just before the global financial crisis hit the US in 2009.
Advertisement
“That’s my headache,” Kato says, “Kizashi was a very unlucky car.”
“We had so many arguments about the question: how to handle Kizashi.
“At that time, frankly speaking, we should not have introduced the car into the market in 2009.
“But you see, we made a big investment to develop this car… after heavy and hard discussion, we decided to introduce this Kizashi.”
Kato says Suzuki started work on a turbocharged performance Kizashi and also planned V6-powered and wagon versions of the car before “all the plans completely disappeared”.
He suggested a new Kizashi could be too much investment for too little return.
The car’s future was not helped by Suzuki’s decision to pull its automobile arm out of the US in 2012, along with the implosion of an agreement with Volkswagen to develop cars for emerging markets.
But only part of the Kizashi’s sales struggle can be blamed on its circumstances.
The sedan commands a steep price - from $29,990 plus on-road costs - and its 2.4-litre engine uses almost 50 per cent more fuel than mid-size rivals such as the Mazda6.
Kato says Suzuki is considering a local restructure for the Kizashi that could see prices drop, but could not say how far prices would fall.
Cars just make that easy. 