Globe Drive

Let's get the name out of the way right off the top.

Kizashi has nothing to do with an obscure form of transcendental meditation, is not Japanese for "Gesundheit," and isn't a brand of organic breakfast cereal. It apparently means "something great is coming" and is the name of Suzuki's newest mid-size, or intermediate, sedan.

Given the market it's entering, the Kizashi will need some greatness, because it's up against well-entrenched mid-size sedans such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Mazda6 and Nissan Altima. You could probably throw in the Chevrolet Malibu and Subaru Legacy while you're at it.

If this isn't the most hotly contested segment of the market in Canada, it's a close second and the competition is fierce and cutthroat. Interestingly, almost 50 per cent of this market is controlled by Japanese manufacturers.

So what has Suzuki done to make the Kizashi stand out in the crowd? In a nutshell, all-wheel-drive.

When it hits Canadian showrooms late next winter or early spring, all models will have AWD as standard equipment. It's accessed via a dashboard-mounted button, located to the left of the steering wheel. Press the button and, hey presto, you've got AWD.

Although fuel economy is slightly inferior with all four wheels churning, handling and traction are dramatically enhanced, and the system delivers power and traction to the rear wheels almost instantly. Suzuki is calling this their i-AWD system, and it's unobtrusive and effortless.

Power for the Kizashi is delivered via a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder that develops 180 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. This is essentially the same engine found in the best-selling Grand Vitara SUV and is mated to a CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission) only, in Canada.

Other worldwide markets may get a six-speed manual, but at this point, it's ixnay for the stick shift in the Great White North. That's kind of a shame, because this car could use a manual transmission alternative, as we discovered during some handling manoeuvres during the launch in Niagara.

CVTs are fine in some applications, but tend to be snatchy and don't always deliver instant power when you really need it. Although Suzuki's version of this transmission also has a manual shift mode, with steering-wheel-mounted paddles, it's arguably the car's weakest point, especially when you consider that Suzuki is pitching the Kizashi as a sports sedan, with a high fun-to-drive factor.

Otherwise, the Kizashi can hold its own with most of its competitors when it comes to braking, handling and NVH (noise, vibration, harshness). That said, most of the competition is available with a V-6 engine option, but the Kizashi will not be offered with one, which is curious, since Suzuki has an available V-6 utilized in the recently discontinued XL-7 that they could probably adapt.

According to Suzuki Canada president, Seiichi Muruyama, the Kizashi was styled in part by Giorgetto Guigiaro's ItalDesign studios, but completed in-house. Suzuki has used ItalDesign's services before, with the Verona sedan, and the result this time is a muscular-looking, compact body style with the same approximate dimensions as the Honda Accord.

The car was also apparently put through its paces on the Nurburgring track in Germany and on back roads in the United Kingdom during the R&D process, and Suzuki's benchmarks were comparable sedans from Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen. Indeed, you can see some stylistic similarities with the VW Jetta and Alfa 159.

"The Kizashi lets us leverage our all-wheel-drive heritage," Muruyama adds, "and it has an all-new platform."

This year marks Suzuki's 100th anniversary, and while it has a substantial presence in the motorcycle market, it is also, according to Muruyama, the world's ninth-largest car maker and is hugely popular in other parts of the world, especially India, where it owns some 50 per cent of the market.

In Canada, Suzuki's biggest claim to fame is the Grand Vitara, which accounts for 80 per cent of the company's sales. "But the intermediate sedan market is the second-biggest market in Canada," adds Bill Porter, Suzuki Canada vice-president of sales and marketing, "and the fun-to-drive factor has been missing in this market. We see the Kizashi changing that. It will be the most substantial car ever built by Suzuki."

It will also be the most upscale vehicle the company has put forward, with things like air conditioning, one-touch up/down front power windows, keyless entry, push-button start, four-wheel disc brakes, ABS and 18-inch wheels and tires coming standard.

Available extras include leather interior, climate control, power driver's seat, heated front seats, rear park assist, a vehicle dynamics control system, Rockford-Fosgate stereo and Bluetooth integration.

Suzuki Canada is currently making up its mind about the Kizashi's various trim levels and will be announcing its pricing structure some time next year. Unofficially, it will likely start in the $30,000 neighbourhood. "Think of how much the competition is selling its models for, and we'll be right in the thick of it," Porter says.

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2010 SUZUKI KIZASHI

Type: Mid-size five-passenger sedan

Base Price: $30,000 (estimated)

Engine: 2.4-litre, four-cylinder

Horsepower/torque: 180 hp/170 lb-ft

Transmission: CVT

Drive: All-wheel-drive/Front-wheel-drive

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 8.7 city/6.3 highway (FWD)

Alternatives: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata

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Like

• On-demand AWD
• Pleasing body style
• High equipment level
• Decent handling

Don't like

• Needs a manual transmission option

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