Back in the ‘80s as a youngster the coolest vehicle to drive around in was a bright yellow short-wheelbase Suzuki jeep. It had hardly any power and the poor ride quality got your teeth fillings vibrating.
But the Suzuki had a charm of its own and driving it was a declaration of independence for 20-year-olds. Since then Suzuki have built a name with SUVs and smaller cars which are well built and good value for money.
Enter centre stage, Suzuki’s new Kizashi, a medium-sized model that goes head-to-head with established C-segment sedans such as the Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla in terms of build quality and price.
When our long-term Kizashi arrived I was quite curious to check it out as a friend had been raving about it on Facebook – admittedly she works for a Suzuki dealership – but her enthusiasm for the car was apparent.
The first thing that strikes you is that it really is good-looking in an unoffensive way. And while we wouldn’t necessarily call it a head-turner, on one occasion a couple in a car alongside at a traffic light were showing me the thumbs up.
I took the Suzuki for a weekend of sailing and camping at a dam – which is always a good way to test a car, laden with people and baggage – and I came away from the trip thinking this was a car I could really own. It does everything required of it with a minimum of fuss and it has a feel-good factor.
The advantage of the Kizashi is that although it is is larger than rivals such as the Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Jetta, it competes well on price with them and is actually not that much smaller than more expensive vehicles such as the Mazda6.
It has ample space in the cabin, with sufficient legroom in the back. The cabin is classy without being garish or over-the-top. Although perhaps a bit conservative in styling, the interior should still be looking good a few years down the road with leather seats, nice plastics and brushed metallic finishes.
The instrumentation cluster is user-friendly with easy to use soft-touch switchgear that surrounds the radio and climate control, although the monochromatic displays in the dashboard and instruments are a bit dated compared to some of its rivals.
The Kizashi comes with all the bells and whistles including keyless start and entry, satellite controls for the sound system and cruise control on the steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers and HID headlights. We found the ergonomics to be good and could adjust the ten-way electric front seats to find a comfortable driving position for long spells behind the wheels.
Boot space at 641 litres is good and we were able to load all we needed for a weekend away. The only criticism of the boot is that its large hinges intrude quite deep into the boot when closed, which means you have to be careful not to pack breakable items underneath them when the boot lid is closed – we saved a cooler box from being crushed just in time.
On the road the Suzuki is refined and well mannered, although we did feel that a little more power would be welcomed. The naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre four-cylinder comes from the Grand Vitara SUV, and while it hauls the Kizashi along briskly and smoothly, this is a car that would go well with a kick-ass engine. The 6-speed manual gearbox is a delight to use, with its rifle-cock precision enabling the driver to make the most of the 131kW and 230Nm torque.
The Kizashi is well insulated with very little road or engine noise penetrating the cabin, while the ride quality is good as it soaks up ripples and bumps without becoming mushy. Fuel consumption figures came down as we clocked mileage on it, and eventually settled on 8.2l/100km which is not far off Suzuki’s claimed figure of 7.9l/100km.
VERDICT:
At R295 900, the Kizashi 2.4 SDLX offers a good-looking, well-built car with a lengthy list of standard equipment – unlike some of its rivals which have optional extras that push up the pricetag. -Star Motoring