Autoblog

It's o-kei! Suzuki Palette SW introduced in Japan

Alex Nunez — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:33:00 EST

2009 Suzuki Palette SW - Click above for image gallery

You're Japanese. You have a family. You need a minivan. But minivans are freaking huge, Japan's streets are crowded, and you want something that's a lot smaller and can dart between lumbering dekotora lit up like Vegas. So, you look to a kei minivan because it's teeny tiny. Suzuki's got your back with the Palette, the micro-mini minivan it introduced back in early 2008. It's totally neat in that way all Japanese kei cars are, as its compact size belies interior storage capacity capable of swallowing up literally hundreds of packs of Dentyne, several vintage Super Famicoms, and that box of priceless Chevy Astro brochures you overpaid some American pack rat for on eBay.

One problem: the regular-edition Palette's a bit vanilla to look at. Suzuki has apparently gotten the memo and spiced things up in the traditional manner: a new fascia and more letters in the nomenclature. Hence, we have the Palette SW, which wears a more mischievous anime face, as apposed to the docile-looking, doe-eyed standard grade Suzuki Palette. The other change introduced with the SW is a two-stage CVT that allows drivers to manually select lower or higher pre-programmed gear ratios to place an emphasis on either better acceleration or improved fuel economy. That way, they can wring out every last bit of punch or efficiency the little juice box on wheels can offer.

Gallery: Suzuki Palette SW

[Source: Suzuki (translated)]

It's o-kei! Suzuki Palette SW introduced in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-OKei: Suzuki Palette arrives in Japan

Alex Nunez — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Japan, Suzuki

click image for hi-res gallery of the Suzuki Palette

Suzuki makes and sells a whole lot of kei-class tall wagons in Japan, thanks to the ever-popular Wagon R and all the variants it has produced. The latest micro-minivan to hit the market is the Palette, which the automaker first showed at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. On sale January 30, the Palette is a tall-roofed four-passenger minivan whose key features are dual sliders (with power available on one or both sides, depending on trim level) and its low, flat load floor. Practicality is king with cars like this, but for buyers interested in having added niceties, the list of standard and available features include keyless entry and start, HID headlamps, different stereo options, and trim-grade-specific exterior styling elements. All are typical of Suzuki's kei car offerings, as are the availability of NA or turbocharged engines, manual and automatic gearboxes, and a choice of 2WD or 4WD. Suzuki doesn't mention power outputs for the engines, but assuming the Palette is to be a kei car, the maximum allowable is 64 hp, which you'd get from the turbo. Chalk up another nifty little city car for Suzuki.

[Source: Suzuki]

Gallery: 2008 Suzuki Palette

Gallery: 2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette

A-OKei: Suzuki Palette arrives in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette vs. Daihatsu Tanto

Justin Gardiner — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki

The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
click above image to view just how much legroom this truly mini vans have

Pity poor Suzuki. Japan's vast market for mini vehicles has been dominated by the company since the creation of kei cars in the '50s, but ever since the turn of the millennium, Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu has been taking some serious chunks out of Suzuki's market share. The final straw came at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show when Daihatsu premiered the Tanto -- a kei with minivan-style sliding rear doors and simply astounding amounts of leg room and interior space. Suzuki had to react, so at this year's Tokyo Motor Show it unveiled the Palette (shown above), a car strikingly similar to the Tanto in profile, but with a smidge more legroom.

So balance has been restored to the kei car market then? Nope. Daihatsu has upped the ante by removing the B-pillar from the Tanto (shown at right), creating a mammoth hole through which struggling toddlers can be passed. The ball is back in your court Suzuki.

Gallery: 2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette

Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette vs. Daihatsu Tanto originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2007 Preview: Suzuki Palette

Alex Nunez — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Wagon, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki

Click image to enlarge

In addition to the numerous concepts we've shown you from Suzuki, the automaker will be unveiling a new JDM tall wagon, the Palette. With a wheelbase 40mm longer than the best-selling Wagon R, the Palette offers a little more comfort and a good dose of practicality thanks to a flat floor and dual sliders. Creature comforts such as Bluetooth, an MP3 player jack, and automatic A/C are also a given for Suzuki's new family runabout.

UPDATE: English-language press release added

[Sources: Suzuki, Autoblog Spanish]

Continue reading Tokyo 2007 Preview: Suzuki Palette

Tokyo 2007 Preview: Suzuki Palette originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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