Suzuki offering free gas for summer with SX4 purchase

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Suzuki

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki is getting in on the free gas bandwagon that Hyundai kicked off this year by launching a "Free Gas for Summer" promotion on all SX4s sold between now and August 31st. Of course, it pays to read the fine print - what the purchaser really gets is a pre-paid credit card loaded up with $270 for the SX4 Sedan or $290 for the slightly less fuel efficient SX4 Crossover.

Whether or not this incentive is really "free gas for summer" depends on how much you plan to drive over the next three months or so. Still, it's a relatively pain-free way for Suzuki to advertise "Free Gas!" and it's still a few hundred bucks off the running costs of the car.

Along with the aforementioned sales promotion, Suzuki has also announced that it's offering $2,000 in customer cash off the price of any SX4 sold with a manual transmission, which we found to be a willing partner in eking out the most performance from the little runabout and much more desirable than the four-speed slushbox when we tested it last year.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport with TRIP

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Suzuki offering free gas for summer with SX4 purchase originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler criticized for $2.99 gas, Suzuki jumps on bandwagon

John Neff — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Green, Chrysler, Suzuki

We knew critics of Chrysler's $2.99 Gas Guarantee would crawl out of the woodwork before too long, and here they come. Automotive News reports that The Union of Concerned Scientists has called Chrysler's program a "cynical deal", noting that at today's current average price of $3.61/gallon, a customer would save about $400 a year under Chrysler's program. Being the smart folk they are, the scientists also pointed out that customers could save the same amount from a 3 mpg bump in fuel economy over 15,000 miles or a year of driving, and that better fuel economy also continues saving the customer money after three years. Damn, scientists are so smart with the math.

The criticism hasn't stopped Suzuki, however, from announcing its own free gas deal. For vehicles purchased between May 1st and June 30th, Suzuki is offering 0% financing and three months of totally free fuel in its "Free Gas for Summer" program. Buyers will basically get a stored-value credit card that's charged with a different amount of money depending on the model purchased.

These incentive programs are nothing but promotions designed to grab headlines and make buyers feel like they're getting more money back than they actually are. Playing off the media's hysteria over high gas prices, Chrysler (and Suzuki) is betting buyers will feel that paying $2.99/gallon for three years is more valuable than a $2,000 cash back rebate. Trust the math, it's really not. Nevertheless, it will likely sell more Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles than a boring $2,000 rebate would.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Chrysler criticized for $2.99 gas, Suzuki jumps on bandwagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 May 2008 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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