Autoblog

Suzuki has teased us with three separate Kizashi concept cars and finally told us that a production vehicle based on the last concept would be coming to America in 2010. Work is apparently underway on the new Camcord competitor, and proof of Suzuki's efforts have appeared in a Southern California parking lot. Although the entire car is covered in camo, a few subtle details, including the grille and profile, appear to keep with the original concept, which garnered a substantial amount of acclaim when it was originally unveiled.

As pointed out by Autofiends, the Kizashi sedan looks a bit smaller than the vehicles it will be competing against, particularly when you consider that the Honda Accord has grown so large that it's now classified as a full-size car, akin to the Toyota Avalon and Buick Lucerne. We welcome the idea of a smaller and sportier option, especially one equipped with an offshoot of GM's 3.6-liter V6, which is expected to join Suzuki's Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive when the production Kizashi debuts next year.


[Source: Autofiends]

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Suzuki is said to be unveiling the Kizashi 3 at next week's New York Auto Show, so we thought we'd refresh our memories about the Manga-styled Kizashi 1 and 2 concepts we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show and Tokyo Motor Show. There's still no information about what powertrain (we've heard talk of a V8) or platform any car derived from the Kizashi concepts would ride upon, but we like where Suzuki's going with the idea. We expect that the Kizashi 3 may be nearly production-feasible, from what Suzuki has to say. Does this mean there's a sports sedan in the offing for Suzuki? Possibly. Or not. For a taste of what it might be like to see one of these cars actually out in the wild, we've turned up some videos of the concepts riding around in a digital world, posted after the jump.

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At the Frankfurt Motor Show last year we met the first Suzuki Kizashi Concept, a large sport wagon proof of concept that looked like a Dodge Magnum had crashed into a box of Anime. Next we encountered the Kizashi Concept 2 at the Tokyo Motor Show, which carried forward the first concept's design theme but applied it to a low-slung CUV body. At the New York Auto Show later this month, we'll meet the Concept Kizashi 3, the most production feasible Kizashi concept to date and the last one in the series. Cast in the form a sport sedan, the Concept Kizashi 3 portends a future performance four-door for the Japanese brand, and we're down with that given Suzuki hasn't played in this space with a decent offering, like, ever. We have no other information on Suzuki's big debut for New York, so no word on what powers it, which wheels are driven or what the interior's like, but we'll find out soon enough when Autoblog goes to Gotham.

[Source: Suzuki]

click above image for more high-res shots of the Suzuki Kizashi Concept

Suzuki unveiled a stunner today at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show called the Kizashi, but unfortunately the automaker had no information to offer about the car in the form of a press release. Sans that important artifact, we can at least comment on the Kizashi's styling, which we liken to a Japanese interpretation of the Dodge Magnum. Kind of a slung back wagon, the Kizashi features a plunging grille flanked by headlights that follow it all the way down to the ground. Out back are a nice set of rear haunches in the form of muscular fenders topped by a C-pillar that leans back at an angle.

What's it powered by? Will it be made? Is Suzuki interested in selling a large car? Who knows, but it's probably in the press release, which if we ever receive will pass along to you. At least we have photos, all of which you can view in the gallery below.

Click image to enlarge.

When we first posted on the Suzuki Kizashi concept set to make its debut next month in Frankfurt, we had no idea what the sedan would look like. Suzuki has now given us a hint in the form of an official sketch, and it's a doozy. The new image is exaggerated in the manner many sketches are, depicting a blazing red machine with a front end that resembles the Maybach Exelero in some respects and a chopped roof so low that it looks like it was made by a hot rodder with a cruel sense of humor. We're sure that in person, the proportions of the car will prove to be far more realistic. Kizashi literally means "prelude" according to Suzuki, a nod to this concept's role as a preview of a forthcoming production car.

[Source: Suzuki]