October 2010: American Suzuki

[Drew Dowdell]

AMERICAN SUZUKI OCTOBER 2010 SALES UP 17 PERCENT

• Suzuki celebrates first year-over-year sales increase in 27 months
• Kizashi sales up 22 percent over September .

<center> <table width="573" border="1" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="1" frame="BELOW" rules="GROUPS"> <col width="120"> <col width="4"> <col width="36"> <col width="36"> <col width="78"> <col width="44"> <col width="44"> <col width="66"> <col width="0"> <col width="3"> <tbody> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="6">

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td colspan="3" width="180">

OCTOBER

</td> <td colspan="3" width="184"> CYTD

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="7">

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 2010

</td> <td width="36"> 2009

</td> <td width="78"> MTD VS.

</td> <td width="44"> 2010

</td> <td width="44"> 2009

</td> <td width="66"> YTD VS.

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="8">

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36">

</td> <td width="36">

</td> <td width="78"> MTD PRIOR YR.

</td> <td width="44">

</td> <td width="44">

</td> <td colspan="2" width="71"> YTD PRIOR YR.

</td> <td width="3">

</td> </tr> </tbody> <tbody> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> GRAND VITARA:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 348

</td> <td width="36"> 276

</td> <td width="78"> 26%

</td> <td width="44"> 3,722

</td> <td width="44"> 6,767

</td> <td width="66"> -45%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> EQUATOR:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 114

</td> <td width="36"> 78

</td> <td width="78"> 46%

</td> <td width="44"> 1,197

</td> <td width="44"> 2,111

</td> <td width="66"> -43%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> SX4:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 994

</td> <td width="36"> 1,229

</td> <td width="78"> -19%

</td> <td width="44"> 9,240

</td> <td width="44"> 18,494

</td> <td width="66"> -50%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> KIZASHI

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 583

</td> <td width="36"> 0

</td> <td width="78"> 0%

</td> <td width="44"> 4,540

</td> <td width="44"> 0

</td> <td width="66"> 0%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> XL7:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 4

</td> <td width="36"> 159

</td> <td width="78"> -97%

</td> <td width="44"> 304

</td> <td width="44"> 4,122

</td> <td width="66"> -93%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="5"> FORENZA/RENO:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 0

</td> <td width="36"> 3

</td> <td width="78"> 0%

</td> <td width="44"> 12

</td> <td width="44"> 3,764

</td> <td width="66"> -100%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> <tr valign="BOTTOM"> <td width="120" height="4"> TOTAL:

</td> <td width="4">

</td> <td width="36"> 2,043

</td> <td width="36"> 1,745

</td> <td width="78"> 17%

</td> <td width="44"> 19,015

</td> <td width="44"> 35,263

</td> <td width="66"> -46%

</td> <td colspan="2" width="9">

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </center>

2010 Suzuki Auto Product Line

Suzuki Auto’s versatile line of vehicles includes the spirited four-door SX4 Sport, all-wheel-drive five-door SX4 Crossover, SX4 SportBack athletic hatch, refined Grand Vitara compact SUV, award-winning Equator pickup truck and performance-oriented Kizashi. Every vehicle in the line provides Suzuki’s standout virtues of durability, leading-edge style and high-end features at very competitive prices. All 2010 Suzuki automobiles are backed by America’s #1 Warranty: a 100,000-mile/seven-year, fully transferable, zero-deductible powertrain limited warranty.

[regfootball]

how many dealers do they have now? i will guess less than 200. that is hard to move product without dealers.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

Just like Mitsubishi they just keep on hanging on...

[regfootball]

that new outlander sport is pretty nice. i liked the one i drove last week. Its a more quality piece than that new Sportage.

[Robert Hall]

I can't recall seeing any new Suzukis on the road in a long time...still never seen a Kizashu in the wild.

[Cory Wolfe]

Kizashi's are pretty popular when you have a Suzuki dealer nearby, such as Altoona.

[balthazar]

I had to google what a Kizashu looks like- too anonymous for me to say I've seen any.

[Intrepidation]

I like the Kizashi. It won't win point for originality, but at least it isn't ugly like most Japanese midsizers. It's also supposed to be very good to drive.

Maybe when Mitsubishi folds because the only other new product they have is going to be that electric car no one will buy, Suzuki can pick up the dealer network.

[regfootball]

Kizashi's are pretty popular when you have a Suzuki dealer nearby, such as Altoona.

once you drive one, the exterior starts to look better, the exhaust cutout highlights help.

it's not a 'looker', but at least it looks aggressive.

it's unique, and these days a unique inexpensive car that is fun to drive is rare.

i am not sure i would ever purchase one, when new altimas are going for 16 grand. but a good lease deal would alleviate trade in value fears, and would minimize the cost of 3 years of a better than typical driving experience in this segment.

i know this seems like a bizarre comparison, but its not much more price than a Cruze, or Jetta, and its got more room and more zoom. the mpg is not as good as the compacts, but i think its tweener size and sportiness hit a unique place in the market that it deserves to at least have a cult following.

[A Horse With No Name]

once you drive one, the exterior starts to look better, the exhaust cutout highlights help.

it's not a 'looker', but at least it looks aggressive.

it's unique, and these days a unique inexpensive car that is fun to drive is rare.

i am not sure i would ever purchase one, when new altimas are going for 16 grand. but a good lease deal would alleviate trade in value fears, and would minimize the cost of 3 years of a better than typical driving experience in this segment.

i know this seems like a bizarre comparison, but its not much more price than a Cruze, or Jetta, and its got more room and more zoom. the mpg is not as good as the compacts, but i think its tweener size and sportiness hit a unique place in the market that it deserves to at least have a cult following.

It really is a very decent car.

oddly enough, I went in and looked at one, very impressive.

Trade ins on the Kizashi? Someone traded in a low mile 76 Mercedes Benz diesel, another Kisashi trade was a brand new V6 Camaro, another was an Evo-Mitsubishi, and another was a Porsche Cayenne SUV, older and higher miles...

Obviously, if people who drive interesting cars are trading interesting stuff back in to buy them, that says something about the car.

[regfootball]

suzuki' existence here is almost entirely dependent on that car.

they got the car right, it just seems they can't shuffle the deck fast enough to get the support behind it.

Suzuki needs to bring the Swift here ASAP. I would ditch the Equator, and find a replacement for the Grand Vitara.

The SX4 is not a bad rig, but the freaky front windows is a deal breaker. SX4 is almost a Fit replacement, they just erred on the design of the car in ways they should not have.

Creative, focused, targeted marketing could at least propel the sales of the car to the 25k level, and if they brought the Swift they could sell 10-20k of those. For a brand on life support, that would be progress.

[A Horse With No Name]

Yes it would...but for as nice as the Kisashi is...we really don't need one more player in a crowded market.

Hoping they go belly up here in this market....

Edited November 14, 2010 by 66Stang

[regfootball]

go drive one......you won't want a fusion, or a cruze, .....

Edited November 14, 2010 by regfootball

[daves87rs]

Maybe I should try one...