2004 Suzuki Verona Road Test

The lower part of the central stack is covered in faux woodgrain, no worse in appearance than any other imitation wood façade, houses the capable audio system that boasts a 6-disc CD changer right in the dash and a cassette player to boot, while a row of functional or dummy switches, depending on the specific car's options, are laid out underneath. My test Verona included a button for fog lamps and one adjacent for turning on the heated mirrors. A sophisticated looking chrome embellished gated automatic shifter sits on the lower console, complete with a hold feature that keeps the 4-speed automatic's selected gear in place while negotiating tight corners at enthusiastic speeds. The transmission also features an adaptive control feature that actually learns personal driving patterns and adapts the shift intervals

The one-piece upper dash is attractively designed and molded out of leather-look soft-touch plastic. (Photo: Suzuki Motors)

accordingly. Wow, that's impressive for this class. The only negative with this unit was its fairly obvious need for an extra cog. I hate to sound like I'm just jumping on the anything-higher-than-four-speed automatic transmission bandwagon, but the extra gear really makes a difference when it comes to maintaining the engine's sweet spot.

The central stack is covered in faux woodgrain, no worse in appearance than any other imitation wood façade, and houses a capable 6-disc CD audio system. (Photo: Suzuki Motors)

On the positive the car actually handles pretty well. It's no BMW 3-Series or Infiniti G35 or anything, and most likely wouldn't fare too well side by side with a similarly equipped Honda Accord, but considering much lower price all I expected was an appliance for getting from A to B. Its prowess through the corners has everything to do with its front MacPherson struts and rear multi-link suspension setup, together with gas-charged shock absorbers. A fancy speed-sensing power steering reduces turning effort while parking and increases it at highway speeds, making the most of the car's chassis hardware.

Suzuki fits the Verona with standard 4-wheel disc brakes that do a good job of stopping, unless in panic situations in the wet. When road surfaces are slippery its optional anti-lock system, not available on the GL but standard on the pricier GLX model, does a commendable job bringing the large sedan to a complete stop quickly.