Sport as in sporty!
Of course, the sedan we came to try out showed a good dose of sportiness, too. For starters, the automatic CVT has been replaced by a six-speed manual transmission.
After all, the Kizashi takes on one of the hottest segments of the Canadian auto market (1 out of 4 new vehicles purchased in the country is a midsize sedan), including the likes of Camry, Accord and Mazda6. It desperately needs to stand out, which is why the folks at Suzuki used some of the best European sedans as benchmarks.
"We didn’t try to build a new Camry, Accord or Mazda6. We decided to create a zoom-zoom car with more zoom-zoom," explains Porter.
Enhanced styling
The new Kizashi Sport adds exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels and a slightly-stiffer suspension resulting in a 10-mm lower ride height.
Obviously, in true sport fashion, the model receives a beefier front fascia with fog lights, a body kit and a very subtle lip spoiler in the back.
Inside, the all-black leather upholstery (seats, steering wheel, shift knob) features exclusive silver accent stitching — nice. Just like the upscale SX, audio consists in an excellent Rockford Fosgate Premium sound system with nine speakers plus subwoofer. The Kizashi S still boasts eight speakers, which gives you an idea of the equipment level in standard trim.
But forget about features and amenities for a second; the interior fit and finish is simply remarkable. In fact, I could say the same thing about material selection and noise levels, which compare favorably to the quietest from Toyota. Your ears will notice such attention to detail whenever you push the feisty yet fairly discreet four-banger, even at higher revs.
Of course, the sedan we came to try out showed a good dose of sportiness, too. For starters, the automatic CVT has been replaced by a six-speed manual transmission.
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| Unlike the SX model, which comes with all-wheel drive and an automatic CVT, the Kizashi Sport uses a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
After all, the Kizashi takes on one of the hottest segments of the Canadian auto market (1 out of 4 new vehicles purchased in the country is a midsize sedan), including the likes of Camry, Accord and Mazda6. It desperately needs to stand out, which is why the folks at Suzuki used some of the best European sedans as benchmarks.
"We didn’t try to build a new Camry, Accord or Mazda6. We decided to create a zoom-zoom car with more zoom-zoom," explains Porter.
Enhanced styling
The new Kizashi Sport adds exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels and a slightly-stiffer suspension resulting in a 10-mm lower ride height.
Obviously, in true sport fashion, the model receives a beefier front fascia with fog lights, a body kit and a very subtle lip spoiler in the back.
Inside, the all-black leather upholstery (seats, steering wheel, shift knob) features exclusive silver accent stitching — nice. Just like the upscale SX, audio consists in an excellent Rockford Fosgate Premium sound system with nine speakers plus subwoofer. The Kizashi S still boasts eight speakers, which gives you an idea of the equipment level in standard trim.
But forget about features and amenities for a second; the interior fit and finish is simply remarkable. In fact, I could say the same thing about material selection and noise levels, which compare favorably to the quietest from Toyota. Your ears will notice such attention to detail whenever you push the feisty yet fairly discreet four-banger, even at higher revs.
 |
| Included is an excellent Rockford Fosgate Premium sound system with nine speakers plus subwoofer. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |