It’s shorter than the temper of a Catholic school matron, and it’s Toyota’s opportunity to reign in the Smart fortow’s success. The new iQ is shown here in its European production-ready state. The diminutive car has a couple of extra seats over the fortwo, so it’ll compete with other small cars like the Kia Picanto and Suzuki Swift.
The new generation Suzuki Alto mini-car is set for a New Zealand launch next year.
The stylish five-door hatchback goes into production in October and makes its world debut at the Paris international motor show the same month.
Destined to be a significant international car, the new front wheel driven Alto is the fifth world strategy car from Suzuki, following the success of the Grand Vitara, Swift, SX4 and Splash models.
Suzuki expects annual production of the Alto to reach 960,000 by 2010, with around 100,000 units destined for European markets.
As the smallest world car yet from Suzuki, the highly efficient Alto is totally in tune with today’s needs.
The thrifty car is characterised not only by low running costs but also for its strong styling and European flair.
Prominent ornate headlights, a bold front end with a deep grille, teardrop roofline, high metal-to-glass ratio and flared wheel arches provide a highly distinctive look for the new Alto.
“This fresh styling creates a sense of dynamism even when the car is stationary,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand Limited. “We have every reason to be highly enthusiastic about the arrival of this new car which we expect to have here by mid 2009.”
The new Alto is based on the funky A-Star concept car, recently shown at a number of international motor shows.
Powering the latest Suzuki passenger car will be a Euro 5 compliant one-litre engine with CO2 emissions lower than 109 grams/kilometre.
The lightweight, aluminium K10B engine displaces 996cm3 and has three cylinders.
Alto was a pioneer of mini-cars in New Zealand, with the first generation version going on local sale in 1979.
The early models were built in many countries worldwide and were also assembled in New Zealand into the eighties. Alto played a significant role in establishing the brand locally as an automobile manufacturer.
Suzuki is the leading international manufacturer of mini-cars in the world and the twelfth largest motor manufacturer. The marque is represented in 190 markets and has achieved nine years of consecutive growth.
In addition to the unveiling of the new Alto in Paris, Suzuki will also display two hydrogen fuel-cell models — the SX4 FCV and the Crosscage which has an air-cooled fuel-cell system.
The Paris International Motor Show (Mondial de l’Automobile) is the venue for Suzuki Motor Corporation to exhibit the new Alto and two new ‘fuel-cell’ concepts.
The all-new Alto builds on the strengths of Suzuki’s knowledge of small-car development. It combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. The new compact car offers light weight achieved through downsizing yet provides ample interior roominess and comfort. For the compact body, Suzuki designers tailored a stylish, sporty and youthful look that simultaneously exudes solidity and urban energy. It is perfectly matched to European tastes and supports a low drag coefficient. With overall higher levels of quality, comfort, and safety, the all-new Alto is a response to the needs of today’s motorists.
Suzuki seeks to further strengthen the environmentally conscious advantages of its products and aims for further reductions of their impact on the global environment. One way to achieve this is fuel cell technology. The latest two fuel-cell models will be exhibited in Paris: the first is the SX4 FCV and is equipped with a GM-made high-performance fuel cell stack, a Suzuki-developed 70MPa hydrogen tank, and a light, compact capacitor. The second is the “crosscage” that features a simple, compact, and lightweight air-cooled fuel-cell power system from British specialist company Intelligent Energy, plus a high-performance lithium-ion secondary battery.
The Alto is yet to be confirmed as a starter for the New Zealand Suzuki line-up.
A new flagship version of the popular Suzuki Jimny has been added to the New Zealand line-up.
The Jimny Sierra replaces the JLX model and has a higher level of standard specification and increased safety equipment which includes Five-spoke, 15-inch diameter aluminium alloy wheels, shod with 205/70R tyres, anti-lock brakes, new seat upholstery fabrics and two new body colours.
While the Jimny can play the off-road game quite well, the small size of the car makes it easy to use in the city also.
Unlike most Sport Utility Vehicles, the Jimny has a strong, separate full-frame chassis and selectable four-wheel-drive with high and low gear ratios. This provides ten forward gear ratios and two reverse ratios for optimum use off road.
A Drive Select transmission allows the driver to shift from two wheel drive to four wheel drive on the move at speeds up to 100 km/h. All wheel drive is selected by the simple touch of a button on the dashboard.
There is 190mm of ground clearance for versatile use in difficult conditions, and a relatively short 2,250mm wheelbase enables the Suzuki to reach places inaccessible by larger four-wheel-drives.
The legendary go-anywhere ability of this smallest Suzuki vehicle has long proved a Jimny asset. The vehicle has a maximum approach angle of 42 degrees, departure angle of 46 degrees and ramp-over angle of 31 degrees.
Powering the Jimny is an efficient M13A 1,328cm3 four-cylinder motor, producing 63 kW of power and 110 Nm of torque.
The engine incorporates variable valve technology and has four valves per cylinder, twin overhead camshafts and multi-point fuel injection.
In the official combined fuel test cycle the manual 5-speed Jimny Sierra returns 7.2 litres/100 km while the automatic averages 7.6 litres/100km.
Dual front air bags, air conditioning, electrically operated windows and power assisted steering are standard.
Height adjustable front seat belt anchorages, front seat belt pre-tensioners, a collapsible steering column, side impact protection beams and steering lock are included in the standard safety equipment.
The Jimny Sierra SN413V manual launches in New Zealand with a recommended retail price of $20,500, with the automatic priced at $21,990.
A manual only entry-level Jimny retailing at a budget-beating $16,990 is still part of the local Suzuki line-up.
The Sierra nameplate has been used by Suzuki in selected export markets for several years, but this is the first time it has been marketed in New Zealand.
One of the rising stars in the New Zealand new car market is being tested in an advanced and highly efficient form.
The Suzuki SX4-FCV (fuel cell vehicle) is about to undergo testing on Japanese roads after being shown at the recent G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit conference.
Suzuki has previously built three fuel cell vehicles since it began work on this technology seven years ago, and says the SX4 is the best performing FCV car the company has developed. The experimental SX4-FCV has received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Land and Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for testing on public roads.
Suzuki is developing fuel cell vehicles in partnership with General Motors, and tested an MR Wagon-FCV and Wagon R-FCV in 2003 and a second MR Wagon-FCV in 2004.
The SX4-FCV five-door hatchback uses a GM-made high performance fuel cell, a Suzuki-developed 70 MPa (10,000 psi) compressed hydrogen tank and a light, compact capacitor.
This recovers energy during braking application and uses it to reduce load consumption during acceleration.
Suzuki Motor Corporation is seen as a dark horse in fuel cell technology by developing vehicles on several different fronts to compete with large motor manufacturers.
The experimental SX4-FCV has a driving range of 250 kilometres and a top speed of 150 km/h.
The Suzuki Swift, New Zealand’s best selling small car, has achieved an international milestone. Production of the most successful car ever produced by Suzuki recently topped the one million barrier and continues to increase. The Swift surpassed the one million level three years and eight months after the first unit rolled off the line in Japan.
A truly world car, the compact hatchback is built not only in Japan, but also in Hungary, China, India and more recently Indonesia and Malaysia. Swift production for the New Zealand market is sourced from Japan where 361,676 of the first million units were produced.
Year to date sales of new Swifts in New Zealand are up 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2007. The Swift is third best selling new car overall in year to date sales.
Swift has been a major factor in Suzuki realising record sales in New Zealand, and the model is on target to exceed 3,000 units in 2008.
Inspired by European design and driving manners, the Swift has been a hit in every market where it is sold.
Soon after the launching in Japan home market sales figures for the model were twice original forecasts.
More than 306,000 of the current generation Swift have been built at the Suzuki plant in Hungary which supplies most of the European markets. More than 37,000 Swifts have been sold in the United Kingdom and demand for the model has boomed in India where local production has topped 241,000 and the car has been a best seller.
This is the third time I’ve had a Suzuki and had to do a long journey with passengers. This time it was to Leigh for a trip to Little Barrier Island. I’m not an avid ornithologist, but I am partial to birds.
What I’m not partial to, though, is choppy water and a small boat. Unfortunately that’s exactly what was in store, and it was a radical departure from the benign, cruise control-enhanced ride the Suzuki SX4 Sedan had afforded us on the 80-minute drive from Auckland. Enduring the turbulent trip I needed something to take my mind off the impending nausea. Unfortunately I couldn’t think of enough to say about the SX4 to last the whole journey.
As a car it ticks all the boxes for a sensible and fairly bland vehicle for fleet use, or a small family/couple that want a new mid-sized car on a budget.
The styling is more likely to appeal to the older generation compared to its hatchback sibling, which looks more stylish. We reviewed the SX4 Sporthatch in 2007 and we found it to be quite a capable car. The addition of a boot and the inclusion of narrower tyres and smaller hubs have changed the SX4’s driving dynamics, though. It doesn’t handle as well, suffering slightly more understeer and more noticeable tyre sidewall flex. The Sedan rolls on 195/65R15 tyres with 15-inch wheels compared to the Sporthatch’s 205/60R16 with 16-inch wheels.
Sporting a willing 107kW 2-litre engine with 184Nm of torque, the four-door Suzuki is fairly frugal for a two-litre (we averaged 8.8l/100km), but also has enough power for most motoring requirements. The five-speed manual gearbox has a positive action, snicking into place easily. Its throw is a good length, and the ratios suit the engine’s power and torque, with only steep hills and tubby passengers thwarting acceleration attempts.
The Sedan is not as tall coming in at 1545mm against the Sporthatch’s 1630. This doesn’t seem to affect headroom or getting in/out of the car. It is 25mm wider, though, and 35kg lighter (kerb weight).
I’d never seen so many kereru in one place before going to Little Barrier, but I could have fitted an entire flock of the chubby pigeons in the boot of the SX4. It is the SX4’s strongest point as it’s bigger than a Ford Falcon’s boot at 515 litres. It’s made more useful with split folding rear seats that allow for longer loads. The rear legroom is mildly compromised by the large boot, though.
Interior appointments are in keeping with a car in this price bracket — climate control air conditioning, eight-speaker MP3-compatible stereo with steering wheel controls, pollen filter, and leather wheel — as are the safety features (ABS, EBD, six airbags, brake and clutch pedal decoupling, and seatbelt pretensioners).
On a day-to-day basis (assuming you’re happy with the exterior styling which we think looks a little ugly and dated from the side), the only irritating thing about the SX4 is the keyless entry and start feature (which, incidentally, Phil Clark liked when he drove the SX4 Sporthatch, proving that one of us is wrong). It’s one of those one-touch, leave it in your pocket jobbies which means that the right doors are never open unless you are standing nearby or have pressed the unlock button twice. I’ve had these types of keys before, but they’ve never been so obstructive.
So, what have we got then with the SX4 sedan? According to Suzuki it’s slightly quieter than the Sporthatch because of the boot, and it will appeal to fleet buyers because the sedan boot can hide items out of the sight of would-be thieves. Dynamically, it’s not quite as good as the Sporthatch, but it’s still fun. The great thing about the cheaper Suzukis is that you can easily and safely explore the limits of them — something I thought was great about the Jimny. This makes them a perfect choice for learner drivers, and a reasonable amount of fun on the twisting blacktop. And the price – at $24,500 – is just a little barrier to ownership.
Click through to the next page for full specs of the Suzuki SX4 Sedan
Price: from $24,500 (manual; $25,990 automatic)
Words Darren Cottingham, photos Roelien Du Plessis
| COMFORT | |
| Power steering | O |
| Electric windows | O |
| Vertically adjustable tilt steering wheel | O |
| Remote control door locking with answer back (including tailgate) | O |
| Keyless entry with keyless start system | O |
| Climate control air conditioning | O |
| Heater and pollen filter | O |
| Audio – Tuner/CD/MP3/WMA stereo with eight speakers | O |
| Steering wheel audio controls | O |
| Cruise control | O |
| INSTRUMENT PANEL | |
| Tachometer | O |
| Illuminated instrument panel with dimmer | O |
| Digital clock | O |
| Outside temperature gauge | O |
| Fuel consumption gauge | O |
| Lights-off / key reminder | O |
| Door-ajar warning lamp | O |
| Fuel warning indicator | O |
| Driver’s seatbelt warning lamp | O |
| INTERIOR | |
| Cabin lights: front map; 3 position centre cabin; and 2 position luggage | O |
| Sun visors x 2 (with ticket holder & vanity mirror) | O |
| Day/night rear view mirror | O |
| Cup holders Front: 4 / Rear : 3 | O |
| Leather-bound steering wheel | O |
| Cloth seat material / door trims | O |
| Front seats: Driver’s footrest (AT only); lever-type seat height adjuster (driver’s side); under-seat tray (front passenger’s side); and seatback pocket (passenger’s side) | O |
| Rear Seats: 60:40 split folding; and adjustable head restraints x 3 | O |
| Assist grips | 4 |
| Front door storage pockets / arm rests | O |
| 12v accessory socket | O |
| Remote fuel lid opener | O |
| EXTERIOR | |
| Body Kit: Front lower spoiler; lower side mouldings; and rear lower spoiler | O |
| Multi-reflect halogen headlamps | O |
| Front fog lamps | O |
| Green tinted windows | O |
| Outside door mirrors: Body-coloured; and electrically adjustable (manually flat fold type) | O |
| Windscreen wipers: Front – 2-speed variable intermittent and washer | O |
| Rear window demister | O |
| Body-coloured front and rear bumpers / door handles | O |
| 195/65R15 tyres with aluminium alloy wheels | O |
| SAFETY & SECURITY | |
| ABS with EBD and brake assist | O |
| SRS dual front airbags | O |
| Driver and passenger side airbags | O |
| Front and rear curtain airbags | O |
| Side impact beams | O |
| Collapsible steering column | O |
| Brake and clutch decoupling mechanism | O |
| Front ELR seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters | O |
| Rear 3-point ELR seatbelts x 3 | O |
| ISO FIX child seat anchorages x 2 | O |
| Child seat tether anchorages x 3 | O |
| Child-proof rear door locks | O |
| Engine security immobiliser | O |
| Driver’s door security unlock | O |
| DIMENSIONS | ||
| Overall length | mm | 4510 |
| Overall width | mm | 1730 |
| Overall height | mm | 1545 |
| Wheelbase | mm | 2500 |
| Track Front | mm | 1500 |
| Track Rear | mm | 1495 |
| Ground Clearance | mm | 165 |
| Minimum turning radius | m | 5.3 |
| WEIGHTS | ||
| Curb weight | kg | 1215 |
| Gross vehicle weight | kg | 1675 |
| ENGINE | ||
| Type | J20A | |
| Cylinders | 4 | |
| Number of valves | 16 | |
| Displacement | cc | 1995 |
| Bore X stroke | 84.0 x 90.0 | |
| Compression ratio | 9.5 : 1 | |
| Maximum Output (EEC net) | Kw/rpm | 107/5800 |
| Maximum Torque (EEC net) | Nm/rpm | 184/3500 |
| Fuel distribution | Multipoint injection | |
| TRANSMISSION | ||
| Drive System | 2WD – Front wheel drive | |
| Type | 5 speed Manual / 4 stage Automatic | |
| CHASSIS | ||
| Steering | Power assisted rack and pinion | |
| Suspension | Front | MacPherson strut & coil spring |
| Rear | Torsion beam | |
| Brakes | Front | Ventilated disc |
| Rear | Drum | |
| Tyres | 195/65 R15 | |
| CAPACITY | ||
| Seating | persons | 5 |
| Luggage capacity | litres | 515 |
| Fuel tank | litres | 50 |
An Easter break was what I needed to soothe my aching wrists and blurry eyes so off we headed to Napier. The Art Deco capital is guaranteed sunshine pretty much all year round but is 425km away, the last third being the hilly Napier-Taupo highway. If I’d had more foresight I could have organised a car with twice as many ponies under the bonnet — I was feeling like I was Hannibal, the road was the Alps and I’d neglected to organise elephants, instead having to settle for an asthmatic Labrador with a gammy foot. We packed light, and I’d implored Jen to go on a crash diet so that we weren’t left crawling up the hills like a house bus, spewing toxic plumes.
Leaving on the Thursday at 12 from the North Shore the Swift’s first test was spaghetti junction which was crammed with other people who had a similar idea to us. Nudging along in stop-start waves the Swift had no chance to live up to its name. At this rate we would reach Napier tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes as the saying goes.
Traffic cleared substantially after the Coromandel turn off and the Swift could stretch its legs. My expectation of the first large hill was that we would end up slipping backwards down the ranks as streams of traffic shuffled us like a croupier to the back of the pack but it wasn’t the case. Frequently a hill would see us gradually drop from 100(ish) to 90kph, at which point the Suzuki changes down and acceleration resumes, as long as the pedal is buried into the firewall. We would have struggled with more luggage and/or passengers, though.
The Swift was a pleasure to drive as long as overtaking wasn’t a top priority. On the open highway and in the city, the Swift’s handling is perfect. Around town the Swift’s 75kW gives it a useful turn of speed. And, if the word didn’t evoke crabs, Suzuki perhaps should have called it the Nippy, because that’s what the Swift is — highly manoeuvrable with good visibility and the right size to fit in tight car parking spaces.
On the inside my main gripe is the sea of greyness that stretches like the hide of one of Hannibal’s elephants across the dashboard. In a car of this price you have to expect fairly hard plastics, but at the Swift desperately needs some accenting to spice up the blandness and the only respite is the Sony head unit with detachable face. This single-CD stereo is MP3 compatible and has an input for an external portable music player, and unfortunately crows all kinds of visual messages constantly on its LCD even while turned off. Other than that, this base Swift model just comes with the basic requirements: air conditioning and a couple of airbags.
Passengers can be carried in the rear if they have short legs, or the driver and front seat passenger have short legs.
Having put the Swift through its paces for the best part of a thousand kilometres and achieving an average of 6.9l/100km it’s not hard to see why it is the top selling small car in New Zealand. Personally I’d have the manual Swift Sport reviewed here, or even the cheaper manual XE to give me a bit more control, but for $18,500 the price is right, the styling is right, and the handling and performance are great if a funky new car with a responsive chassis and city-friendly automatic gearbox are on your wishlist.
Price: from $16,990 (manual), $18,500 (auto)
Words and photos Darren Cottingham
| COMFORT | XE | LTD |
| Power steering | O | O |
| Tilt steering | O | O |
| Electric windows – front & rear | O | O |
| Electrically adjustable exterior mirrors | O | O |
| Central door locking | O | O |
| Remote-controlled door locks with hazard answer-back | O | O |
| Audio – Radio/CD | 4 Speaker | 6 Speaker |
| Air Conditioning with pollen filter | O | O |
| INSTRUMENT PANEL | XE | LTD |
| Tachometer | O | O |
| Light-off/key reminder | O | O |
| Driver’s seatbelt warning lamp | O | O |
| Fuel warning indicator | O | O |
| Door ajar warning lamp | O | O |
| Tripmeter | O | O |
| 3-spoke steering wheel & Steering lock | O | Leather |
| Information display : | ||
| Digital clock | O | O |
| Outside temperature gauge | - | O |
| Fuel consumption gauge | - | O |
| INTERIOR | XE | LTD |
| Cabin light – 3 position / Luggage area light | O | O |
| Cupholders – front 2 / rear 1 | O | O |
| Sun visors – both sides | O | O |
| Ticket holder & vanity mirror – driver’s side | - | O |
| Centre console box | - | O |
| Day/night rear view mirror | O | O |
| Cloth seat material / Cloth-accented door trims | O | O |
| Height adjuster – driver’s seat | - | O |
| 60:40 split tumble-folding rear seat | O | O |
| 3 rear seat head restraints | O | O |
| 3 assist grips | - | O |
| Front door trim pockets | O | O |
| Front seatback pocket – passenger’s side | - | O |
| Front seat undertray – passenger’s side | - | O |
| 12 volt accessory socket | O | O |
| Convenience hook on passenger’s seat back | - | Grey |
| Rear luggage shelf | - | O |
| Remote fuel lid opener | O | O |
| EXTERIOR | XE | LTD |
| Halogen headlights | O | O |
| Body-coloured bumpers, mirrors, door handles | Bumpers only | O |
| 2-speed wipers with variable intermittent | O | O |
| Rear window demister & wiper/washer with intermittent | O | O |
| Rear centre aerial | O | O |
| Electromagnetic tailgate opener | O | O |
| UV cut glass – front doors | O | O |
| Black coloured A & B pillars | O | O |
| Front fog lamps | - | O |
| Wheels & tyres : | ||
| 185/60R15 steel wheels with wheelcaps | O | - |
| 185/60R15 alloy wheels | - | O |
| SAFETY | XE | LTD |
| Dual Airbags | O | O |
| Side Airbags | - | O |
| Front and rear curtain airbags | - | O |
| Head impact protection pad | O | O |
| Shift lock & key interlock – AT only | O | O |
| ABS with EBD and Brake assist | O | O |
| Decoupling mechanism for brake and clutch pedals | O | O |
| Height-adjustable seatbelt anchorages | O | O |
| Seatbelts – Front – 3 point ELR with pre-tensioners | O | O |
| Seatbelts – Rear – 3 point ELR x 3 | O | O |
| High-mounted stop lamp | O | O |
| ISO-FIX child seat restraint system | O | O |
| Child seat tether anchorage – 2 seats | O | O |
| Child-proof rear door locks | O | O |
| Immobiliser | O | O |
| Side impact beams | O | O |
| DIMENSIONS | ||
| Overall length | mm | 3,760 |
| Overall width | mm | 1,690 |
| Overall height | mm | 1,500 |
| Wheelbase | mm | 2,380 |
| Track Front | mm | 1,470 |
| Track Rear | mm | 1,480 |
| Minimum turning radius | m | 4.7 |
| Ground Clearance | mm | 140 |
| WEIGHTS | ||
| Curb weight | kg | 5M/4AT 1040/1060 |
| Gross vehicle weight | kg | 1,485 |
| ENGINE | ||
| Type | M15A with VVT, 16 Valve | |
| Cylinders | 4 in line | |
| Displacement | cc | 1490 |
| Bore X stroke | 78.0 x 78.0 | |
| Compression ratio | 9.5:1 | |
| Maximum Output (EEC net) | Kw/rpm | 75/5900 |
| Maximum Torque (EEC net) | Nm/rpm | 133/4100 |
| Fuel distribution | Multi-point injection | |
| Fuel type | 91RON | |
| TRANSMISSION | ||
| Type | Manual | 5 speed all synchromesh |
| Automatic | 4-stage electronicallycontrolled | |
| Final drive ratio | 5M/4AT 4.105/4.144 | |
| CHASSIS | ||
| Steering | Power assisted rack & pinion | |
| Suspension | Front | MacPherson strut & coil spring |
| Rear | Torsion beam & coil spring | |
| Brakes | Front | Ventilated disc |
| Rear | Drum, leading & trailing | |
| Tyres | 185/60R15 | |
| CAPACITY | ||
| Seating | 5 | |
| Fuel tank (unleaded 91) | Litres | 45 |
| Luggage capacity | Rear seatback raised | 201L |
| Luggage capacity | Rear seatback folded | 494L |