In one of several meeting, Suzuki said that it was aiming the all-new Kizashi against well-established sports sedans such as the MINI Cooper, Volkswagen Passat, and Mazda6.
They achieved it.
The two hour* long drive from Carolina Inn to the Virginia International Raceway showcased both sides of the Kizashi’s personality both as transport and a fun-to-drive car. The AWD kept it firmly planted to the rain-soaked road at freeway speeds. When pressed into tight corners, though, it hugged the pavement as befitting a sports car tested on Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack. We never felt any of the Kizashi’s many safety features engage as we looped it around the VIR.
The standard 2.4 liter, four-cylinder engine provided more than enough sufficient power with 185 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. Our only concern was how loud the standard Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT, sounded on the freeway. Otherwise, the Kizashi’s solid chassis and sound-suppressing features made it easy to converse in normal conversational tones or listen to music on the (optional) Rockford Fosgate audio system.
Next Up: Final Thoughts
*We, uh, got lost at several points along the drive.
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