Top Suzuki Executive – Kizashi in India very soon

A top level Suzuki executive has confirmed that the highly anticipated Suzuki’s flagship sedan Kizashi will hit the Indian shores in the not too distant future. “The Kizashi is going to be sold in India. I do not think the launch in India is that far in the future,” American Suzuki Motor Corp (Automotive Marketing and Public Relations) Vice-President Gene Brown told PTI on the sidelines of the Chicago Auto Show here. Brown did not give any further details about Kizashi in India since he is not in charge of the Indian market.

Kizashi is Suzuki’s first entry into the luxury mid size segment and what a first attempt it has been for Suzuki. Shown as a concept, the Kizashi was to spawn several variants from an all wheel drive sports model with a V6 to a stylish station wagon, but Suzuki has pared down all the investment due to the recession. Now that the market is picking up, we can expect Suzuki to introduce the Kizashi in newer markets to increase its sales figures and show people what Suzuki is really capable of.

Kizashi has been on sales in the American market since December 2009 and has so far sold close to 400 units there. He also added that Suzuki commands half of the market share in India, which is a key market for the company, where it operates with its Indian partner Maruti. Maruti has always suffered in taking its cars upmarket but we dont find any such problems with the Kizashi. The car is fantastic enough to speak for itself. If people can recall, the Kizashi is said to have been benchmarked against the likes of BMW 3 series and Mercedes C-class.

AutocarUK also gave a big thumbs up tot he Kizashi and mentioned in their test drive report that the Kizashi sports one of the best quality and raved about its strength in the ride and handling department. All in all, the Kizashi will be a big success for Maruti.

Suzuki is showcasing all four trim levels of the 2010 model Kizashi at the 102nd edition of the Chicago Auto Show that began today and will continue till February 21. The models on display include entry-level Kizashi S, priced between USD 18,999 and USD 21,749 and luxuriously appointed SLS model ranging from USD 24,399 to USD 26,749.

We hope Maruti either localises the Kizashi to some extent or go in for CKD operations so that the costs are in check so that a good car does not turn out to be a flop. Maruti better learn from companies like Nissan (Teana and X-trail) and Mitsubishi (Outlander). Being India’s best automaker and a company that understands the Indian customers well, we are expecting a lot from Maruti.

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ET