Suzuki is redefining the medium-car market with a dramatic design overhaul of the stunning Kizashi sedan.

The line-up, comprising three models, now shares an identical sports body kit – including an aggressive new stance that sits 10 millimetres lower – making the Kizashi the most stylish medium car in the market.

The options

The entry-level Sport Touring carries an impressive list of standard features, including sports body kit, 18-inch wheels, fog lamps, factory-integrated Bluetooth, seven airbags (including knee airbag), dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start.

The next step up is the Sport Prestige, which introduces a plethora of equipment: heated and powered leather seats; satellite navigation with integrated Bluetooth and reversing camera; front and rear parking sensors; dusk-sensing HID headlamps; rain-sensing windscreen wipers; photo-chromatic rear-vision mirror; and sunroof.

Topping the range is the Sport all-wheel drive (AWD), which boasts an exclusive leather steering wheel and unique silver stitching on the seats. The Sport AWD also features Suzuki’s acclaimed intelligent AWD system, which represents the pinnacle of driving dynamics. Drawing on more than 40 years of engineering expertise, Suzuki has developed the system to maximise the driving experience. It actually anticipates oversteer or understeer and can split the drive to either the front or rear wheels to provide maximum driving enjoyment. This ‘sixth sense’ makes the Kizashi Sport AWD Suzuki’s ultimate expression of driving dynamics.

The features

Power for the Kizashi comes from a 2.4-litre DOHC in-line four-cylinder engine, which realises excellent performance of 131kW at 6,000rpm and 230 Nm at 4,000rpm, with outstanding fuel efficiency.

The Kizashi Sport Touring is available with a six-speed manual or the acclaimed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The Sport Prestige and AWD versions, on the other hand, are available only in CVT, with rally-inspired steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifts. Driving enthusiasts can automatically engage temporary manual mode by shifting either the left-hand paddle (downshifts) or right-hand paddle (upshifts), with the selected gear prominent in the centre stack information display.

The high levels of safety inherent in all Kizashi variants begin with a light, energy-absorbing body, where structures that absorb and disperse impact energy are combined with a deformation-resisting cabin, in line with Suzuki’s proprietary Total Effective Control Technology concept.

That strong body shell is complemented by an array of active and passive safety technologies, including:

– three-point seatbelt with pretensioners and force limiting;

– Anti-lock Brake System (ABS);

– Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD);

– Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS); and

– seven airbags, including head-protecting side-curtain airbags.

Kizashi also incorporates high levels of safety for pedestrians, such as a safety zone between the front hood and engine that allows the hood to deform and absorb impact if a pedestrian comes into contact.

The word from Suzuki

Suzuki Australia Automobiles General Manager Tony Devers is confident the new-look Kizashi line-up can further boost sales of its class-leading mid-sizer.

“Our research shows many small-car buyers have considered Kizashi in the past, particularly the stylish-looking Sport AWD version,” he says.

“With an entry-level price of around $30,000, the new-look Sport Touring model redefines the value equation for these customers.

“Nothing comes close to the new-look Kizashi for features, space and driving dynamics.”