Booking of the Kizashi has already commenced, requiring a deposit of only INR50,000 ($1,100), while deliveries are to begin in March 2011. The Indian carmaker is hoping that selling it under the Suzuki brand in India will help create a luxury carmaker image for the brand. Manufacturing will take place at Suzuki’s Sagara plant in Japan, so the Kizashi will be sold in India as a Completely Built-up Unit (CBU).
The car is powered by a 4-cylinder, 16-valve 2.4-liter DOHC engine sourced from the Grand Vitara. However, improvements to the VVT unit have resulted in a power output of 175 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque (230 Nm). The standard transmission is a 6-speed manual gearbox and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) being offered as optional. The Kizashi comes with eight standard airbags and it meets the side impact 2014 pole test.
The Kizashi is already on sale in the United States since July 2009 and in Japan since October 2009. It is still too early to predict if it will be popular among Indian customers, as it is pitted against more evolved and establishes brands in the mid-sized sedan segment. A hybrid version is rumored to be underway, but it should not arrive in India this year.
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