Behind the Wheel - 2010 Suzuki Kizashi - The Cloak of Invisibility Comes Off - Review - NYTimes.com Franconia, N.H. WHILE Toyota, Honda and Nissan have grown into the American landscape, Suzuki continues to live in the shadows with a profile so low that its products are not even on the radar of many Americans. This could be because the company, whose smaller cars are popular in much of the world, has tended to offer larger but unremarkable products in the United States. The 2010 Kizashi could change that. The Kizashi, which is pronounced KEE-zah-shee and is loosely translated from Japanese as "Something great is coming," goes on sale in December as a "premium sport sedan." Executives at American Suzuki say it is the most important product introduction in the company's 25-year history of selling cars. Suzuki says it is fundamentally changing its strategy, from offering basic transportation appliances - often rebadged vehicles built by Daewoo in South Korea - to Japanese-made cars and trucks that the company promises will look great and be fun to drive. Suzuki needs a lift. Its United States sales, which reached about 102,000 in 2007, are likely to end this year around 40,000, said Jeff Schuster, executive director for global forecasting at J. D. Power & Associates. "Suzuki has a lot riding on this single vehicle," Mr. Schuster said of the Kizashi. And, somewhat surprisingly, the car seems up to the task. With a clever blend of smooth ride and competent handling, the Kizashi can be fun on roads that twist and turn, yet it doesn't beat up its occupants on broken surfaces. It has plenty of power and offers all-wheel drive. It comes with eight air bags and electronic stability control. For its price, the interior is classy. In short, the Kizashi accomplishes the task of making you think differently about Suzuki. Or, more precisely, it may actually make you think about Suzuki. Just settling into the car is a revelation. The interior isn't quite as understated as in a German sport sedan, but it is well executed. The soft-touch plastic on the dashboard has a pebbly texture. The armrest on the storage bin between the seats is cushioned. There is no phony woodgrain trim. The sport seats have good lateral support. Indeed, the interior bore an uncanny resemblance to the one in a Mazda 6 that I drove concurrently with the Kizashi. The Suzuki's size is closer to that of sport sedans like the Acura TSX and Volvo S60 than to the Mazda 6 or Nissan Altima; it is smaller than the Honda Accord. The Kizashi does have more rear legroom than the TSX or S60, though access is somewhat impeded by the wheel well. The folding rear seat, which is split 60/40, is comfortable and includes a pass-through for long items like skis. The head restraints flip forward for better visibility when the back seat is unoccupied. The trunk capacity is 13.3 cubic feet, which is more than the TSX (12.6), but less than the Mazda 6 (16.6). The Kizashi comes in four trim levels: S, SE, GTS and SLS. Except for the SE, all versions come with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic. All-wheel drive comes with only the C.V.T. The SE, which Suzuki expects to be its biggest seller, has only a C.V.T. All models have a lot of standard features, including push-button starter, dual-zone temperature controls and tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. Side air bags for the rear seats are standard on the Kizashi; to get them on the $70,000 Lexus LS 460 luxury sedan, you have to buy an option package. The base front-drive S with a manual transmission starts at $19,734 and the top-of-the-line SLS at $25, 134. For all models, add $1,100 to $1,500 for the C.V.T. and $1,250 for all-wheel drive. I drove two versions of the sporty GTS: a front-drive manual version for $23,234 and an all-wheel-drive model with the C.V.T. ($25,584), a price that includes a power sunroof and 18-inch wheels. Oddly, unlike most of its competitors that offer full-time all-wheel drive, the system on the Kizashi is engaged by pushing a button to the left of the steering wheel. The company said it wanted to give owners the option of operating in the slightly more fuel-efficient two-wheel-drive mode. It is a second-generation system that Suzuki said is quicker and lighter than the one on its SX4. I tested one of the Suzukis here on Route 116, a two-lane highway that preys on suspensions. As it weaves south from Franconia, the road rises, falls, wobbles, twists and turns, sometimes all at once. The car's body lean is well controlled, and when the road falls away, the Kizashi drops over the crest and settles down in one fluid movement. And the nose resisted diving to the pavement under the hard braking needed to stop as a pair of moose crossed the road and scrambled up the bank on the other side. There was a second brake test on the return trip for a mother and baby bear. And, though Suzuki said the brakes were made by the Akebono Brake Corporation, which makes brakes for Japanese bullet trains, they could have been a bit stiffer. Later, in Michigan, I had a chance to drive the Kizashi alongside sporty cars like the Mazda 3, Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Golf. My opinion of the Kizashi remained favorable. In keeping with its sporty aspirations, Suzuki says the electronic stability control system on the Kizashi isn't overly intrusive. Rather, it is programmed not to kick in too soon so it doesn't interfere with enjoyable, slightly aggressive driving. The Kizashi has one engine, a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder rated at 185 horsepower. A Suzuki spokesman, Jeff Holland, said the company had not announced whether a V-6 would be offered, but he conceded that one was being developed. The company has said a gas-electric hybrid will eventually be available. In my testing, I noted a vibration through the steering wheel at around 1,300 r.p.m. The C.V.T., which can be shifted like a manumatic, downshifts quickly and smoothly and has paddle shifters on the steering wheel. I had a chance later to try the 6-speed manual, whose shifter had an annoying notchy feel. I would choose the C.V.T. With the manual, the Kizashi is rated at 21 miles a gallon in town and 31 on the highway. With the C.V.T., the estimate is 23/31 with front drive and 23/30 with all-wheel drive. The question for Suzuki is whether Kizashi sales will be hurt by the poor economy or helped because consumers see the car as a good value. Suzuki, long a bit player in the American market, said its goal was to move from being an alternative to mainstream brands (Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota) to being an alternative to aspirational brands (Mini, Volkswagen, Mazda). That will be a tall order indeed, but certainly the Kizashi is a big step in the right direction. INSIDE TRACK: Not quite a Mazda or VW, but a credible alternative.