Someone round corner from me had one about 5 years ago I never really knew it's name I just thought it was the swift saloon of the time🤔 not a bad car to be fair.
Ha! Kizashi was my first thought after seeing the thumbnail 😊. I fancied the car a couple of years ago. It was one of the few solid competitors to countless Octavias in my region. Never really sold well, but offered excellent value. Also, I think, they were all built in Japan with excellent built quality.
This was actually released here in India over a decade ago. It was considered to be a luxury car with commendable features. Sadly, because of Suzuki's brand value, no one wanted to pay so much money for a (Maruti) Suzuki. So, it was discontinued.
Even here in Singapore, it wasn't popular due to its high price tag and the brand appeal isn't strong for the price tag commanded against its direct competitors...
I have heard of the Suzuki Kizashi and they are very good reliable cars. Brand snobs are stupid and by buying a BMW, mercedes or Audi miss out on cars without "prestige"badges that in many cases are technically superior, better to drive and are more reliable.
We had Kizashi in South Africa, it came in 2 wheel drive, 2.4 engine CVT or manual, for the size of engine, the efficiency was not bad. I think it came at the wrong time in our country where Suzuki was seen as amateur car brand specialising in motorcycles. But this was actually a good car that never enjoyed attention it deserved, Now Suzuki cars dominate our streets and we no longer have Kizashi, very rare to see. Great reviews as always..
Agree with your 'Amateur' comment. Honda was considered the same when it started making cars, but they persevered. In my opinion Suzuki seems to be much more conservative. I think the Kizashi is a great car and we had many in Australia, however, from memory, it was priced a bit high against the competition. Maybe too soon for Suzuki to 'climb' the car ranks. I've always had Suzuki motorcycles and I rate them very highly.
Quite popular, relatively speaking, in Australia. Great little sedan. Suzuki threw a lot into this little cars development and specification, hoping to go mainstream, but sadly Mazda and Toyota volumes remained out of reach for the brand.
Have been watching the channel for a while and I was wondering when this little gem would Pop up. I've had my kizashi for 5 years. It's a 2014 with 55000 miles. Never misses a beat. Why did Suzuki ever stop making this beauty. ,??
I had only heard of it recently as someone left a comment about it on one of your earlier vids where you went through autotrader from A-Z and didn't give it a mention for some reason.
I have a 2.4 engine 2014 Grand Vitara, 5 door.... owned 5 years as well. Never had a problem, the engine is super quiet, i need to look at the rev counter sometimes to make sure it's still running when sitting at traffic lights. Might have a go at a Kizashi as a second car if one comes up, missed one a while back, even rarer here in N.Ireland.
What a good looking car. Really surprised how under the radar suzuki are. Such is the power of the Germany dominated motor media industry in Great Britain.
Kizashi Sport owner here. I love mine; so comfortable, great sound system, hugely practical. I take your point about moving up the car ladder but, IMO, I can't spot a better car at anywhere near the price point
I had heard of the Kizashi, but the name and being a saloon was as far as it went, I definitely did not know it was AWD. It’s quite a handsome car in that black and looks well loved. I wonder if this is a bit like the Kia Stinger GT; a bit of a hidden gem. I’d be interested in a full “should you buy” in depth review.
One Kia Stinger GT parked in the local car park last week, amongst the 80 BMW 3 and 60 AUDI . Plus the 100 Nissan fake 4x 4s...oh and about 10 Strange Rovers.
I have a kizashi. They are not all AWD, only the top trim. The other options are FR auto or manual. Also it's not a fast car, it's not meant to be either. It's compared to the Camry, Sonata, Civic etc, normal passenger cars. Nowhere near a Stinger.
as someone who has one its def a good buy, gets like 38 mpg when i drive in 2wd mode at like 50mph. best stock sound system ive ever heard too. comes with nice features like heated seats and electric sunroof
Enjoyed this episode Matt. Lots of awd Kiashi's in Switzerland. My wife bought a used one when we lived there near St Moritz. AWD and 100% reliability meant -40C, snow and ice not a problem. It partnered my (also bought used) 3.6 awd Skoda Superb Embrach estate perfectly. Both great, quick, quite rare and reliable cars (although Swiss police used the Skoda 3.6 estates as motorway pursuit cars). Much better than Audi or BMW IMHO (no badge snobs here). Suzuki was sold on when we left but still got the Skoda a decade later and running like a dream down in the south of France.....
J'en possède une en Suisse également en 4WD.Méconnue mais tellement efficace,fiable et attachante.Elle n'a rien à envier aux Audi,Bmw et autres Mercedes de puissance équivalente.Seule différence,elle roule sans discontinuer mais jamais pour aller au garage pour des pannes à répétition comme les 3 marques précitées..et pas mal d'autres marques également!!
Hi Matt. These were readily available here in Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf region (especially UAE) and were frequently used as rental cars or private taxis. Very popular with people here who came from the Indian subcontinent where they were assembled as built-up units and sold as Maruti Kizashi long after Japanese production stopped. Here in Qatar, they are still seen regularly and have a reputation for being reliable runarounds with younger drivers. Mostly sold as 2 wheel drive automatics although you do see the occasional 4 wheel drive one knocking about. Decent looking car and definitely stand out against the sea of Land Cruisers and Pajeros (Shoguns).
Howdy Matt. As a new subscriber from the US, I wanted to let you know your content rocks! When I finally get the chance to migrate to the UK, your shop is going to be my first stop. Trust me when I say I will be buying my very first wrong side drive car from you my friend. Keep up the excellent videos! I’ll see you as soon as I get my nursing license ready to transfer!
Suzuki's are awesome cars! I had a friend who was doing an apprenticeship at a Suzuki dealership and he had to change dealer as those cars so never came for anything that he wasn't actually learning anything apart from oil change ^^ 😂
We had these here in the States. I feel like they sold better over here. This was the last new Suzuki car we had before they left the US auto business.
the 'sport' was one of 2 trim levels you could get on the kizashi, the other one being the '16v', which only one has ever been on the roads in the UK, being likely written off in 2016 as it was the last year it was registered :)
We had them here in Canada and the word at the time was that it was quite a good car and much under rated. This is Suzuki left the North American market in 2011. I still see some around and they are in very good shape!
Angus McKenzie did a road trip in this 2.4 Kizashi from Tokyo to L.A. back in 2010 or so. I have driven this twice in Pakistan, and I really liked it. This was a Camry/Accord competitor but due to poor marketing by Suzuki, they could not beat the other Japanese brands.
Yep....Heard of the Kizashi, but being a Suzuki owner I'm quite familiar with the range....Glad to see you get one Matt makes a change from the German stuff! 😜😜
We have a Suzuki dealer round the corner from our house tied to a petrol station, while filing up about a year ago they had one on the lot, just stood staring at it wondering wtf it was, and I think I’m pretty versed in the world of cars !
I like it abit different from the mainstream stuff we get in the UK. To put things in to perspective My street has 52 houses on it I would say closer to 80% drive German cars. We are proper badge snobs in this country your right
Yes indeed. I actually went to the local dealer in Jamaica to have a closer look at it and was actually thinking of buying one back in 2013 or so. It was also sold in the US as the last new design that Suzuki had before they pulled out of the market. It's a beautiful design that should have sold well, but it really didn't. I put it right up there with the last SAAB 9-5 as a design that we never got to see enough of before things went horribly wrong.
You hit the nail on the head Matt. Badge snobbery just shows how little some people know about what they buy. These were relatively more common down under and competed against Honda and Toyota but just at the time fuel prices went mad so sales were only average. A family member still has one and swears by it. We get lots of imported ( and knackered ) BMWs here and people flock to them when this would be much better. Glad to see you don’t have the anti Japanese attitudes of many car sites and keep finding gems.
Really liked the look of the Kizashi. Don't think it sold well in the UK as it just had one choice of engine resulting in quite high a Tax band to run. And probably it just wasn't an SUV..
Wasn't expecting kizashi, but you're right about it being somewhat uncommon - they didn't sell a whole lot in Aus either. Always take a good look whenever I spot one. Pretty underrated cars. I think they just look a bit too quirky for most people. Almost bought one at one point actually. Ended up with a crown hybrid instead.
I remember this car. Its front end design closely resembles the VW Jetta Mk V (2005-2010), certain elements like the fog lights are almost an exact copy. A few Kizashis are around in Germany, but due to the CVT and not being offered as a Diesel, it did not have a chance back then. Suzukis are rare here, anyway. Saw one on the road a couple of weeks ago.
Always knew you had a secret 'yen' for Japanese cars Matt, was just about to say Kizashi should make you lots of cashi!!, then you treated your brother to a real bargain-very nice well done. Front end reminded me of a bull nosed Morris, wonder how many of your viewers have heard of that eh!!Cheers, Peter.
They are quite common in Australia, and a good looking car. Pretty much all cars in OZ are autos, so not uncommon, however the Kizashi was meant to be the next step up from the Swift, but it was introduced into a very full market. Given there are over 50 different brands for sale here, it struggled to become the next Camry/Civic/etc. Still quite a few sold, but only lasted one iteration. Like most sedans here they have been overwhelmed with SUV's. Still, I would have one, Suzy's are very reliable.
I have one (in Australia) the reason why it didn't sell was because it was expensive compared to what it considered its competitors (Camry, Sonata, Civic etc.). It's a nice car but the Nissan CVT can be troublesome.
You have sorted your brother out and me as well my search for my next car is finally over thanks mate. First time hearing of it first time seeing it just wow what a car!
Great video Matt. I'm a fan of Japanese cars, (not newer Nissan). The ones that I've owned including my current one appear to be built solidly. I've not owned a Suzuki, but I really like the look of this car, and the spec is impressive. Given what you've shown us in the video, I'd have certainly taken a punt on this model. A great result for you and your brother. Very different, and interesting video. Regards, Derek, Scottish Highlands.
Beautiful car! Just bought one used, 2011 in very good condition. Very happy so far! Also had never heard of the Kizashi so did alot of research and checked to make sure parts were still readily available as the car was discontinued in 2013-14 in Canada and US I believe. Quite rare in Canada it seems. Never seen or heard of.
I really like this. Makes a nice alternative to the run of the mill Audi. BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Not sure I'd turn down a Lexus in its favour, but I'd certainly give it serious consideration. Would make a perfect under the radar car. Hope your brother enjoys it.
Badge snobs is right. What a sweet car. A really sweet spec and actually decent stying. Cheers for showing us this. A real cracker. Forgot to ask what's it like for parts?
I've always liked the Kizashi, I really like it's looks and uniqueness. I think it might have been pitched as a sort of luxury car when new but it failed because it was much more expensive than anything else made by Suzuki. Nowadays I think it's quite a cool second hand proposition.
Never seen or even heard of these before! Was expecting you to show an imported/rare Nissan or Infiniti when you said Japanese 4WD Saloon. Apparently you're not the only person that finds them rare and interesting, seen a few articles online talking about them fondly.
I do remember the Kizashi as I had a Swift at the time and loved it, so the idea of more of the same, only highly specced with more space and power seemed really tempting. What Suzuki does really well is take about 5-year old car tech, throw out the bits that don't work or are unreliable, then package them into a car that looks better and doesn't cost much more new than a few years old second-hand car from one of the bigger brands. Great if you want something affordable and efficient without dealing with the risks of getting a used car. My Swift was definitely better looking, more fun to drive, and more reliable than it had any right to be at the price point. The only thing that went wrong in three years of ownership was the heating element in one of the wing mirrors. The problem was that the Kizashi was neither affordable nor efficient. So I can see how it was nearly impossible to sell any in the UK. But if I was my current self back then, I could see me being one of the few to stump up the cash for one.
Love this one even more than usual due to being a fan of Japanese cars, what a cool rare car. Such a shame sometimes that the UK misses out on some of these cars but that's a contradiction because they wouldn't be so interesting
This was a new one on me and I consider myself a bit of a car geek!! The styling on the Kizashi is quite acceptable and it was certainly well spec'd plus the bonus of it being such a rare car. You had a nice example there and should certainly do your brother for some time. Agree about petrol being better for lower mileage drivers, too many people are attracted to the mpg of diesels without considering the implications of all the emission stuff that can go wrong!
Those Suzuki’s where everywhere in the Caribbean. For the type of vehicle that it is, it’s a silly little car fun to toss around a coastal road after a nice day on the beach.
Had 2 Suzuki Grand Vitaras'..They were brilliant so no surprise this Suzuki, that no one as ever heard of, is great too Matt. Hope your brother enjoys it..What a fantastic car..👍
I thought you were going to say “Honda Legend” ….. But “Kizashi”…yes. I’ve been looking at these for a while as I like the look and they’re rare. One of the cars I would have. Great review Matt, thankyou.
…such an underrated brand and an under appreciated car. My brother in law in Washington State had a 2010 SLS AWD also in black. He let me use it when I visited and it was a great car. He kept it for 8 years. Sadly it didn’t catch on here in the US. Hope you enjoy yours.
It looks better in person than in a video or picture in my opinion, saw one for the first time ever this year in a little Norwegian village of all places!
Yep. Heard of them. We sold them in Aust too. Always thought they were a smart-looking car but I don’t think they ever took off because they were slightly larger than what people would expect out of the Suzuki brand and hence were never on the shopping list of people looking for a car in the Mazda 6, Camry, Subaru range. Ultra reliable and fairly quick from memory too.
After eight years of ownership I can’t recommend this car enough. The car has done around 120k miles without a single issue( I admit that we don’t take care of it as we should). We live in Norway so I can confirm that the AWD is excellent and gets home on icy uphill road. We had BMW, Mercedes, Volvo you name it but this is the best car we ever owned. If you find one buy it you won’t regret it!
What a super unusual car with great spec. I am facinted by how great your detailed knowledge is. Great review. These days I am more interested in small reliable cars. Started with Saab 96 two stroke then a Lancia Flamina. Regretted never buying a Citroen DS.
Instantly knew what this would be, really looking forward to watching this video, havent even started yet. I have been considering one so this is video is going to be of good use. Thanks Matt
Yeah i saw it when researching on what car to buy/comparing compact luxuries. But it was too expensive so i bought a W204 2012 instead as they're cheaper. I would say that you're right in the engine choice, the amount of money you spend in fuel due to low MPG you save in diesel repairs!!
I owned one a little under a decade ago for about 3 years here in South Africa. Great value for money and no issues. I wanted something different as a first car and I wasn't disappointed.
I own a 2011, I use it as a second car next to my Octavia wagon and next month getting a Cupra Sportstourer. I need a wagon for my job and I keep the Kizashi because it's beautiful, very rare and unique. And leaving in Switzerland, I guarantee you it's the best car I have had on the snow!
Peageut 3008 2013 auto gearbox sealed for life, had 3:Indies look at it and all agreed it really is sealed for life. On 104,000 miles now, no issues. Always had it fully serviced.
I see one commuting from bristol to bath some mornings and always has captured my vision as it drives past. Really good looking and exclusive, judging by the ages of them, they probably should have sold it with a diesel manual and auto as they were in fashion as the time of release.
Seen one a few times in Liverpool a silver one thought it was a grey import ! Never realised it was officially available here. The one in Liverpool is LPG converted so I imagine they are heavy on the Juice. Interesting car
Hi Matt. I've heard of it and seen them for sale, but it's not a vehicle that jumps readily to mind. If you're not a badge snob, it's one hell of a motor, a real performance motor that no body's heard of. It's got all the usual Far East features, and you even found the novelty loose interior trim. Looked after, that motor will still be on the road in the years to come.
I took one in as a PX against a DS5 a few years back, I'd never heard of one until then either. But it was a surprisingly good car that drive well and had loads of spec, I was impressed.
Great and interesting vid' as ever. Must admit I'd never heard of that Suzuki, looks a nice car. Strange that they didn't put in a big appearance in the UK, probably badge issues as you mention. Must admit I prefer my Suzukis with fewer wheels than that. Two is normally the ideal number for me.
Good afternoon Matt it's very interesting car and correct I've never heard of this before I think you did your brother proud great little car for him..cheers Phil formNewark
Pretty good car esp the added bonus of 4WD great having a simple button to turn to 2 wheel drive I should imagine that also saves fuel wish my evoque had that feature. The seats looked spotless and always good to see 2 electric adjustable seats
Hi Matt, I've seen these as I've been looking at Japanese imports specifically the StepWgn, Elgrand, and the Vellfire. I'm after a cheapish car /van/MPV which can be my everyday car but also work as a mobile office and carry my camping kit and dog on weekends.
Great video and interesting. Please try to find a Honda Legend of the 2006 era. They too are a posh saloon with all wheel drive and gadgets galore. They seem quite rare and have not caught on,, except in Japan and here in New Zealand plus Oz. Very comfortable reliable drive.
I'm so torn over whether to get my V60 gearbox oil changed. I went to my trusted Volvo independent garage and he recommended against both a brake fluid change and a gearbox oil change. I really appreciate not being taken the piss out of and upsold pointless things, so on one hand it was nice that they were almost turning down business. On the other hand, you have videos like this whereby people swear by gearbox oil changes. For reference,its a 2018 V60II, 2l diesel with the 8 speed AW torque converter, covereed ~ 58k miles. It could just be in my head but it does feel like its slower to change now when setting off cold.
As soon as I saw the title I knew what it would be, and I was right. I'm not an incredibly sad Suzuki fanboy, someone in our town had one when it was new, I developed a soft spot for it
I really rate Suzukis, usually very well speccd and reliable. My petrol 1.6 sx4 cross 1.6 does 48 mpg. Not the computer - tank to tank. S/roof heated leather seats, cruise auto lights/wipers dual climate control for £4k dead impressed
I have a 2016 one from new, but 6spd 2wd. Same color as yours, I really love it, the look its quite unique and atemporal. Im not a fan of the cvt version due the lack of "sportiness" and known reliability of course (you need to change the oil and filter of the cvt trans frequently). But note that never existed an OEM turbo version, only a kit made by RoadRace motorsport in USA. I have mine with a pedal booster which is a game changer also a ECU remap. I drive the car only weekend's so It only have 43.000 kms. Its really a lovely car.
0:30: I got it as soon as I saw the thumbnail! I liked the idea, but the execution was just too different for the UK. The Kizashi reminds me of the Baleno small saloon from the late 90's; surprisingly good to drive, but looks so dull you'd miss it if you blinked. My type of car actually 😅
I really wanted to be smug and say of course I've heard of it.... ya that's a new one to me🤣
I’ve heard of it they are really rare the last time I seen one was 5 years ago
@@dannyjayke8695Suzuki dealerships in my area so saw a few of these ( mostly in silver ) when new and for a bit after but rare now
These were fairly common in Canada until Suzuki cars left the NA market
Someone round corner from me had one about 5 years ago I never really knew it's name I just thought it was the swift saloon of the time🤔 not a bad car to be fair.
Seen the Kissa in SEA but .... I can't say if it's a 4wd or just front
Ha! Kizashi was my first thought after seeing the thumbnail 😊. I fancied the car a couple of years ago. It was one of the few solid competitors to countless Octavias in my region. Never really sold well, but offered excellent value. Also, I think, they were all built in Japan with excellent built quality.
This was actually released here in India over a decade ago. It was considered to be a luxury car with commendable features. Sadly, because of Suzuki's brand value, no one wanted to pay so much money for a (Maruti) Suzuki. So, it was discontinued.
Very nice, had never heard of it before
Pretty much what happened in the UK. It was a fine car, but too damned expensive.
Maruti are not the same as Japanese assemble Suzukis.
Even here in Singapore, it wasn't popular due to its high price tag and the brand appeal isn't strong for the price tag commanded against its direct competitors...
Good value, quality car - 'shame about the black interior...
I have heard of the Suzuki Kizashi and they are very good reliable cars. Brand snobs are stupid and by buying a BMW, mercedes or Audi miss out on cars without "prestige"badges that in many cases are technically superior, better to drive and are more reliable.
We had Kizashi in South Africa, it came in 2 wheel drive, 2.4 engine CVT or manual, for the size of engine, the efficiency was not bad. I think it came at the wrong time in our country where Suzuki was seen as amateur car brand specialising in motorcycles. But this was actually a good car that never enjoyed attention it deserved, Now Suzuki cars dominate our streets and we no longer have Kizashi, very rare to see. Great reviews as always..
We did?
Never seen 1
Agree with your 'Amateur' comment. Honda was considered the same when it started making cars, but they persevered. In my opinion Suzuki seems to be much more conservative.
I think the Kizashi is a great car and we had many in Australia, however, from memory, it was priced a bit high against the competition. Maybe too soon for Suzuki to 'climb' the car ranks.
I've always had Suzuki motorcycles and I rate them very highly.
Quite popular, relatively speaking, in Australia. Great little sedan. Suzuki threw a lot into this little cars development and specification, hoping to go mainstream, but sadly Mazda and Toyota volumes remained out of reach for the brand.
Yeah not rare in Oz. But getting old now. Not many left.
Only 17 for sale on Carsales. I think the size is great but didn’t get one because sanctimonious car journos at the time said it was underpowered 🤷♂️
@@davidbusch8912 yeah. But it actually has the same power as my luxury six.
Yep, a neighbour has one, unfortunately it lives outside and the sun hasn't been kind to it.
@@John451vfr Suzuki paint is soft, and always has faded clearcoat unless you park undercover.
Have been watching the channel for a while and I was wondering when this little gem would Pop up. I've had my kizashi for 5 years. It's a 2014 with 55000 miles. Never misses a beat. Why did Suzuki ever stop making this beauty. ,??
It seems to do a lot of stuff very well
It's got everything a top of the range car has at a fraction of the price
I had only heard of it recently as someone left a comment about it on one of your earlier vids where you went through autotrader from A-Z and didn't give it a mention for some reason.
I have a 2.4 engine 2014 Grand Vitara, 5 door.... owned 5 years as well. Never had a problem, the engine is super quiet, i need to look at the rev counter sometimes to make sure it's still running when sitting at traffic lights. Might have a go at a Kizashi as a second car if one comes up, missed one a while back, even rarer here in N.Ireland.
What a good looking car. Really surprised how under the radar suzuki are. Such is the power of the Germany dominated motor media industry in Great Britain.
That was a really nicely specced car and very well maintained as well. You’re a good brother, Matt.
Kizashi Sport owner here. I love mine; so comfortable, great sound system, hugely practical. I take your point about moving up the car ladder but, IMO, I can't spot a better car at anywhere near the price point
Where do you get rear strut top mounts
@@scottgibson3491Never had to get one, no luck at Suzuki dealers?
@@philbranagan3137 the parts on this car have been insanely difficult to find, been looking for a reasonable transmission replacement for so long
I had heard of the Kizashi, but the name and being a saloon was as far as it went, I definitely did not know it was AWD. It’s quite a handsome car in that black and looks well loved.
I wonder if this is a bit like the Kia Stinger GT; a bit of a hidden gem.
I’d be interested in a full “should you buy” in depth review.
its a good looking car but kinda has similar styling to a 07 jetta
One Kia Stinger GT parked in the local car park last week, amongst the 80 BMW 3 and 60 AUDI . Plus the 100 Nissan fake 4x 4s...oh and about 10 Strange Rovers.
I have a kizashi. They are not all AWD, only the top trim. The other options are FR auto or manual.
Also it's not a fast car, it's not meant to be either. It's compared to the Camry, Sonata, Civic etc, normal passenger cars. Nowhere near a Stinger.
as someone who has one its def a good buy, gets like 38 mpg when i drive in 2wd mode at like 50mph. best stock sound system ive ever heard too. comes with nice features like heated seats and electric sunroof
Enjoyed this episode Matt. Lots of awd Kiashi's in Switzerland. My wife bought a used one when we lived there near St Moritz. AWD and 100% reliability meant -40C, snow and ice not a problem. It partnered my (also bought used) 3.6 awd Skoda Superb Embrach estate perfectly. Both great, quick, quite rare and reliable cars (although Swiss police used the Skoda 3.6 estates as motorway pursuit cars). Much better than Audi or BMW IMHO (no badge snobs here). Suzuki was sold on when we left but still got the Skoda a decade later and running like a dream down in the south of France.....
Very interesting two-car selection there. I like it
J'en possède une en Suisse également en 4WD.Méconnue mais tellement efficace,fiable et attachante.Elle n'a rien à envier aux Audi,Bmw et autres Mercedes de puissance équivalente.Seule différence,elle roule sans discontinuer mais jamais pour aller au garage pour des pannes à répétition comme les 3 marques précitées..et pas mal d'autres marques également!!
Hi Matt. These were readily available here in Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf region (especially UAE) and were frequently used as rental cars or private taxis. Very popular with people here who came from the Indian subcontinent where they were assembled as built-up units and sold as Maruti Kizashi long after Japanese production stopped. Here in Qatar, they are still seen regularly and have a reputation for being reliable runarounds with younger drivers. Mostly sold as 2 wheel drive automatics although you do see the occasional 4 wheel drive one knocking about. Decent looking car and definitely stand out against the sea of Land Cruisers and Pajeros (Shoguns).
Howdy Matt. As a new subscriber from the US, I wanted to let you know your content rocks! When I finally get the chance to migrate to the UK, your shop is going to be my first stop. Trust me when I say I will be buying my very first wrong side drive car from you my friend. Keep up the excellent videos! I’ll see you as soon as I get my nursing license ready to transfer!
Suzuki's are awesome cars! I had a friend who was doing an apprenticeship at a Suzuki dealership and he had to change dealer as those cars so never came for anything that he wasn't actually learning anything apart from oil change ^^ 😂
I'm obsessed with obscure yet highly competent cars, and the Kizashi ticks all the boxes. I love it! Thanks for sharing Matt.
We had these here in the States. I feel like they sold better over here. This was the last new Suzuki car we had before they left the US auto business.
I’ve only seen 2 my entire life !
They sold approximately 20k of them in the US before exiting the market at the end of 2013
I believe they even had a I6 option
@thetechlibrarian suzuki never got a chance to stuff a GM V6 into the Kizashi. There was prototypes but never happened.
Nice one Matt, I spotted this locally and thought it looked good and different. Nice buy 👍🏼🤩
the 'sport' was one of 2 trim levels you could get on the kizashi, the other one being the '16v', which only one has ever been on the roads in the UK, being likely written off in 2016 as it was the last year it was registered :)
We had them here in Canada and the word at the time was that it was quite a good car and much under rated. This is Suzuki left the North American market in 2011. I still see some around and they are in very good shape!
Angus McKenzie did a road trip in this 2.4 Kizashi from Tokyo to L.A. back in 2010 or so. I have driven this twice in Pakistan, and I really liked it. This was a Camry/Accord competitor but due to poor marketing by Suzuki, they could not beat the other Japanese brands.
Yep....Heard of the Kizashi, but being a Suzuki owner I'm quite familiar with the range....Glad to see you get one Matt makes a change from the German stuff! 😜😜
We have a Suzuki dealer round the corner from our house tied to a petrol station, while filing up about a year ago they had one on the lot, just stood staring at it wondering wtf it was, and I think I’m pretty versed in the world of cars !
Is that Wemyss Bay then?
@@VinDieselS70 nah Ash in Surrey/Hampshire.
I owned one in NZ for 10years. Never ever missed a beat. Bullet proof. Really well built and driving cars
I like it abit different from the mainstream stuff we get in the UK. To put things in to perspective My street has 52 houses on it I would say closer to 80% drive German cars. We are proper badge snobs in this country your right
I'd never heard of it before, but just seen a silver one coming out of tesco😮 couldn't believe the coincidence!
Yes indeed. I actually went to the local dealer in Jamaica to have a closer look at it and was actually thinking of buying one back in 2013 or so. It was also sold in the US as the last new design that Suzuki had before they pulled out of the market. It's a beautiful design that should have sold well, but it really didn't. I put it right up there with the last SAAB 9-5 as a design that we never got to see enough of before things went horribly wrong.
Yesterday I saw one pulling a caravan here in Belgium!
You hit the nail on the head Matt. Badge snobbery just shows how little some people know about what they buy. These were relatively more common down under and competed against Honda and Toyota but just at the time fuel prices went mad so sales were only average. A family member still has one and swears by it. We get lots of imported ( and knackered ) BMWs here and people flock to them when this would be much better. Glad to see you don’t have the anti Japanese attitudes of many car sites and keep finding gems.
I bought one last month, such a perfect car!
Really liked the look of the Kizashi. Don't think it sold well in the UK as it just had one choice of engine resulting in quite high a Tax band to run. And probably it just wasn't an SUV..
Milton Keynes plate, almost certainly ex Suzuki UK management car. ( their head office is in MK)
Wasn't expecting kizashi, but you're right about it being somewhat uncommon - they didn't sell a whole lot in Aus either. Always take a good look whenever I spot one. Pretty underrated cars. I think they just look a bit too quirky for most people. Almost bought one at one point actually. Ended up with a crown hybrid instead.
I remember this car. Its front end design closely resembles the VW Jetta Mk V (2005-2010), certain elements like the fog lights are almost an exact copy. A few Kizashis are around in Germany, but due to the CVT and not being offered as a Diesel, it did not have a chance back then. Suzukis are rare here, anyway. Saw one on the road a couple of weeks ago.
Always knew you had a secret 'yen' for Japanese cars Matt, was just about to say Kizashi should make you lots of cashi!!, then you treated your brother to a real bargain-very nice well done. Front end reminded me of a bull nosed Morris, wonder how many of your viewers have heard of that eh!!Cheers, Peter.
Yes I had, I like the look of them and they are rare in the UK.
They are quite common in Australia, and a good looking car. Pretty much all cars in OZ are autos, so not uncommon, however the Kizashi was meant to be the next step up from the Swift, but it was introduced into a very full market. Given there are over 50 different brands for sale here, it struggled to become the next Camry/Civic/etc. Still quite a few sold, but only lasted one iteration. Like most sedans here they have been overwhelmed with SUV's. Still, I would have one, Suzy's are very reliable.
I have one (in Australia) the reason why it didn't sell was because it was expensive compared to what it considered its competitors (Camry, Sonata, Civic etc.). It's a nice car but the Nissan CVT can be troublesome.
You have sorted your brother out and me as well my search for my next car is finally over thanks mate. First time hearing of it first time seeing it just wow what a car!
Great video Matt. I'm a fan of Japanese cars, (not newer Nissan). The ones that I've owned including my current one appear to be built solidly. I've not owned a Suzuki, but I really like the look of this car, and the spec is impressive. Given what you've shown us in the video, I'd have certainly taken a punt on this model. A great result for you and your brother. Very different, and interesting video. Regards, Derek, Scottish Highlands.
Beautiful car! Just bought one used, 2011 in very good condition. Very happy so far! Also had never heard of the Kizashi so did alot of research and checked to make sure parts were still readily available as the car was discontinued in 2013-14 in Canada and US I believe.
Quite rare in Canada it seems. Never seen or heard of.
I really like this. Makes a nice alternative to the run of the mill Audi. BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Not sure I'd turn down a Lexus in its favour, but I'd certainly give it serious consideration. Would make a perfect under the radar car. Hope your brother enjoys it.
Badge snobs is right. What a sweet car. A really sweet spec and actually decent stying. Cheers for showing us this. A real cracker. Forgot to ask what's it like for parts?
I'm familiar with the Kizashi and think it's a cracking automobile.. But I had no idea they were available with AWD! 👍
I actually guessed it right from the video title 😂
I was literally having a conversation with someone who has one last week 😂😂😂
I've always liked the Kizashi, I really like it's looks and uniqueness. I think it might have been pitched as a sort of luxury car when new but it failed because it was much more expensive than anything else made by Suzuki. Nowadays I think it's quite a cool second hand proposition.
Never seen or even heard of these before! Was expecting you to show an imported/rare Nissan or Infiniti when you said Japanese 4WD Saloon. Apparently you're not the only person that finds them rare and interesting, seen a few articles online talking about them fondly.
I do remember the Kizashi as I had a Swift at the time and loved it, so the idea of more of the same, only highly specced with more space and power seemed really tempting.
What Suzuki does really well is take about 5-year old car tech, throw out the bits that don't work or are unreliable, then package them into a car that looks better and doesn't cost much more new than a few years old second-hand car from one of the bigger brands. Great if you want something affordable and efficient without dealing with the risks of getting a used car. My Swift was definitely better looking, more fun to drive, and more reliable than it had any right to be at the price point. The only thing that went wrong in three years of ownership was the heating element in one of the wing mirrors.
The problem was that the Kizashi was neither affordable nor efficient. So I can see how it was nearly impossible to sell any in the UK. But if I was my current self back then, I could see me being one of the few to stump up the cash for one.
There was one in our road when we lived in E18. Cool wheels, I always loved the way it looked. Probably still there!
Love this one even more than usual due to being a fan of Japanese cars, what a cool rare car. Such a shame sometimes that the UK misses out on some of these cars but that's a contradiction because they wouldn't be so interesting
This was a new one on me and I consider myself a bit of a car geek!! The styling on the Kizashi is quite acceptable and it was certainly well spec'd plus the bonus of it being such a rare car. You had a nice example there and should certainly do your brother for some time. Agree about petrol being better for lower mileage drivers, too many people are attracted to the mpg of diesels without considering the implications of all the emission stuff that can go wrong!
Yep I’ve owned one since 2014
Great review as always. From the back there's a hint of old Volvo's shoulder line. Front similar to a Jetta. That fella cares for his cars.
Those Suzuki’s where everywhere in the Caribbean. For the type of vehicle that it is, it’s a silly little car fun to toss around a coastal road after a nice day on the beach.
Hello Matt, you are right I’d never heard of the model. Nice looking car on the whole. Thank you for taking the time to upload another video. Ged
Had 2 Suzuki Grand Vitaras'..They were brilliant so no surprise this Suzuki, that no one as ever heard of, is great too Matt.
Hope your brother enjoys it..What a fantastic car..👍
Yeah there are a bunch in Australia
Owned a 2010 Kizashi AWD for Chicago winters (excellent winter car). Had it 9 years until last year when I traded it in. Great little car.
That SL is lovely. Smart interior too. Suzuki looks interesting. You won't see many others.
I thought you were going to say “Honda Legend” ….. But “Kizashi”…yes. I’ve been looking at these for a while as I like the look and they’re rare. One of the cars I would have. Great review Matt, thankyou.
Liked these since the beginning. Was so sad they weren't here in the UK, when I moved here.
A very nice, and unusual wagon. And I'm with you on transmission servicing. 'Sealed for life' - sealed until death.
…such an underrated brand and an under appreciated car. My brother in law in Washington State had a 2010 SLS AWD also in black. He let me use it when I visited and it was a great car. He kept it for 8 years. Sadly it didn’t catch on here in the US. Hope you enjoy yours.
Yes I have. They sold them here in Canada (Toronto, ON) briefly until Suzuki pulled out of Canada in 2014.
It looks better in person than in a video or picture in my opinion, saw one for the first time ever this year in a little Norwegian village of all places!
Yep. Heard of them. We sold them in Aust too. Always thought they were a smart-looking car but I don’t think they ever took off because they were slightly larger than what people would expect out of the Suzuki brand and hence were never on the shopping list of people looking for a car in the Mazda 6, Camry, Subaru range. Ultra reliable and fairly quick from memory too.
After eight years of ownership I can’t recommend this car enough. The car has done around 120k miles without a single issue( I admit that we don’t take care of it as we should). We live in Norway so I can confirm that the AWD is excellent and gets home on icy uphill road.
We had BMW, Mercedes, Volvo you name it but this is the best car we ever owned.
If you find one buy it you won’t regret it!
Japanese quality 10 years old with 0 problems great video lad👍
Thanks 👍
What a super unusual car with great spec. I am facinted by how great your detailed knowledge is. Great review. These days I am more interested in small reliable cars. Started with Saab 96 two stroke then a Lancia Flamina. Regretted never buying a Citroen DS.
Instantly knew what this would be, really looking forward to watching this video, havent even started yet. I have been considering one so this is video is going to be of good use. Thanks Matt
Yeah i saw it when researching on what car to buy/comparing compact luxuries. But it was too expensive so i bought a W204 2012 instead as they're cheaper.
I would say that you're right in the engine choice, the amount of money you spend in fuel due to low MPG you save in diesel repairs!!
I have heard of it , a friend had one and loved it , kept it for 5 years , which was rare for him as he usually changed his car every couple of years
Im glad I played the smug card and I DID know it, We have lots of these here in the middle east in Saudi Arabia
Wow!!! Love it. 4WD paddle shifts, beef up the power 20% and that would be a fabulous cross country toy.
Yeah. Live in Norway. Seems to be a few of these kicking about. Always liked the design. Still looks good
I owned one a little under a decade ago for about 3 years here in South Africa. Great value for money and no issues. I wanted something different as a first car and I wasn't disappointed.
I own a 2011, I use it as a second car next to my Octavia wagon and next month getting a Cupra Sportstourer.
I need a wagon for my job and I keep the Kizashi because it's beautiful, very rare and unique. And leaving in Switzerland, I guarantee you it's the best car I have had on the snow!
Nice looking motor, I've also got the Support Our Lifeboats windscreen sticker on my Toyota Avensis tourer 😉
Peageut 3008 2013 auto gearbox sealed for life, had 3:Indies look at it and all agreed it really is sealed for life. On 104,000 miles now, no issues. Always had it fully serviced.
What an unusual car. Looks lovely inside out. A good buy.
I see one commuting from bristol to bath some mornings and always has captured my vision as it drives past. Really good looking and exclusive, judging by the ages of them, they probably should have sold it with a diesel manual and auto as they were in fashion as the time of release.
I got it before watching the video because i nearly bought one a decade ago... but the mpg figures put me off. Great video.
Great video just been watching your s90 video from 3 years ago and you have changed a lot in looks 😂 going from this video to that is a big change 👍🏻
Seen one a few times in Liverpool a silver one thought it was a grey import ! Never realised it was officially available here. The one in Liverpool is LPG converted so I imagine they are heavy on the Juice. Interesting car
Hi Matt. I've heard of it and seen them for sale, but it's not a vehicle that jumps readily to mind. If you're not a badge snob, it's one hell of a motor, a real performance motor that no body's heard of. It's got all the usual Far East features, and you even found the novelty loose interior trim.
Looked after, that motor will still be on the road in the years to come.
That is a really nice car! Never even knew Suzuki did them. Very nice. Andrew
I took one in as a PX against a DS5 a few years back, I'd never heard of one until then either. But it was a surprisingly good car that drive well and had loads of spec, I was impressed.
Great and interesting vid' as ever. Must admit I'd never heard of that Suzuki, looks a nice car. Strange that they didn't put in a big appearance in the UK, probably badge issues as you mention. Must admit I prefer my Suzukis with fewer wheels than that. Two is normally the ideal number for me.
Yes ive heard of these only becase my neighbour had a silver one. They are nice looking cars. Very rare too
Good afternoon Matt it's very interesting car and correct I've never heard of this before I think you did your brother proud great little car for him..cheers Phil formNewark
You got me there Matt! I was thinking it was some obscure Subaru or Honda Legend. Looks like a really nice car.
Pretty good car esp the added bonus of 4WD great having a simple button to turn to 2 wheel drive I should imagine that also saves fuel wish my evoque had that feature.
The seats looked spotless and always good to see 2 electric adjustable seats
Hi Matt, I've seen these as I've been looking at Japanese imports specifically the StepWgn, Elgrand, and the Vellfire. I'm after a cheapish car /van/MPV which can be my everyday car but also work as a mobile office and carry my camping kit and dog on weekends.
I was also so eager to prove you wrong, however I have never heard of this car. You blooming win!!!
Great video and interesting. Please try to find a Honda Legend of the 2006 era. They too are a posh saloon with all wheel drive and gadgets galore. They seem quite rare and have not caught on,, except in Japan and here in New Zealand plus Oz. Very comfortable reliable drive.
I'm so torn over whether to get my V60 gearbox oil changed. I went to my trusted Volvo independent garage and he recommended against both a brake fluid change and a gearbox oil change. I really appreciate not being taken the piss out of and upsold pointless things, so on one hand it was nice that they were almost turning down business.
On the other hand, you have videos like this whereby people swear by gearbox oil changes.
For reference,its a 2018 V60II, 2l diesel with the 8 speed AW torque converter, covereed ~ 58k miles. It could just be in my head but it does feel like its slower to change now when setting off cold.
As soon as I saw the title I knew what it would be, and I was right. I'm not an incredibly sad Suzuki fanboy, someone in our town had one when it was new, I developed a soft spot for it
Beautiful weather for shooting...
I really rate Suzukis, usually very well speccd and reliable. My petrol 1.6 sx4 cross 1.6 does 48 mpg. Not the computer - tank to tank. S/roof heated leather seats, cruise auto lights/wipers dual climate control for £4k dead impressed
I have a 2016 one from new, but 6spd 2wd. Same color as yours, I really love it, the look its quite unique and atemporal. Im not a fan of the cvt version due the lack of "sportiness" and known reliability of course (you need to change the oil and filter of the cvt trans frequently). But note that never existed an OEM turbo version, only a kit made by RoadRace motorsport in USA. I have mine with a pedal booster which is a game changer also a ECU remap. I drive the car only weekend's so It only have 43.000 kms. Its really a lovely car.
0:30: I got it as soon as I saw the thumbnail! I liked the idea, but the execution was just too different for the UK. The Kizashi reminds me of the Baleno small saloon from the late 90's; surprisingly good to drive, but looks so dull you'd miss it if you blinked. My type of car actually 😅