| The automotive brand graveyard is littered with many | | | | lone new model in the Suzuki fleet. But, it also |
| American names. Packard. Plymouth. DeSoto. Saturn. | | | | competes against at least two dozen other midsize |
| Oldsmobile. Kaiser. AMC. Pontiac. Hudson. Rambler. | | | | sedans in the most crowded and competitive segment. |
| Scores more can be included and more are likely to | | | | Good effort, but when buyers are looking at the Ford |
| follow suit. | | | | Fusion, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mercury Milan, |
| But it isn't just the American brands that have died or | | | | Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata and many other |
| departed from the US market as several foreign | | | | models, the Kizashi gets lost in the shuffle. |
| brands have discovered that they, too, have a difficult | | | | The Equator is a capable compact pickup truck, but it |
| time making it in the most lucrative, but competitive car | | | | is sourced from Nissan. Sold as the Frontier by Nissan, |
| market in the world. Renault. Yugo. Citroen. Daihatsu. | | | | few serious truck buyers are looking at Suzuki in the |
| Peugeot. Alfa Romeo. Isuzu. Tight competition weeds | | | | first place, with most preferring to buy directly from |
| out the weaklings while emboldening the strong players | | | | Nissan. |
| who are eager to step in and step it up. | | | | The Grand Vitara also operates at a disadvantage. |
| Declining Suzuki | | | | The second generation model was introduced for |
| Suzuki is a Japanese automaker whose fortunes are | | | | 2006, had a mid-cycle refresh in 2008, but the style of |
| in decline in the US market. Popular in Japan and in | | | | the crossover is plain and outdated. The Nissan Rogue, |
| India, the Suzuki brand is more noteworthy for selling | | | | Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia Sportage are newer, |
| motorcycles then they are cars, with its sales in a | | | | better equipped and better sellers. The Ford Escape, |
| tailspin the past few years. Despite introducing a quality | | | | Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are additional |
| midsize Kizashi sedan for 2010, Suzuki is finding it | | | | competitors, capable crossovers at that. |
| difficult to sell more cars in a month than what GM, | | | | The SX4 is the main line of Suzuki vehicles, compact |
| Toyota, Ford and others sell in a day. | | | | cars and crossovers that should sell well. But, even |
| Yes, as recently as 2007, Suzuki routinely sold more | | | | with all wheel drive available, American car buyers |
| than 100,000 vehicles annually, but for 2010 those | | | | have many other small car choices to choose from |
| numbers may fall by two-thirds. This comes as every | | | | including new cars from Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, |
| other automaker puts the deep recession behind it, | | | | Chevrolet, Ford and others. Nothing distinctive about |
| selling many more cars in 2010 than they did in 2009. | | | | the SX4, so why look at Suzuki? |
| But not Suzuki. | | | | Last Hurrah? |
| Sales Loss | | | | Suzuki's sales are falling through the floor which |
| So where does the blame lie for Suzuki's dismal | | | | suggests that the brand isn't long for the US market. |
| showing? With sales down 60 percent for the first | | | | India has emerged as the right market for Suzuki cars |
| quarter of 2010 those numbers are in stark | | | | and with Volkswagen now holding approximately 20 |
| comparison to the 15 percent increase the industry is | | | | percent of Suzuki's shares, the German automaker |
| seeing for the first quarter. Only Chrysler with sales | | | | may tell its Japanese partner to expend its sources in |
| down by 10 percent for the year is losing customers, | | | | markets where it is succeeding. |
| but that can be understood considering its bankruptcy | | | | Yes, Suzuki can still reclaim its mojo in America but at |
| collapse, restructuring and aged product line. | | | | what price? It can cost hundreds of millions of dollars |
| And that last notation, aged product line, may have | | | | to bring out a new model, but with sales under a few |
| something to do with why Suzuki has lost its mojo. | | | | thousand units per month this Japanese automaker |
| Aged Models | | | | may find joining Daihatsu and Isuzu in making a US exit |
| The Kizashi is new, attractive and decently priced, the | | | | is the best strategy for the company. |