2004 Suzuki Reno Road Test

A Pretty Face and a Nice Personality

The popular trend of changing an ever-so-practical sedan into an even more practical hatchback has taken place with Suzukis new Forenza. Last year, the Japanese car manufacturer introduced the new Verona and Forenza to the lineup, the latter that is being spun into a wagon (coming soon) and hatchback, dubbed the Reno.

Previously I had the opportunity to drive the Forenza sedan, but the 5-door model wasnt ready at that time. It isnt ready now either, but nevertheless I was able to drive a Canadian spec Chevy Optra5, which is pretty well an identical car to the upcoming Reno. Like the Reno, the Optra5 shares the same engine and similar standard features to its sedan sibling, but I found the 5-door to have that extra bit of something that made it all the more appealing.

First of all I thought the Renos exterior had much more spunk and pizzazz when compared to its somewhat staid 4-door sibling. I found the styling to be bubbly and Saab-esque; it didnt look frumpy and had some nice lines, especially the taillights. The rounded rear end, however, made for terrible rearward visibility. The rear window had little to no depth so I could barely see anything while backing up or parallel parking. The large C-pillars didnt help the cause either, but at least when looking in my rear and side-view mirrors while driving I could see all that I needed to see. Ideally it would have been better if the rear window was larger.

Handling was pretty good due to its 4-wheel independent suspension. The steering wheel was relatively stiff making for accurate turn-in but not too stiff to a point where it compromised my comfort. The optional 4-speed automatic transmission was sufficient for the test drive, but I would have preferred the 5-speed manual as it would have made harnessing the Renos power possible.

In addition, the automatic transmission came with a gated gearbox (not a personal preference of mine). Although such shifters are supposed to be more "sophisticated," I didnt like it. It required some force to put the lever into each gear and was fussy when shifting from drive to park. It also didnt help that I dislocated my right shoulder that week and was forced to use my left arm to put the car into gear. Such is life.

In the city, the automatic was fine because it allowed for mainly throttle-and-brake driving. But on the highway, especially accelerating up a hill, or at least trying to, the engine became loud at the high revs needed to accomplish the task. Still, the 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder produced a fairly decent 119 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 126 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The Reno, when it debuts in the fall will up power marginally, to 126 and 131 respectively. In addition, when I wanted to accelerate quickly, whether on the highway or in the city, the transmission would sometimes jump, making the shift a little jerky. As you can tell, I was not that impressed.

Some of the other aspects of its personality, however, were impressive. Transmission aside it was a fun car to drive. Its practicality also scored points in my books. There was sufficient headroom and legroom in the front and the back, decent visibility out the front and side of the hatchback and favorable fuel consumption at 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.

The list of standard features is not endless, but all the essentials are incorporated. Standard is air conditioning (that worked well during my hot test week), digital clock, cupholders, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, steering wheel-mounted radio controls, power doors and windows, body-colored bumpers, body-colored heated sideview mirrors, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and remote keyless entry. Optional is a power tilt and sliding glass sunroof and leather seats.

My test car came with a premium 8-speaker audio system with AM/FM/CD and optional MP3 player. The tunes were turned up, the sunroof was open and the windows were down as I cruised to the beach. Even with all the wind blowing through the car (and my hair), the stereo never failed to produce quality sounds.

Anti-lock brakes are optional on the both the Canadian Optra5 and upcoming Reno, however, 4-wheel disc brakes coupled with P195/55R15 all season tires and 15-inch aluminum wheels come standard. The aluminum rims add to the stylish exterior while improving handling capabilities.

As I mentioned before, I am a fan of the cars exterior styling, but the interior design is not so hot. The front bucket seats and rear bench were upholstered in an "interesting" material in an attention-grabbing design - I havent see what Suzuki is planning for material patterns but hopefully theyre less garish than this Chevy. I suppose if I looked at it in only a practical sense, the fabric seemed very durable, and in a long run should wear well. But still, the upgrade to leather would be more appealing for obvious reasons. The seats were nevertheless cushy for the tushy, even after long stints behind the wheel.

The Chevy Optra5, destined for the U.S. as the Suzuki Reno, proved to be a favorable city car, and might be ideal for a student or young family. Its cute with nice lines, and sports a compatible personality.