2004 Suzuki Verona Review

Specifications

The Cute Kid Next Door Has Grown Up

Have you been watching what Suzuki has been up to lately? Due to their strong ties with General Motors the little automaker that could is about to grow up big time. Thanks to GMs purchase of Daewoo and formation of the new GMDAT division, the cars that would have received the Korean brands logo have been dramatically upgraded and will now sport the familiar stylized Suzuki S.

I spent a fair bit of time with an extremely helpful Suzuki PR representative at the New York Auto Show, who seemed as enthusiastic about the new car line as a child gets on Christmas morning. And why shouldnt he be excited? The new cars are great. We wont be getting the nice little Swift subcompact thats coming out in Canada, at least not yet, but then again those north of the border will be missing out on the slick little Forenza compact. Both markets will see the nicely detailed midsize Verona sedan though, a first in this category for Suzuki.

If priced as competitively as the Verona is expected to be, it finally looks like the Koreans, Hyundai and Kia, will have some competition in the entry-level midsize segment. Itll take a test drive to figure out if its domestic (Japanese) competitors have anything to worry about though.

On North American shores a domestic might be its biggest competitor. GM, of course, couldnt let an opportunity like this pass them by, so its Chevrolet dealers will get a supply of new GMDAT models themselves. A version of the Verona will sport the familiar bowtie on its grille and Epica nameplate at its rear. Remember the Swift that Suzuki doesnt get? Chevy will offer it here as the 2004 Aveo. The Generals value brand will also feature its own version of the Forenza, dubbed Optra. Like the Suzukis, all Chevys GMDAT cars get extremely high perceived quality interiors.

The Suzuki Verona is especially upscale inside, passing my plastics quality tap test with flying colors, and should be quickly accepted by Suzukis loyal yet demanding clientele. Theres ample head, shoulder, hip and legroom in both front and rear, and plenty creature comforts to satisfy those who decide to jump ship from a traditional midsize brand.

Inside, high quality cloth seats and woodgrain trim exude an ambience of luxury, while a 6-position adjustable drivers seat and tilt steering wheel optimize the driving position. The expected power windows, mirrors and door locks are present while its steering wheel with integrated audio controls puts the car a cut above. A premium leather package is available that wraps that steering wheel and shifter knob in leather while covering the seating surfaces in the same natural material. Also part of the package, the front seat cushions come heated with 8-way power adjustment. An auto-dimming rearview mirror adds to the convenience.

Only two items will come as stand alone options, including a power tilt-and-slide sunroof and 16-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels, because Suzuki made sure to add a load of convenience features as standard equipment. Standard items not mentioned yet include automatic climate control, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, remote keyless entry, a remote trunk release, with key fob controls that are integrated into the key like premium brands, an anti-theft system, sun visor-mounted lighted vanity mirrors and a fold-out rear center armrest.

Under the armrest a two-layer storage compartment is perfect for CDs while the center console gets dual cupholders. Above all, literally, an overhead console incorporates a sunglass storage compartment. Little touches like the driver-side change tray mounted in the dash and commodious lighted glovebox are handy, while a larger than average 15.4 cubic foot trunk puts the Verona near the league of full-size sedans.

If you happen to like the exterior styling, the first thing that caught my attention, the honor is owed to Turin, Italy carrozzeria Italdesign. This follows a Korean automaker tradition started by Hyundai way back in the 1970s, when the same firm styled the Pony compact hatchback and Stellar midsize sedan. Due to its Italian beginnings the Veronas design naturally has a European flavor, setting it apart from others in the class that look decidedly Japanese. This should help it to do well.

The Suzuki is more traditionally elegant than radical, important in this somewhat conservative midsize class. The headlamp clusters have a complex shape that follow the edges of the cars front fenders before coming to a point at their lowest, inside corners. Along the way they butt up against a smiling grille, nothing out of the ordinary here either. The Suzuki badge is large and bold at the grilles dead center, no mistaking its branding. Integrated into the front lower fascia are a set of standard fog lights, making sure that even base Veronas boast an upscale look.

Above and parallel to attractive color-keyed side moldings with chrome inserts the Veronas waistline creases in varying degrees across its profile, passing through a set of chromed door handles on each side before melding into the rear bodywork. The rear styling follows the same graceful motif as the front, with a steeply raked rear window tapering onto a fairly tall decklid. The taillights are triangular in shape, currently a common styling theme but in this case very well executed. While not as bold as Nissans Altima its overall styling theme is also not as bread and butter as Fords Taurus. The Verona is an inoffensive design that should strike a chord with up-and-coming professionals and young families alike.

The new sedan seats five adults, with a back seat that is surprisingly roomy. Of course if it was any other brand I wouldnt have been surprised, but its a Suzuki sedan no less. Normally only their SUVs have this much room. To be specific the new car is wider than the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima and offers more front legroom than the Camry and more rear legroom than both the Altima and Accord. Visibility seems good too, as far as I could tell from looking around inside while it sat on its auto show stand.

While some of its measurements are larger than the top selling Japanese competitors how will it perform on the road? At 2.5-liters in displacement the Veronas 24-valve, DOHC inline 6-cylinder engine produces only 155-hp. First of all theres nothing wrong with 155-hp. My 1990 BMW 525i had only slightly more and I made out OK. But compared to the cars in the midsize class that Suzuki chose to compare its interior volume with, it comes up extremely shy. For instance, the Toyota Camrys base 4-cylinder sports 157-hp while Hondas Accord produces 160. The Altima leads all with 175-hp.

But compare the Veronas standard 177 lb-ft of torque and things take a slightly different turn. While the Altima still maintains its top position with 180 lb-ft, the Camry only offers 163 and the Honda even less with 161 lb-ft of torque. Of course Im comparing 4-cylinder power with the Suzukis V6. As soon as the competing V6 engines are factored in all is forgotten, with the Camry recently upgraded from 192-hp and 209 lb-ft of torque to 210 and 220 respectively, the Accord at 240-hp and 211 lb-ft, and the Altima stomping all over everyones parade with 245-hp and 246 lb-ft of torque.

The front-wheel-drive Verona also only offers a 4-speed automatic transmission where its competitors proudly show off 5-speed gearboxes. Suzukis is quite sophisticated though, boasting a step-gate shifter and an adaptive control feature that actually learns personal driving patterns and adapts the shift intervals accordingly. Then again, in V6 guise the Altima and Accord offer even slicker sequentially shifting manual-mode automatics and the option of true manual transmissions.

To be fair the Suzuki is expected to be priced more aggressively than its Japanese rivals. Whats more, theres a strong contingent of consumers who couldnt care less about shifting gears or horsepower and torque ratings, but would just rather have an attractive, well featured sedan that they can rely on to take them wherever and back.

These drivers will appreciate the speed-sensing power steering that reduces turning effort while parking and increases it at highway speeds, and the Veronas reportedly comfortable ride. The sedan incorporates front MacPherson struts and a rear multi-link suspension setup together with gas-charged shock absorbers, smoothing out the bumps and enhancing both road feel and at-the-limit handling of the vehicle - important in accident avoidance.

Four-wheel disc brakes are standard, not always the case in the midsize class, but being that anti-lock brakes werent mentioned in the press material they probably arent even offered. This will be a negative for those willing to spend a few hundred more to protect their family. Personally I wouldnt buy a family-type car without them.

Driver and front passenger dual airbags are included as standard equipment though, a given in this class, while height-adjustable shoulder belts are not only safer but more comfortable.

No doubt Suzuki will grow the Verona to include features such as ABS brakes as their position in the market improves - American Suzuki is looking to increase sales threefold before 2007.

Of course almost every automaker at this years major auto shows have been projecting ultra-bold claims regarding market growth, making me wonder just where all these new buyers are expected to come from. Obviously some brands will win and others will lose the fight for market share, but how will Suzuki fare?

Their uphill battle will be getting the word out about the new cars. The brands U.S. ad spend has reportedly increased by 40% to do so, resulting in a total annual expenditure of $100 million.

If the ads do the trick and get consumers down to Suzuki dealerships, and then if the cars are priced accordingly, the Verona, as well as the new Forenza compact, both displaying better than average visible quality, should manage to increase the Japanese brands market share substantially.

But if you happen to be interested in taking a closer look after reading this review, youll have to wait a little while longer. The new Suzukis wont arrive in dealerships until early 2004.