Suzuki to Show Third Kizashi Concept in New York

The third installment in the Suzuki Kizashi series has just been announced. The midsize sedan, the in-house penned replacement to the GMDAT-designed Verona will make its concept debut in New York in two weeks. The original Kizashi was shown in Frankfurt last September, and the Kizashi 2 was introduced to Japanese audiences in Tokyo later that year.

Suzuki received positive responses to its previous two concept vehicles, in terms of both their designs as well as to the prospect of Suzuki building and then marketing a midsize product. Reportedly, the Kizashi 3 represents the closest step to a production version of the car. The designers have refined its shape and modified its face, plus changed its body type. Whereas the Kizashi was a hatchback, and the Kizashi 2 a crossover wagon, the Kizashi 3 is a three-box sedan with a trunk.

Another remarkable change is the choice of powertrain. For each concept, Suzuki has come up with a different engine type, reflecting the market that the concept debuts in. Due to the European debut of the first concept, it was powered by a small but powerful four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, while the crossover wagon Kizashi 2 was powered by a 3.6-liter V6. As for the third model, it is expected to be powered by a brand new V8, a powerplant that Suzuki has never featured in its lineup.

Suzuki’s growth in North America and around the world has been strong over the past few years. Its latest products, the Grand Vitara, SX4, and in Europe, the Swift, have shown a brand that’s changing, and one that is now ready for a midsize vehicle.