2011 Suzuki Kizashi : Inside & Outside Spied

Suzuki has already announced that it will produce three variants of the Kizashi — a wagon, CUV and sedan. The Kizashi and Kizashi 2 showcased the wagon and CUV body styles, respectively, and the recent Kizashi 3 at the New York Auto Show previewed the sedan.

Although the name may (or may not) change, the Kizashi will be built in Sagara, Japan, and will arrive at dealerships in early 2010.

Suzuki is pitting the Kizashi against Toyota’s Camry and the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu, therefore it was no surprise to find a few of the Chevys out testing with the Kizashi prototypes.

Inside, the Kizashi looks to have a more up-scale look than we’re used to seeing from the Japanese brand. The center stack appears to take on the same shape as the concept’s front grille, with chrome-rimmed gauges set nicely in the gauge cluster.

Power-wise, we’re expecting the base model to be equipped with a 150+ horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, and the top-of-the-line Kizashi will be powered by a 3.6-liter V6 — rated between 280 and 300 horsepower — mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Of note, the V6 is said to be derived from the same powerplant found in the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Malibu. A hybrid version is also in the works.

Expect the base model to sticker from about $21,000, with a range-topping Kizashi tipping the scales at $28,000.

Source : Leftlane