Suzuki has been very successful with sales up 17 percent year-to-date for 2011, and hopes to maintain the momentum into 2012. Suzuki has updated the Grand Vitara with the “Ultimate Adventure Edition” which arrives for 2012. The new edition will feature 18-inch alloy wheels, water-resistant seat fabric, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and integrated fog lamps.

So far, no photos have been realeased however the UAE model will not be the only change for 2012.  Grand Vitara models will also get an new tailgate design that will see the model shed its trademark rear-mounted spare tire. Interior updates will also feature an upgraded navigation system including voice recognition, traffic info, 3D map lane guidance and Google Local Point of Interest Search.

Suzuki’s Kizashi mid-size sedan has also experienced terrific sales momentum, up 47 percent year-to-date and will also see some updates. First off, the sedans price tag will not change ($18,999), but new touches include a new high-value leather trim featured as the new SE Leather Edition, and starts $2,000 lower than the top of the line SLS model.

Suzuki is planning to bring the Swift back to the U.S., according to a report by Automotive News. The first three generations of the car were sold in North American and we often rebadged as Pontiacs, Chevy or Geos, but Suzuki decided to cease offering the sub-compact in 2001.

With tiny engines and very little horsepower, the Swift never caught on and Suzuki decided to instead take aim at the compact car market with its SX4 model. But now as the sub-compact segment expands, Suzuki may look to bring back it’s sometimes sporty little hatch. (We spied the hot-looking 125hp Anniversary Edition model above at the Geneva Auto Show).

Word is the successor to the current fifth-generation model is due out soon and Suzuki could have it in the U.S. as early as next year as a 2011 model.

Suzuki is also working on a new Grand Vitara model, due out in 2013, while a new crossover based on the Kizashi mid-sized sedan is expected in 2012 to replace the XL7 model.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

To help boost sales Suzuki is offering a simple incentive plan – free gas for the summer, when you buy an SX4 sedan or hatchback. Here’s how it works: when you buy an SX4 sedan or hatch your local Suzuki dealer will throw in a gas card. The card is valued at $270 for the sedan and $290 for the hatchback, which is what Suzuki estimates SX4 owners will spend on gas over the course of three months.

Suzuki is hoping this added bonus will be enough to attract owners, although when stacked up against the price of a car, $270 doesn’t sound all that enticing. And Suzuki is a company that should be working hard to attract customers as it has been one of the hardest-hit automakers during the current recession.

Sales for June were down 78 percent over the same month in 2008, and while some of the drop can be attributed to the elimination of three models from the company’s lineup (XL-7, Forenza and Reno), both the Grand Vitara and SX4 have struggled with sales down last month 69.1 and 53.2 percent.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]