#suzuki

With plenty of lead up to its introduction at the 88th annual Pikes Peak Hillclimb, the Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Genesis PM580 didn’t deliver on any of its promises and instead was overshadowed by the Suzuki of Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima. Rhys Millen had set out to break the 10 minute barrier on the treacherous mountain and reclaim the record for his family. (Rhys’ father Rod set a record of 10:04.06 in 1994, which Tajima topped in 2007 with a 10:01.41).

One day after spy photos of the new Suzuki Swift were captured, Suzuki has released official shots of their new MINI-rivaling subcompact, and the car looks great, despite it being more of an evolution than a clean-sheet design. The car is slightly long, lower and wider and weight has been reduced, though Suzuki didn’t specify how much mass has been trimmed from the already sprightly car.

The 2011 Suzuki Swift has been spied on the Nurburgring in full camouflage, but now, uncovered examples have been spotted on a transport truck in Hungary, giving us a closer look at the car’s styling. Only the rear was visible, but it’s safe to say that the design is an evolution of the current Swift’s looks.

Suzuki engineers have been hard at work testing the upcoming next-generation Swift subcompact, recently completing a series of runs on Germany’s famed Nürburgring. No official info is known about the car yet but it is expected to grow slightly – especially as Suzuki is reportedly planning to bring the model back to the North American market to compete in the growing sub-compact segment here.

Power is certain to come from a small-displacement 4-cylinder engine, with rumors that a new powerplant could come from Volkswagen a a result of the recent tie-up between the two automakers. While Suzuki makes more than competent small cars, it would be exciting to see VW’s small turbocharged 1.2-liter offered.

Testing for the Swift should be in its final stages with Suzuki looking to launch the new model at the Paris Auto Show this Fall.

See after the jump for some tire screeching video:

[Source: CarScoop]

With Nissan having issued a recall for select Frontier pickups, it was probably only a matter of time before Suzuki followed with its version of the F-Alpha mid-size truck. In the case of the latter manufacturer, the recall centers on a total of 582 Equators, manufactured between November 30, 2009 and March 3 this year (2010 model year trucks). Like the Frontier, the problem stems around potentially weak welds on the lower front ball joint collars that could come apart, affecting vehicle handling and alignment.

In an effort to boost sales of it’s Nissan derived mid-size pickup, the Equator, as well as other U.S. models; American Suzuki Motor Corporation is offering a new incentive: free gasoline for the summer. Customers who purchase a new 2010 Equator, will be eligible to receive a stored-value debit card for fuel. The cards will range in value from $280 to $442 in total. The amount will depend on the national average price of a gallon of gas at the time of issue, the calculated EPA fuel mileage for the vehicle in question (Equators are available with 2.5-liter four-cylinder or 4.0-liter V6 engines, both of which have managed more than 20 highway mpg in testing); plus the Federal Highway Administration’s calculation of approximately 1000 miles driven per month. The cards will be issued through August 31 2010.

When it comes to modified imports, Suzuki isn’t the first name that pops into your head. But Road Race Motorsports, a California based Suzuki tuner, decided that the Kizashi was due for some upgrades, and the end result is a car that has transitioned from mild-mannered sports sedan into something entirely different.

Suzuki has released full details and images of its new Kizashi Sport model ahead of the car’s debut at the New York Auto Show. The new mid-size sedan from the Japanese automaker is already quite handsome, but in Sport trim it’s a real looker.

It is now becoming apparent how Volkswagen’s partnership with Japanese automaker Suzuki and it’s plans to become the world’s largest automaker are intertwined. Outlined in a VW employee newsletter is an interview with VW board member Detlef Wittig, who says that the German automaker will rebadge Suzuki models as Volkswagens. The vehicles could then be sold in emerging markets, helping VW twofold.

Despite competition from Tata, known for building the world’s cheapest car, Suzuki has no plans to compete head-to-head with the Indian automaker. Currently Suzuki has a stranglehold on emerging markets like India, but Tata is looking to take a chunk of that with the Nano, which undercuts the already inexpensive Suzuki models.

Suzuki is looking to get back into the U.S. auto market in a big way and to do so it launched the Kizashi mid-size car last year to compete with hallmarks like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord. Initially offered with only a 4-cylinder, Suzuki doesn’t want anyone walking away from its dealerships wanting for power and so the automaker is expected to deliver a more powerful V6 model. A Suzuki rep told the folks at LeftLaneNews that Suzuki has, “more exciting Kizashi product news to share” in New York, leading to the obvious conclusion of the V6 model’s debut.

HKS Kansai Service, a workshop in Japan that is part of the HKS group, had an impressive display of vehicles and products showing off their tuning prowess. Included among them were a previous-generation Skyline R34, a brand new R35 GT-R and EVO X. And let’s not forget the least of the cars on display, a tricked-out Suzuki Swift. HKS is sure to be planning parts for subcompacts like this, with news that Mitsubishi is planning to bring the Swift to North America.

A week ahead of the Detroit Auto Show, New Delhi’s Auto Expo is increasingly becoming a big deal – especially in regards to small cars. With India likely to become one of the world’s largest markets, automakers are eager to get their foot in the door. One manufacturer that already has a huge presence in the county is Suzuki and its looking to stay competitive and current, looking to expand its product offerings from more than just mini-cars, to functional people-haulers.

Before Mazda solidified its deal to buy up a 20 percent stake in Suzuki earlier this week, it was considering adding a different Japanese automaker to its lineup. A report in Automobile magazine dissects the decision by VW and why it eventually didn’t go with Mazda, which is now almost completely independent of Ford.

Months of rumors and a more credible report yesterday have culminated in the official news that Volkswagen will take a 20 percent share in Japanese automaker Suzuki, worth $2.5 billion. Volkswagen has its sights set on becoming the world’s largest automaker and with Suzuli’s small-car expertise, it hopes to make a large expansion into developing markets, like India.