It looks like Chinese-owned MG has been inspired by the Subaru Outback Sport (and Suzuki SX4 as well) with their new 3SW. The car comes with two engine choices: a 1.4-liter four and a 1.8-liter four. The 1.4-liter puts out 102 horsepower and 91 pound-feet of torque. The larger 1.8-liter engine offers 118 horsepower with torque coming in at 118 pound-feet. The price will range from 80,000 – 120,000 RMB ($11,428 - 17,142 USD give or take). No word as to whether AWD will be offered.

Full story here.

And speaking of MG, Inside Line has a story up on the TF: The MG TF Lives

In a brilliant marketing move, Suzuki is making in-dash navigation standard on the 2009 SX4.

That's right, a factory built-in navigation unit will be standard in a sub-$16,000 car! All models are included—from the the cheapest FWD to the most expensive AWD. Cars will begin arriving this summer at dealers.

Included is a "lowest price" gas station finder and real-time traffic capability. The 4.3" touch-screen flip-up unit, called "T.R.I.P." (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play), is supplied by Garmin and is pre-loaded with a number of points of interest. Suzuki is also launching a social networking-type website where owners can upload and share their favorite routes. In addition, there is Bluetooth availability.

This is a real marketing breakthrough that I hope other carmakers will also adopt. So, kudos to Suzuki for getting this ball rolling!

Full story here and here.

Here's Inside Line's take: 2009 Suzuki SX4 Gets Standard GPS

Update: Here is more info on the specifics. Apparently there will be an optional upgrade that will give you more of the cool features, such as next-generation dynamic content from the MSN Direct network, including up-to-date traffic information, fuel prices, and weather reports. The system also offers news and stock market information, local events, movie listings, and the ability to plan trips and look up destinations on a computer and then wirelessly send them to the device. Owners can pair most Bluetooth-enabled phones with the device, for hands-free calling.

Batteries, specifically lithium ion batteries, have been getting most of the green ink lately. Suzuki, however, has been quietly working in a different direction, that being using capacitors. Their RM-Z450 dirt bike is using a capacitor. Does that mean usage in cars might be just around the corner?

Capacitors are not new. My old 500cc Kawasaki Mach III 2-stroke triple had a CDI. They go back even further than that according to AutoObserver.

Capacitors Get a Boost from Suzuki

Rick Suzuki, the 60-year old grandson of the company founder Michio Suzuki, will step down from his post of company CEO. Despite sales growth, the company did not reach the sales goals it had set forth several years back.

I find this rather remarkable. Can you imagine the CEO of any other company stepping down under these circumstances; that being increasing sales and profits, but not achieving earlier stated goals? I can't.

Full story here and here.

With the unveiling of the Kizashi 3 concept car, the Kizashi period at Suzuki is finally nearing an end. Sort of.

The whole thing started at Frankfurt with the unveiling of the Kizashi concept -- a not-at-all-unpleasant-looking red four-door hatchback. This was followed (predictably) by the largely pointless and fussy-looking four-door hatch Kizashi 2 concept at the Tokyo auto show. And now Suzuki has stripped the least realistic stuff from the basic style and revealed the nearer-to-production Kizashi 3 notchback sedan.

A further stripping of auto-show filigree such as the super-narrow side mirrors and the 21-inch wheels would reveal the range-topping sedan that the company will begin selling sometime in 2009 as a 2010 model. Based on the newest version of GM's Epsilon platform that, in slightly different form, sits under the Chevy Malibu, the sedan will be available with a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 (from the XL7 sport-ute and sourced from GM) and all-wheel drive. We expect the company to introduce a four-cylinder version and a front-drive version.

And while the grille is a bit over the top, the sedan is certainly one of the more compelling designs we've ever seen from Suzuki. --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Now that Geneva has been pretty much covered, it's on to the New York show, which opens on March 21...

And as such, here's the latest rendering of the Suzuki Kizashi 3 concept. Suzuki has stated that they are looking to offer something that could compete with mid-sized sedans, and this is it—or at least is close to what we might see in showrooms in the not too distant future.

The front end styling is toned down quite a bit from earlier Kizashi concepts, but still, the visual link is strong. This new Suzuki Kizashi 3 concept is expected to be shown with a new V8 engine, a first for Suzuki.

Full story here.

Here's Inside Line's take: 2008 New York Auto Show: Suzuki Preps Concept Kizashi 3 for Global Debut

As you know, I've been asking for small-but-serious diesel work truck for some time here on Straightline, as I think the time is right for such a vehicle. Guess what? Nissan just introduced one: the new Nissan Frontier Navara single cab diesel pickup. That's the good news. The bad news is you can't get it here.

This new pickup will be built in Thailand for export to 120 other overseas markets, but not us. Now I fully understand why it's not coming here, as it's the Chicken Tax raising its ugly head again. Hey, doesn't Nissan make Frontiers here? Like in Smyrna, TN? Why not just add this nifty workhorse to the existing production line, instead of the silly Suzuki Equator?

So here's what we can't get: A very good small honest work truck powered by a Nissan 2.5L DOHC I4 common-rail turbodiesel that's rated at 172-horsepower and 297 ib-ft of torque hooked up to a 5-speed manual transmission. In addition, it's a single cab configuration with a serious bed with very useful external tie-downs, just like what Datsun and Toyota offered some 25 years ago.

Full story here and here.

If the overwhelming reception to the Mitsubishi Raider is any indication, we expect big things from the Nissan Frontier-based Suzuki Equator, but not really. It goes on sale at the end of this year at which point you could buy one. Maybe you prefer the Suzuki's front grille to the Nissan's. We do. But not that much. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

The New York Auto Show, the last big show of the North American continent, will have Suzuki showing their latest version of the Kizashi concept, but this time with a V8 possibly stuffed under the hood.

According to Motor Authority, who is reporting this story, Suzuki has green-lighted the earlier shown Kizashi concept. Perhaps better stated the car has been slated for further development, ultimately meaning it's headed for production, in which a V8 could well be part of the package.

Full story here.

In a related story, perhaps we'll see this car at Geneva, or something like it, sans the V8.

In the latest episode of embargo-gate, there is now an image of the new Frontier-based Suzuki Equator up on the Net. The image was first provided by Truck Trend, and is now all over the Internet. An even better image arrived today thanks to Mike Levine over at PickupTruck.com.

As much as I hate badge-engineered vehicles, I have to say from the front this looks pretty good. Once you move over to the side profile it's pure Nissan Frontier. No word on the mechanicals, but one could assume it's probably no different than the Frontier.

Full story here at Autoblog, here at Jalopnik, and here at PickupTruck.com.

Here's Inside Line's take: Leaked: 2009 Suzuki Equator