Suzuki Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

October 1, 2009

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Suzuki To Unveil Swift Plug-In Hybrid Concept

Suzuki's swift little Swift, a fun-to-drive small hatchback that we, of course, don't get in the U.S., gets a plug for a new Swift extended-range PHEV concept to be shown at the Tokyo Auto Show later this month.

It also gets a battery - lithium-ion - and an electric motor - 74 horsepower - to go along with the plug and a 658 cc (.6 liter) gas engine.

The gas engine, as we understand things despite the dearth of official info from Suzuki, will serve as a generator - a la the Chevy Volt, Fisker Karma and a growing number of other ER-PHEVs - to keep juice flowing to the electric motor when the initial charge (from a commercial charger or or home outlet) is depleted.

No info yet on range, cost, battery size and output, charging times or whether we might actually see a few of these on our shores some day.

Thanks to our colleagues at Inside Line's Straightline blog for the tip and the pix that follow the jump.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 1, 2009, 10:59 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Japan, Plug-ins and Electric, Suzuki
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Tokyo Auto Show

September 22, 2009

Latest 2010 Cars in U.S. 6.6% Greener Than 2009 Models, Website Reports

Environmental car data released by a new automotive Website today shows that the latest 2010 range of new cars available in the U.S. is 6.6 percent greener than the 2009 model-year range.

The data supplied by WhatGreenCar also demonstrate that the shift to green is gaining pace. To date, this year's 6.6 percent reduction is more than three times last year's improvement of 2.1 percent.

Comparing model year 2009 cars with the latest model year 2010 line-up, 10 volume automakers are now offering a new model range above the average improvement of 6.6 percent.

The top 10 manufacturers achieving this are: Chevrolet (20.3 percent improvement), General Motors (15.3 percent), Mercedes-Benz (13.6 percent), Lexus (13.2 percent), Mercury (11.6 percent), Kia (11.0 percent), Ford (10.4 percent), Acura (8.0 percent), Volkswagen (8.0 percent) and Suzuki (7.7 percent).

The tables below are self-explanatory, and can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 22, 2009, 12:09 PM
Categories:: Acura, Chevrolet, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Suzuki, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Acura

August 17, 2009

Suzuki May Unveil Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Sedan in U.S. in 2011, Nikkei Says

Suzuki, which said last month that it would start selling its all-wheel-drive sports sedan in the U.S. by the end of the year, may unveil a gas-electric hybrid version in the country as soon as 2011, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Sunday.

The carmaker, which would follow fellow Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda into the hybrid vehicle market, will use a powertrain it's developing with General Motors for the hybrid version of its Kizashi, Suzuki's first mid-sized sedan, Nikkei reported.

The hybrid will get about 20 percent better gas mileage than its gas-powered equivalent, which will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, according to Nikkei.

Suzuki, which announced late last month that it would begin selling the gasoline-powered version of the Kizashi in North America this winter, also said it would make a hybrid version of the sedan, although it declined at the time to estimate when the hybrid would be available.

American Suzuki Motors Corp. spokesman Jeff Holland declined to comment on the Nikkei report.

GM, which first invested in Suzuki in 1981 and owned as much as 20 percent of the company in 2001, sold its remaining 3 percent of the company last year. Suzuki sold about 26,000 vehicles in the U.S. from the start of this year through July, down 60 percent from a year earlier.

Danny King, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 17, 2009, 5:35 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Suzuki, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Honda

August 3, 2009

Suzuki Announces Intent To Offer a Hybrid Version of Its Kizashi Sport Sedan

American Suzuki Motors Corp. has announced that it will offer a hybrid version of the 2010 Kizashi, an all-wheel-drive sport sedan the Japanese automaker debuted last week.

The gas-propelled Kizashi is scheduled to appear in North American showrooms starting this winter.

Built at Suzuki's new manufacturing facility in Sagara, the Kizashi will be equipped with a standard 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine.

As for the hybrid version of the Kizashi, Suzuki was unwilling to say more about it than this snippet from a statement released in conjunction with the Kizashi's world premiere:

"In addition to this excellent new powertrain, and to even further enhance the Kizashi's strong efficiency story, Suzuki is developing an even more fuel-efficient hybrid version that will be added to the lineup in the future."

A lot more details would have been nice, but we're delighted to know that a hybrid Kizashi is on the way.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 3, 2009, 12:16 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Suzuki
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

June 30, 2009

Suzuki CEO Denies Reports That Carmaker Might Produce Super-Small Cars for VW

Less than a week after Reuters reported that Suzuki Motor Corp. was in talks with Volkswagen about building ultra-small cars for the German automaker, the news agency reported today that Suzuki CEO Osamu Suzuki had denied having spoken with anyone at VW about anything recently.

Reuters reported last week that a source familiar with the matter had said that Volkswagen was exploring a deal to cooperate with Suzuki to boost VW's presence in the ultra-small-cars market.

At about the same time, a German magazine reported that VW could secure such a deal by taking a 10 percent stake in Suzuki.

But then on Saturday, Osamu Suzuki denied all of it.

"So far there's been absolutely no contact (with Volkswagen)," he was quoted as telling the Chunichi Shimbun daily.

"Lately, we've been the victim of a lot of rumors (of equity tie-ups and cooperation deals)," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

A Suzuki spokesman said he could not confirm the CEO's comments.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 30, 2009, 4:37 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Suzuki, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Efficient

June 26, 2009

Volkswagen Said to Be Mulling a Super-Small-Car Joint Venture With Suzuki

A Reuters report out of Tokyo this morning quotes an unidentified source as says that Volkswagen is exploring a cooperation deal with its Japanese rival to boost the German carmaker's presence in ultra-small cars.

Cooperation with Suzuki, which dominates Japan's 660cc minivehicle market along with Toyota unit Daihatsu Motor Co., could yield a new model for Volkswagen, the source said.

Volkswagen is looking to secure a cooperation deal by taking a 10 percent stake in Suzuki, reported manager magazin, a German magazine. But some investors were wary.

"If they are really going to make cars together, bringing together production facilities and linking their logistics, this could help both, but a capital tie-up by itself will not stimulate demand," Kazuyuki Terao, director at investment fund RCM Japan, told Reuters.

"Suzuki's profits are coming mainly from India and Japan. Europe doesn't have a big impact," he said.

Suzuki's 54 percent Indian unit Maruti Suzuki is that country's biggest carmaker thanks in part to its best-selling Alto mini car (pictured).

"It's not a negative, as there is a limit to doing things on one's own in an auto market like this," Naoki Fujiwara, a fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management, told Reuters. "But I would have to take a look at what they actually do."

A spokesman for Suzuki could not comment, saying he had not heard anything on a potential tie-up, while Volkswagen declined to comment.

Mitsuru Kurokawa, an analyst at IHS Global Insight, told Reuters today that collaborating with Volkswagen "could help Suzuki pick up its pace in the hybrid and electric vehicle field as those segments look set to grow faster than expected now.

"Meanwhile, Volkswagen could gain a partner in Asia that it always wanted and develop smaller cars as consumers downshift more and more from bigger cars."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 26, 2009, 3:45 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Suzuki, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Joint Venture

May 18, 2009

Are Automakers Finally Seeing the Light? Will Government and Greens See it Too?

Auto Industry Lines Up To Praise National Program Idea, Now the Hard Work Begins

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The auto industry, tired of being seen as the bad guy whenever fuel economy and emissions regulation is on the table, is wasting no time lining up in support of tomorrow's White House announcement on development of a national carbon emissions and fuel efficiency program.

A cynic might think this doesn't bode well for the ultimate result of the rulemaking process that President Obama will outline at a press conference in Washington Tuesday morning: That the auto industry figures it has enough clout left to wring the life out of any effort to significantly improve fuel economy.

But we think it simply shows that an industry on life support and dependent on government largess here and overseas has finally read the writing on the wall and realizes that this is as good as it is ever going to get and that if it doesn't play ball it will have no say in the rules it eventually will have to live by.

Automakers also have been caught in a trap of their own making. They've been fighting California, the national leader in establishing greenhouse gas controls on motor vehicles, insisting that individual states shouldn't be able to set carbon emissions rules and that a national standard is needed.

Now the Obama administration has stepped to the table and said, as the president is wont to: "Okay, let's develop a national rule."

To oppose that would be political suicide.

In that vein, the two lobbying groups representing almost every car maker that does business in the U.S. have jumped on board and are voicing support for the so-called National Program for Autos.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 18, 2009, 6:00 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: National CAFE Plan

December 17, 2008

Small Cars Improve in Crash Tests Overall, but They Suffer Big Hit in Side Impacts

Small cars fare better in crashes than they used to, but they still lag behind larger vehicles in protecting passengers. Their disadvantages are especially clear in side-impact crashes.

----------
Chrysler's PT Cruiser did poorly in the side-impact test.
----------

Of the nine small cars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, all received the group's top rating of "good" in frontal crashes, but only two got good ratings when broadsided.

The Insurance Institute tested nine small cars for the 2009 model year in front, side and rear collisions. The group included the BMW Mini Cooper, Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, as well as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, which are essentially the same vehicle sold under two brand names.

Only the SX4 and Matrix, and its twin the Vibe, received good ratings for protection in side crashes. The Ford and Chevrolet were judged acceptable in side-impact protection, while the Hyundai and Saturn were marginal and the Chrysler was poor.

Only the Ford Focus was top-rated in rear-impact crashes that test how well the vehicles' seats and head restraints protect passengers. The Chrysler PT Cruiser was the worst performer, with poor ratings for side and rear protection.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 17, 2008, 1:17 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hyundai, MINI, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BMW Mini Cooper

November 11, 2008

Toyota's Four-Cylinder 2009 Highlander: Fuel-Efficiency and Lower Price

Just ran downstairs to the Edmunds garage (actually, the building's garage, but it's where visiting carmakers bring stuff for us to look at) to do a fast walk-around on the upcoming four-cylinder version of Toyota's Highlander SUV.

----------

The 4-cylinder Highlander for 2009 looks just like its V6 sibling (right) -- except under the hood.

----------

This isn't a hybrid, but with the new four-banger (to be shared with the Veranza) and a new six-speed automatic transmission, the 2009 Highlander base model will deliver, by Toyota's estimate, EPA-rated fuel economy of 20 miles a gallon in the city and 27 mph on the highway for an all-around average of 22 mpg.

That's better highway mileage than the Highlander hybrid, which is EPA-rated at 25 to the gallon on the open road. But the hybrid makes up for that in the city, with a 27-mpg rating (26 miles a gallon overall).

Toyota says production of the new Highlander four-cylinder begins at the end of the month, with deliveries to dealerships starting early next year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell November 11, 2008, 11:52 AM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Suzuki, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Toyota Highlander 4-Cylinder Model

August 20, 2008

Ford Escape Hybrid Among Small SUVs to Earn Top Safety Rating

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Many people if not most who buy a small or midsize sport utility vehicle do so because they believe it offers greater personal protection than a car. And for that extra measure of protection, they are willing to sacrifice fuel economy.

Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced that the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid earned top ratings in recent crash-test evaluations, bringing to three the number of hybrid SUVs getting superior mileage without compromising safety.

The other hybrid SUVs earning top-safety-pick honors from the respected institute are the midsize 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid and the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which the institute had previously evaluated.

But the big winner announced today by the institute was the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, which outperformed the competition in recent front, side and rear crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models.

The 2009 Escape, including the hybrid version, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander and 2008 Nissan Rogue joined the Tiguan in earning top ratings in all three of the institute's evaluations. All four models come equipped with electronic stability control and side airbags, which the institute considered very important.

The institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal or poor are based on results of front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against whiplash injury in rear crashes.

The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, 2008 Jeep Patriot, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler all earned the second-lowest rating of marginal.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 8:02 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saturn, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen

July 22, 2008

Acura, Smart, Chevy Models Top List of Healthiest Cars Tested by Ecology Center

Soy foam in the seats the Ford F-150 pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Locally farmed hemp , "ethically produced" woolen fabric and floor mats made of sisal in the Lotus Eco Elise.

Some automakers are increasingly going to great lengths to make the interiors of some of their models if not environmentally friendly, at least a bit wholesome.

But others, well...

Early today the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, posted its second-annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.

More than two hundred 2008- and 2009-model-year vehicles and more than 60 children's car seats were tested for unhealthy chemicals that seep in gaseous form from the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats and carpet.

The "new-car smell," as the gases are commonly called, mingle with the air occupants breathe and have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

The Ecology Center reported that Mazda, General Motors and Nissan improved since last year's findings, with GM showing the greatest gains of the domestic automakers, with an average vehicle ranking improvement of 27 percent.

The list of the 10 best and 10 worst vehicles as picked by the Center appears in the chart above.

Average child-car-seat scores improved 28 percent overall. The list of 10 best and worst car seats for 2008 as picked by the Center appears at left. Click on the chart for a better look.

For more information, go to www.HealthyCar.org.

Below are the three worst 2008-model-year vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and Volkswagen New Beetle.

Below are are the three best vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Acura RXD, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart Passion Cabriolet.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2008, 12:21 AM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Think, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

June 25, 2008

Hybrids Don't Shine in True Cost To Own Study

Chevy Aveo tops ownership cost study. Civic hybrid and other gas-electric vehicles don't fare well because of hybrid premium in initial purtchase price.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

If saving money is your thing, and in these rugged economic times who isn't into that, then Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota and Nissan all have cars for you.

But they aren't hybrids

Previous studies using Edmunds' True Market Value calculations have shown that the so-called hybrid premium makes it difficult for the fuel-efficient cars and SUVs to save enough on fuel to earn back the higher price automakers charge for the advanced technology packed into a gas-electric powertrain.

Now a new Edmunds.com True Cost to Own study finds that even with their sometimes hefty federal tax credits, hybrids slip well down into the pack when long-term ownership costs are considered.

The Civic Hybrid is No. 14 in the TCO rankings being released today, while the nation's best-selling hybrid, Toyota's Prius, doesn't even make the top 25. It finished 34th overall, although it is in second place among hybrids.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (10); John O'Dell June 25, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki, Tax Incentives, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Cost to Own Hybrid

June 19, 2008

Suzuki's Fuel-Efficient Swift Reaches 1 Million Mark

You don't hear much about Suzuki's Swift in the U.S. days, particularly the inexpensive hatchback version sold in America from 1989 through 2001. The less-popular sedan silently left American showrooms soon thereafter.

With fuel-economy ratings around 40 miles per gallon and a price tag well below $10,000, the hatchback offered those needing basic transportation a wonderfully practical and generally reliable option...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 19, 2008, 4:24 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Suzuki