Car XxX Blog

The massive earthquake followed by the even more devastating tsunami that struck the north-east coasts of Japan last week has brought together the country’s biggest automakers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which announced today that they will donate $3.75 million each for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.
In addition to the contribution in money, Nissan said it is also studying further relief efforts including complimentary provision of vehicles, such as trucks and forklifts, donation of medical supplies and daily commodities including blankets, antiseptics and masks, gift matching donation from Nissan employees, promotion, and support of blood donation activities.
Honda announced that it will donate a total of 1,000 power generators along with 5,000 gas canisters to the people left without electricity, while Toyota is considering the provision of goods and services as needed.
The three automakers have also announced the closure of some of their factories in Japan. From March 14 through March 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants in Sayama, Saitama, Ogawa, Tochigi, Hamamatsu and Suzuka, plus all facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious. From March 15 through 20, Honda will also suspend production at the Kumamoto factory.
Nissan announced that operations at the Tochigi and Iwaki plants are suspended until March 18, while the Oppama, Kyushu, Shatai and Yokohama plants will be closed until March 16. As for Toyota, officials announced that the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Miyagi and Iwate plants are closed, with all employees having been evacuated to safe areas. The factories will remain closed at least until March 16.
Other automakers affected by the earthquake include Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki, which have either suspended or slowed down production because of supply shortages.

The Suzuki SXForce Concept is one of the latest additions to Suzuki's media-acclaimed Suzuki LIVE Series - a line of brand-dedicated concept vehicles specially designed for life enthusiasts, adventurers and thrill-seekers.

Reinforcing the link between the company's rich motorcycle heritage and versatile line of fun-to-drive automobiles, the Suzuki SXForce is a sportbike-inspired concept based on all-new 2008 SX4 Sport. The SXForce boasts a powerful 250-horsepower, 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine matched to a five-speed manual transmission.

The exterior shell of the SX4 Sport has been modified to be eye-catching to both four-wheel and two-wheel enthusiasts. It features a striking blend of carbon fiber, Flash Pearl White and Orange Metallic paint and showcases a number of performance-based automotive parts and stunning motorcycle accents, including sportbike-style side rearview mirrors and dual exhaust, also found on the championship-winning GSX-R1000.

While the Suzuki SXForce Concept is sure to be a showstopper on display, it was designed to look even better on the road. This fully drivable, track-tested SX4 Sport concept receives several performance enhancements, including a fully tuned performance suspension system, F1-style outlet gills to help underhood air flow, tailored rear bodywork with carbon fiber diffuser, Carbontrix rear wing, Tein coilover suspension height and damper setup, and reinforced structure to further enhance rigidity for optimal handling. The Suzuki SXForce is outfitted with 18-inch Enkei racing wheels and a staggered high-performance Toyo T1-R tire package - 225/45-18 in the front and 235/40-18 in the rear. It also is equipped with Rotora six-piston calipers with two-piece 355mm rotors for sportbike stopping power.

The motorcycle theme continues inside the Suzuki SXForce Concept, beginning with suede and leather seats and interior appointments, mimicking sportbike leathers. Other interior enhancements include motorcycle instrument cluster and controls, roof air intake for optimal breathing and a revised track-themed interior featuring carbon fiber components and accents. Engine vitals are monitored via a Zeitronix ZT-2 wideband data logger and all vital engine parameters are logged on a laptop and viewed on the ZT-2 gauge mounted on the Hayabusa handlebars. The Suzuki SXForce is equipped with an integrated Garmin navigation system, and its rear seats have been removed and replaced by a high-output Rockford Fosgate audio system.

Created by the same Suzuki team that won European acclaim with the Suzuki Swift, the SX4 sedan joins the dynamic XL7 midsize crossover SUV, award-winning SX4 compact sport crossover and media-acclaimed Grand Vitara as an iconic vehicle that embodies the future direction of the Suzuki brand and the company's "Way of Life" spirit. Its 'poised for action' wedge-shape stance, muscular arched fenders and standard 17-inch alloy wheels all reflect the vehicle's eagerness to provide a spirited and responsive driving experience.

"The SX4 sedan will be one of the best-equipped compact cars in America and will perfectly complement our lineup of versatile vehicles," said Koichi Suzuki, president of ASMC automotive operations. "Since New York has been home to so many of our significant vehicle introductions, we're delighted to return and kick off the second quarter of 2007 with the launch of Suzuki's latest exciting product."

The SX4 sedan arrives on the heels of an impressive 2006, when American Suzuki enjoyed sales of more than 100,000 vehicles for the first time in its 22-year history. Last year's automotive sales were up 23 percent from 2005 and mark the company's third consecutive double-digit annual sales increase.

Powertrain
Built in Japan, the SX4 sedan features a sophisticated 2.0-liter, in-line four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC engine rated at 143 horsepower and 136 lb.-ft. of torque, making it more powerful than the segment volume leaders. It is available with either an automatic or a five-speed manual transmission.

Handling
The chassis of the SX4 sedan evolved from the award-winning Suzuki Swift that received numerous industry accolades worldwide, including many "Car of the Year" awards in Europe and Asia. With an emphasis on dynamic performance, the sport-tuned SX4 sedan brings the excitement of the Swift to the U.S. market. The SX4 sedan features a rigid steel unibody underpinned by a well-controlled chassis that was fine-tuned in Europe to provide stability, crisp and responsive handling and braking, and minimal body roll. For optimal braking performance, it features four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes as standard equipment.

Exterior Styling
Inspired by a Japanese Kabuki mask, the SX4 sedan has an aggressive front fascia and grille, and appears poised for action with a sporty wedge shape that foreshadows its rewarding driving experience. Its muscular and athletic stance is enhanced by its arched fenders, while the body features a low, rising waistline and large, triangular-shaped windows forward of the front doors to emphasize the car's great traction and dynamic performance. The SX4 sedan also features a standard aero body kit, complete with an available rear spoiler.

Interior
The stylish design continues inside the SX4 sedan. Wide door openings provide the driver and passengers with superior ease of entry and egress, while the large cabin proportions and command seating position optimize visibility to enhance driving confidence and control. The cabin allows comfortable seating for five, with more overall interior space than the segment's volume leaders. The SX4 sedan also features theater-style seating for the rear passengers.

A functional and high-tech center panel offers large, circular controls flanked by modern aluminum- colored trim. Instruments and controls are backlit by contemporary, high-tech red lighting, and the ergonomic design of the instrument cluster and dashboard provides clear views of the meters and easy access to the controls for a true driver-oriented cabin. The sporty cockpit theme extends throughout the cabin with a dark interior that features black cloth for a look that is both sharp and refined.

 

 

With the Suzuki Splash, a new fresh and exciting small passenger car, Suzuki Motor Corporation intends to gain a significant market share in this growing market segment in Europe. The new flexible compact car combines the sportiness of Suzuki's successful model Swift with the technologies and immense know-how of the Japanese world market leader in the mini car segment. The Suzuki Splash is not the successor of any specific former Suzuki model, but a brand-new concept to satisfy the needs of demanding European customers in terms of roominess, compactness, modern design, aerodynamics, quality, driveability, performance and environmental friendliness. The safety equipment encompasses state-of-the-art features such as six airbags and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP). It looks fresh, energetic, juvenile and emotional and thereby underlines the aspiration of its name Splash. Within the global growth strategy of Suzuki, the Suzuki Splash is already the fourth entirely new model within three years after the launch of Swift, Grand Vitara and SX4 which all embody Suzuki's unique 'Way of Life!'-philosophy.

Within this market segment, the car convinces with a relatively tall body (1.6 metres) based on the chassis from the sporty Swift. With its overall length of 3.7 metres and width of 1.7 metres it offers an amply tall and comfortable roomy cabin with sufficient legroom for adults on all seats. Its modern design leads to excellent aerodynamic efficiency and consequently to low carbon-dioxide emissions.

The Suzuki Splash will make its worldwide debut at the International Motor Show in September in Frankfurt am Main. Sales of the car with its excellent ride comfort will start as of spring 2008. It will be available with two different petrol engines: a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, 12-valve unit with maximum power of 48kW (65hp) and a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valve unit with maximum power of 63kW (86hp). With these engines, low friction and plentiful flat torque delivery at low and mid-range speeds help to ensure good driveability across the rev range while promoting fuel economy and limiting CO2 emissions. Customers preferring a diesel engine can choose a proven 1.3-litre, common rail, 16-valve unit with optional particulate filter and a maximum power of 55kW (75hp). In light of the growing need for environmental compatibility, emissions of all three engines with 5-speed manual gearbox are between only 120g/km and 140g/km. The petrol engines were both newly developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation as next-generation power engines. The diesel engine will be produced at Suzuki's plant in India under licence from GM Powertrain Europe.

Suzuki aims to sell up to 60,000 units per year of the Suzuki Splash in Europe. The brand-new model has been developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation and will be produced by its subsidiary company Magyar Suzuki Corporation in Hungary.