Suzuki Pulling Out of the American Car Market, will Focus on Motorcycles and Marine Divisions

We knew that Suzuki's automotive division was having problems in the United States, but we never imagined that the Japanese carmaker would go as far as to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and completely exit the automobile market in the country (this decision does not affect its global automotive operations).
American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), which is the exclusive distributor in the continental United States of Suzuki Motor Corporation automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and marine outboard engines, made the announcement on Monday night, citing several reasons:
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Too Little, Too Late: Suzuki to Import 2,500 Cars from Japan to Meet Increased Demand in the U.S.

In November, Suzuki's automotive division in announced that it would be shutting down its operations in the United States. On Thursday, December 20, American Suzuki Motor Corp successfully filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in Santa Ana, California, winning permission to close its automotive operations, while re-organizing its motorcycle and boat businesses.

But that's not all that went down in the court as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Clarkson also approved Suzuki's request to borrow $50 million to import extra cars from Japan. Confused? Well, allow us to explain.

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Suzuki Unwraps Refreshed Grand Vitara for the UK Market

Suzuki may have pulled the plug on its automotive operations in America, but in Europe, it's still alive (well, at least for now), thank you very much.

Following the release of the updated 2013 Jimny last month, Suzuki has now given a mild facelift to its aging Grand Vitara that goes on sale in the United Kingdom this month as a 2013 model with prices starting from £15,995 for SZ3 1.6 litre 3 door version.

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Suzuki Puts a New Face on the 2013 Jimny, Releases Prices for the UK

Shortly after introducing the modestly revised for the 2013 model year Jimny, Suzuki is now offering its updated compact 4x4 model in the United Kingdom, with prices remaining unchanged over the previous version.

Exterior styling revisions are limited to a new front bumper and grille design with five slots, together with a new bonnet shape that houses a central air scoop. The redesign of the front bumper has led to a slight increase in overall length of 30mm to 3,675mm (144.7 inches). There's also a new, optional available, Breeze Blue metallic color.

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Suzuki Shutting Down its Spanish Motorcycle Production Operations As Well

Just the other day, Suzuki Motor Corporation filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA and announced that it is abandoning the car market in the country, while continuing to sell its motorcycles and ATVs.

Now we learn that the Japanese company is terminating all of its Spanish-based motorcycle production activities by the end of the first quarter of 2013. Not the best news for a country that is in a deepening recession with an unemployment rate of 25 per cent at the end of September.

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Is Fiat Flirting with Suzuki as a Response to the VW Group Wanting to Buy Alfa Romeo?

VW’s Chairman Ferdinand Piech and Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, two of the European automotive industry’s most prominent executives, have presumably read Sun Tzu’s Art of War and are aware of this excerpt:

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

The two groups are currently involved, if not in war, then certainly in a peculiar game of strategy and tactics – and there is no way of knowing who will come up trumps.

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Suzuki to Bring New Pocket-Rocket Swift Sport Concept to the Sydney Motor Show

Even though Suzuki has already presented a spicy concept of the Swift Sport at the 2011 Geneva Salon, as well as the toned-down, final production model powered by a 1.6-liter petrol engine delivering 134hp (100kW / 136PS), the Japanese marque has prepared another study for the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next week (October 19 to 28).

Suzuki tells us that the Swift Sport is a one-off concept designed by the brand's chief engineer Naoyuki Takeuchi.

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Suzuki Subtly Refreshes European Market Jimny 4x4

Some 13 years since its market launch, the third generation of Suzuki' highly capable off the road but no so much on the road, Jimny 4x4, is clearly getting a little long in the proverbial tooth, but there's no replacement in sight.

Instead, the Japanese carmaker is trying to keep new customers interested in the small off-roader by applying mild upgrades from time to time.

The latest refresh concerns the European market model that receives some subtle cosmetic revisions highlighted by the new hood with a functional air intake, a newly design five-slot front grille and a re-sculptured front bumper.

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Suzuki Affords us a Peek Into its Future with New S-Cross Concept, Enters Production in 2013

The Suzuki stand at the Paris Salon showcased a new concept vehicle named the S-Cross, and mind you, this isn't just another one of those show-grabbers as it hints at a production model that will go on sale sooner than you think.

"The new crossover will be the first in an ambitious programme of annual European model launches, which Suzuki will be starting in 2013," the Japanese carmaker said in a statement.

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Suzuki S-CROSS Concept Comes Under the Spotlight

Here's our first clear look at the new Suzuki S-CROSS Concept that will be heading to the 2012 Paris Motor Show on Thursday for its world premiere.

The S-CROSS is a compact (C-segment) crossover model and it gives us an idea of what Suzuki's plans are for a replacement of the current SX4 that is manufactured together with the Fiat Sedici in Hungary.

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Volkswagen Abandons Appeal Against Suzuki and the Use of the GTi Moniker

The Volkswagen Group has put to rest an appeal of a court ruling in a brand infringement case against Suzuki regarding its use of the GTi nameplate on the sportiest version of the Swift hatchback – not because it wanted to, but evidently, because it had no chance of winning the case.

The dispute began back in 2004 when the German automaker challenged an application granted to Suzuki to use the GTi moniker and took the Japanese brand to court.

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Suzuki Drops Another Dark Teaser of S-CROSS Concept

The highlight of Suzuki's presence at the Paris Motor Show that runs from September 27 (for the public from September 29) to 14 October will be the S-CROSS concept.

In addition to a shadowy image of the study's front end and a more revealing sketch released by the Japanese carmaker back in August, Suzuki has now dropped a third teaser photo that gives us a look at the crossover model's…very SEAT-like… rear end.

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Fresh Spy Shots of Suzuki's New SX4 Crossover Replacement

While Suzuki has already prepared us for the world premiere of a new concept model called the S-Cross at the Paris Motor Show on September 27, behind the scenes, the company's engineers are hard at work finishing the development of the actual production version that may replace the current SX-4. Read more »

Suzuki Debuts European Market 2013 Grand Vitara at the Moscow Auto Salon

The launch of the lightly refreshed 2013 Grand Vitara (as the Escudo) in Suzuki's home market of Japan earlier this summer has been followed up by the reveal of the European specification model at this week's Moscow International Automobile Salon.

The update brings some cosmetic tweaks on the outside and new design features on the inside to keep customers interested in the compact SUV that has started to show its age as the current model has been in production since 2005.

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Suzuki Previews New S-Cross Compact Crossover Concept Ahead of Paris Motor Show Debut

The 2012 edition of the Paris Motor Show in September will host the world premiere of a new concept model from Suzuki named S-Cross, which previews an upcoming production model in the compact crossover segment.

The Japanese automaker released a teaser sketch and a cropped image of the S-Cross that appears to be a thinly disguised concept of the prototype Suzuki we spied in the middle of July and which we rightly noted at the time was a larger model than the current, sub-compact SX-4.

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Suzuki Previews New Wagon R Mini ENE-Charge with a Mild-Hybrid System

As part of a presentation today in Japan, Suzuki previewed its new Wagon R tall mini that will benefit from the addition of a new mild-hybrid system named "ENE-CHARGE" (short for 'energy charge') and an energy-saving electric air conditioning system dubbed "ECO-COOL"

The Wagon R with ENE-CHARGE and ECO-COOL is scheduled to go on sale in Japan this September.

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That Ought to Buff Right Out: Suzuki Vitara Towing Fail [Updated with New Videos]

It's in the human nature to find someone to blame for an accident, or two in this case, as after the Suzuki Vitara Mk1 (evidently) suffered a first crash, the final blow came when a group of men were trying to tow it up a hill.

We can only speculate what when wrong or what they could have done to prevent it – for example, we don't know if they had pulled the emergency brake and set the shifter in gear or whether they had placed any rocks under the front tires, but the result is that the Vitara rolled down the hill to its death.

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Top Gear UK Video Teases Speed Week with 24 Performance Cars of 2012

This month's edition of the Top Gear UK Magazine has a special treat for its readers as the publication brought together the 24 most "inspiring" performance cars of the past 12 months at the famous Top Gear track for a hands-on evaluation by Jeremy Clarkson, The Stig and the rest of the TG team.

According to the magazine, the 24 sports cars have a combined output of 9,267hp, ranging from the 120hp Morgan 3 Wheeler to the 691hp (700PS) Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, and a joint vale of £2,205,864 (equal to US$3,445,935 or €2,805,908 at today's exchange rates).

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Spy Shots: New Suzuki Compact Crossover, Possibly a Replacement for the SX4

Are these scoop pictures of Suzuki's replacement for the SX4 or for a slightly larger compact crossover model?

The reason why we are being skeptical about the model is that one of our spy photographers told us the camouflaged prototype looked longer and wider than the current SX4, which has been in production since 2006.

Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between, meaning that Suzuki is readying a bigger replacement for the SX4 with more space for both passengers and their luggage.

The test car was thoroughly covered up on the outside but we can still distinguish the prominent, Kizashi-like front grille that extends to the bumper as well as the over-sized headlamp fixtures.

Inside, Suzuki's engineers weren't so diligent with the camo leaving the entire dashboard uncovered for our camera man. Not that there was anything worth hiding as the styling is plain and unadventurous.

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Suzuki Freshens Up Japanese Market Grand Vitara for the 2013MY

Along with the Toyota RAV4, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is one of the oldest mainstream models in the compact SUV segment having been in production in its current form since 2005.

In order to keep customer interest high, Suzuki has launched a new model year version of the domestic market Grand Vitara, which is called Escudo in Japan.

On the outside, the subtle facelift brings a newly designed front grille with twin-bars in the shape of wings, a tweaked bumper that gains black trim, black headlamp bezels and new alloy wheel styles, while Suzuki also discarded the spare rear wheel on the tailgate and moved the license plate holder.

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