Should Suzuki pack up and leave the U.S.? I say no, and here's why

[Thirty-Nine]

Lots of talk about Suzuki and their low sales lately. Some analysts even think they should pull out of the U.S. market (along with Mitsubishi).

I don't think they should pull out of the U.S., and I believe they could be successful here.

http://www.subcompactculture.com/2009/07/should-suzuki-pack-up-and-leave-us-i.html

[kustom play]

i seen motor-week and they said that the suzuki trucks were awesome!

[thebarber]

i drive a chevwoo myself, and the swift+ is weaksauce material even compared to the waveo pair (now g3, but whatevski's)

i like the idea of the sx4, but the engine is anemic, the shifter isnt great, an the mileage is medium at best for a 2.0L. if they made that awd w/ a 2.4L w/ about 170hp, THEN you'd have something.

people want dealer networks too. i don't know how it is in the states, but the suzuki dealers in canada always seem kinda crappy

i dont hate the products per se, as i really like the aerio wagon back in the day, but what they bring to the table in north america is fairly junky.

[gokartride]

Whoever can make a name for themselves in adequately-appointed, reliable, and appropriately-priced small cars will come out ahead in the long run. I'm afraid no one is going to be able trump Toyota, though, once the iQ comes out, as is is clearly the most innovative small car on the horizon right now. I found it shocking that Toyota had two small cars smaller than the Yaris available in the UK. That's awesome!!!

MINI is getting caught out, too, as they are currently going bigger, getting more complicated, getting more expensive, and focusing too excusively on performance models. I hope Suzuki.....or GM or Ford for that matter....reads the tea leaves and nails some amazing small cars. The breadcrumbs are all there for them to follow, but that is no guarantee given corporate structures, cultures, and such.

[Thirty-Nine]

i drive a chevwoo myself, and the swift+ is weaksauce material even compared to the waveo pair (now g3, but whatevski's)

i like the idea of the sx4, but the engine is anemic, the shifter isnt great, an the mileage is medium at best for a 2.0L. if they made that awd w/ a 2.4L w/ about 170hp, THEN you'd have something.

I disagree. I think the 2.0 is fine. It's no rocketship, but has plenty of power. Funny, I love the shifter in the SX4. And as far as fuel economy, keep in mind it's AWD. We can easily get 30 mpg on the highway with our AWD 5-speed SX4. That's pretty damn good. I don't get why people think it should get better mileage? Show me another AWD that gets the same mileage or better?

people want dealer networks too. i don't know how it is in the states, but the suzuki dealers in canada always seem kinda crappy

i dont hate the products per se, as i really like the aerio wagon back in the day, but what they bring to the table in north america is fairly junky.

I don't think the SX4 is junky, I don't think the Grand Vitara is junky, and the Equator, which is a Nissan Frontier, I don't consider junky. The Daewoo-made vehicles are history. The GV and SX4 are bona fide Suzuki products. The XL-7 is being dropped, and the Kizashi is on its way (although the verdict is still out on that one)

[thebarber]

I disagree. I think the 2.0 is fine. It's no rocketship, but has plenty of power. Funny, I love the shifter in the SX4. And as far as fuel economy, keep in mind it's AWD. We can easily get 30 mpg on the highway with our AWD 5-speed SX4. That's pretty damn good. I don't get why people think it should get better mileage? Show me another AWD that gets the same mileage or better?

well, you can shut off the awd....mileage still isnt great....

just wasnt impressed w/ the power of the car at the time....maybe after driving the yaris for a couple years now, instead of my xrs, my mind might be changed

just found it hard to fall in love w/ the sx4

[Thirty-Nine]

Well, you can technically shut off the AWD, but it's more of a marketing thing, I think since the AWD doesn't kick in unless there is slippage to the front wheels. The rear wheels are basically on "alert" when in AWD mode.

I can't fault you for not liking it. You're certainly entitled to your own opinion!

[BluYrs]

I'm somewhat surprised that the name "Fiat" hasn't cropped up in this thread. Afterall, the SX4 is sold over here as the Fiat Sedici too (same engines, same manufacturing plant). So when Fiat enters the US market with its small cars, I'm sure the Sedici (or its successor) is sure to tag along.

Now the Swift is something I imagine I'd miss, cause it's a great-looking thing with reasonable reliability and a nice price-tag. However, I'm sure there's something similarly good in the Fiat line-up.