Suzuki Reviews
About Suzuki
Suzuki launched as a weaving loom enterprise in 1909. It was not until after World War II that Suzuki switched to its core business as a manufacturer of motorcycles and automobiles.
In the early 1950s, Suzuki built its first motorized bicycle, followed by motorcycle manufacturing. In 1954, the company changed its name from Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company to Suzuki Motor Company. This occurred one year ahead of the introduction of its first automobile model.
The Suzuki Suzulight rolled out in 1955 as this company’s first four-wheel vehicle. Roughly the size of a motorcycle, the Suzulight was a front-wheel-drive, two-door model. It came with rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel independent suspension. Powered by a 360 cc engine, this twin-stroke two-cylinder model had an output of 16 horsepower. Later, the model line included a three-door sedan, wagon and pickup truck variants.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Suzuki was best known as a motorcycle manufacturer. At the same time, it continued to build minicars for the home market. Microvans and tiny four-wheel drive models followed the initial vehicles to the market.
Beginning in the 1970s, Australia and Europe were Suzuki’s first export markets. In 1981, General Motors acquired a small stake in the company, paving the way for the first Suzuki models to arrive in the U.S.
The Suzuki Cultus became the Chevrolet Sprint when imports began in the mid-1980s. Later, it was called the Geo Metro, which is one of several models sold under Chevrolet’s sub-brand. At the same time, Suzuki established its own dealer network, selling this model as the Suzuki Swift. Other Suzuki names of the 1980s included the subcompact Forsa sedan. There was also the tiny Samurai SUV and the larger Sidekick SUV. The second model was also sold as the Chevrolet Tracker.
In the 1990s, Suzuki introduced the compact Esteem sedan. The automaker also offered the two-door XC-90 subcompact SUV, featuring a t-section removable roof. During that time Suzuki replaced the Samurai with the Vitara and Grand Vitara SUVs.
By the early 2000s, Suzuki’s product line changed to reflect models it built itself as well as some supplied by Daewoo, General Motors and Nissan.
The Suzuki Reno was the brand’s subcompact hatchback, offered from 2005 to 2008. From 2002 to 2007, Suzuki made available the compact Aerio sedan and wagon. Beginning in 2008, the SX4 sedan replaced both models.
From 2003 to 2005, the Suzuki Verona competed in the midsize sedan market with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Five years later the Suzuki Kizashi rolled out, and it’s one of the few models in the midsize segment offering available all-wheel drive.
Among SUV models, Suzuki offered the Vitara from 1999 to 2004, the compact Grand Vitara from 1999 to 2013 and the midsize XL7 from 2001 to 2009.
For its Suzuki Equator pickup truck offering, the company turned to Nissan for its own version of the midsize Frontier model. The Equator, offered from 2009 to 2012, was supplied with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for base models or a 4.0-liter V6 for Crew Cab and V6 variants.
In November 2012, Suzuki announced it would leave the U.S. automotive market. The company sold down its remaining inventory, while honoring its warranties and making parts available. For the 2013 model year, the company had just three models left: the compact SX4 and midsize Kizashi sedans as well as its Grand Vitara SUV.