Bye, Bye Verona: Suzuki discontinues sedan

[nadepalma]

Sorry if this is repost -- didn't see it on any of the forums yet

Source: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../60612002/1041

Bye, Verona
Suzuki discontinues slow-selling sedan as it moves to revamp lineup with hybrid, pickup
By KATHY JACKSON | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
7:54 am, June 12, 2006



LOS ANGELES -- As American Suzuki seeks a record year, it is discontinuing the slow-selling Verona sedan and preparing to add products it has never had: a pickup and a hybrid.

President Koichi Suzuki confirmed for Automotive News that the company will bring the Swift hatchback back to the United States in 2010 to compete against such small cars as the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa. Sales of the Swift stopped in the United States in July 2002.

He also said that Nissan will provide Suzuki with a small pickup in the United States in 2008. This fall, Suzuki will add a crossover, and in 2010 it will offer a hybrid car.

He declined to give details of the hybrid car or the pickup. Suzuki dealers believe the hybrid will be a sedan version of the Swift and that the pickup will be a version of the Nissan Frontier. Fuel-saving hybrids use gasoline engines and one or more electric motors to power the wheels.

One casualty of the product makeover is the mid-sized Verona. It will be discontinued at the end of the 2006 model year. Dealer orders have stopped.

Quality woes

The Verona, built by Korean automaker GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., suffered quality problems and never lived up to its sales expectations of 25,000 units annually.

"It wasn't selling, so we decided not to order any more," says American Suzuki spokesman Mike Anson.

The Verona came to market in September 2003. The highest sales year was 2004, when Suzuki dealers sold 12,874 units.

Anson says the company may take a look at bringing the vehicle back to the United States if it gets an improved powerplant. The 2006 Verona is equipped with a 155-hp, 2.5-liter inline-six engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Anson says U.S. buyers want a larger V-6 and at least a five-speed automatic transmission.

Suzuki dealer Jerry Goldstein, of Altoona, Pa., says: "I'm very happy we're getting these three new vehicles. Fuel mileage is the name of the game, and I think it will be that way long term. But I think they pulled the plug too quickly on the Verona. It accounted for 15 percent of my sales."

The Swift is sold in Japan, Europe, India and China. The base car is equipped with a 1.3-liter inline-four making 101 hp. The United States will get the next-generation Swift.

100,000 goal

Suzuki's goal this year is to sell 100,000 vehicles in the United States for the first time. Its best year was in 1987 when it sold 83,334. Through May, the company sold 47,443 units here, an increase of 37.3 percent over the same period last year.

The automaker plans to develop bigger and better looking vehicles with more engine power and other amenities. It also doubled its ad budget to more than $100 million in 2004 from 2003.

Suzuki increased its car line from one to three in 2003, when it added the Forenza compact and Verona. In 2004, dealers got the Reno five-door hatchback, a trimline of the Forenza.

The company is overhauling its SUV lineup. The Grand Vitara was redesigned in 2005, and the new SX4 crossover and redesigned XL-7 mid-sized SUV will arrive this fall.

[ChevroletRevived]

Huh, yeah that is pretty low sales-12,000. I haven't seen hardly any on the road....

[saturnsteve]

Suzuki is going to rebadge a Nissan Truck? Huh, it's like they never left GM, now they just get to rebadge something different

[Ming]

Must be in return for Suzuki's promise to sell small cars badged as Nissans in a story I read last week.

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by AutoWeek

Anson says the company may take a look at bringing the vehicle back to the United States if it gets an improved powerplant. The 2006 Verona is equipped with a 155-hp, 2.5-liter inline-six engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Anson says U.S. buyers want a larger V-6 and at least a five-speed automatic transmission.

So there might be an opening later on if GMDAT upgrades their engines -- which is a no brainer. I wonder why GM hasn't dumped the 2.5L I6 for a new HF V6 anyway. You'd think it would be the natural fit since they produce them in Australia anyway.

[Ming]

The 2.5L I-6 is smooth, and has about 170 torque, which isn't a good marketing point given that sites like Yahoo! autos show only the horsepower of an engine on the summary and don't show torque unless you dig deeper into "specs".

It would be a shame to see the Porsche co-developed I-6 die before it gets a chance to shine with more R&D, but the last thing GM needs is yet ANOTHER 6-cylinder engine. It has enough different 6's around the world as it stands.

Another option would be to use the GMDAT I-6 as a starting place for a new "value" 6-cylinder that can be used worldwide, eventually to replace the venerable 60-degree OHV V6.

[paul8488]

As Ming mentioned before, the slant Suzuki puts on the GMDAT cars is kinda underhanded. I like Suzuki, but without GM input they wouldn't have had much of anything to sell in the US over the past few years. As that one dealer said, the Verona was 15% of his sales.

[kenman923]

I guess Suzuki didn't sell it's mid-size car to well. They should stick to what they do best: small cars and small SUVs. If they want to sell a mid-size car, they should borrow GM's Epsilon platform.

[Ty_99]

I wonder what impact this will have on GM Canada and the Chevy Epica, since it was pretty much the same car. Having driven one about 700 Km (Montreal to Toronto) and sold about 4 - 5 of them, I can say the biggest complaint on the car was the engine, not enough power and no nearly as good of gas mileage as expected. But overall was a really nice car

[Ty_99]

Originally Posted by kenman923

I guess Suzuki didn't sell it's mid-size car to well. They should stick to what they do best: small cars and small SUVs. If they want to sell a mid-size car, they should borrow GM's Epsilon platform.

This car was slightly larger then a Malibu, but smaller then an Impala priced below what the Malibu was going for. couple years ago u could get a fully loaded Epica (Chevy Canada Version) with Leather, Roof, Disc Changer for just over 25000 Canadian.

If I am not mistaken, both versions were orginally Daewoo Leganza

[ChevroletRevived]

I agree with you Ming...that engine is a good little engine, if only it had more R&D devoted to it. The Porsche connection should've (should) be exploited to it's fullest.

[paul8488]

Suzuki's adding a pickup now. Curious to see what kinda backlash they'll see. I suspect none.

[CobaltSScrazy]

why sell cars here at all? they can't, when you don't even sell as many cars as a niche chevy hhr lineup you know you are in trouble. i understand their suv's as some of them are uniquely styled...but their sedans are so antequated i don't understand why?

[SUPERBADD75]

there are already so many cars playing in that field that it would make it hard for Suzuki to ever really compete in the midsize segment, at least before they are well respected as an auto company. however, don't overlook the good news.... the Swift will be coming to the U.S. that's a pretty cool little subcompact, and could definitely put the hurt on Fit and Yaris. then again it could do the same to Aveo as well. perhaps GM will buy back into 'Zuki before that happens.

[cfch3399]

Suzuki, go home!