Suzuki Forenza Wagon: "Looks and Feel of an Entry-level Volvo at an Affordable Price"

[Ming]

GM Alliance Parnter Suzuki:
Suzuki Forenza wagon is cheap but adequate
BY ANN M. JOB/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Americans typically associate the work of Italian car design firm Pininfarina with exotic autos, such as Ferraris. But this year, the company's work also graces the affordable, 2005 Forenza station wagon from Suzuki.

The pleasantly styled wagon is new to the Forenza line, which launched in the 2004 model year with a compact sedan.

This small station wagon has a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $14,494 for a base S model with four-cylinder engine and manual transmission. Competitors include the 2005 Kia Rio Cinco, which starts at $12,040, and the Ford Focus wagon, which starts at $17,660. The Rio wagon base price doesn't include air conditioning, which is an $800 option. The base Focus wagon and Forenza wagon come standard with air conditioning.

On a major push to increase U.S. sales to record levels, Suzuki said the five-passenger Forenza wagon will help attract buyers who like the ride of a car but need cargo capacity. There's a full 24.4 cubic feet of room behind the rear seats of the Forenza wagon, which is about double the 12.4 cubic feet found in the trunk of a Forenza sedan.

And if the wagon's rear seats are folded down, cargo room grows to a sport-utility-like 61.4 cubic feet. This compares with a maximum 44.3 cubic feet of cargo space in the Rio Cinco wagon but is less than the maximum 73.7 cubic feet in the Focus.

There are three trim levels of Forenza wagon: S, LX and EX. The test model was the mid-level LX and included a good complement of standard features, including floor mats, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, power windows and door locks, keyless entry fob, sunroof, fog lamps, alloy wheels, eight-speaker AM/FM stereo and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

The Forenza wagon interior has a pleasant, uncluttered look that's not fancy but also not Spartan. Seats look nice, though the cushions are rather flat and feel like heavy foam when you settle onto them. There are enough pieces of silver-colored plastic trim - around the gauges and on the center console around the gearshift lever - to keep the car from looking inexpensive.

Too bad, though, that the tester, with just 4,900 miles on it, already showed signs of wear. The silver-colored plastic strip on the dashboard had scratches on it, and the trim around the gear shifter appeared to have been scraped, dulling its appearance. The leather on the steering wheel had blemishes from wear, too, and there was an intermittent rattle that emanated from the dashboard, even when I was traveling on smooth-looking asphalt.

The Forenza wagon uses the same 2-liter, double overhead cam, four-cylinder engine that's in the Forenza sedan. Horsepower remains at 126, with torque peaking at 131 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm.

The numbers may not sound like much, but the Forenza wagon weighs less than 2,900 pounds, and the tester moved with pep, especially in city traffic and when it wasn't loaded with four adults and a packed cargo area. The engine, however, can be heard. It has a buzzy, four-cylinder sound that can get boomy when its stressed during acceleration.

A five-speed manual as well as four-speed automatic transmission are available. The automatic in the test car didn't always shift smoothly, and when I'd press to accelerate then let up quickly, the transmission would seem indecisive about which gear to go into.

The performance numbers are as good as or better than some competitors'. Ford's Focus, for example, has a 136-horsepower, 2-liter four cylinder capable of 133 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 rpm, while the Rio Cinco's 1.6-liter, double overhead cam four puts out 104 horses and 104 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 rpm.

Don't look for fuel efficiency in the Forenza, however. The 20-miles-a-gallon rating for city driving of the test Forenza with automatic transmission is not only much lower than the 26-mpg rating of a Focus wagon, it's less than that of heavier wagons with more powerful engines like the Audi A4 Avant and Toyota Matrix.

The Forenza wagon is front-drive like its main competitors. No all-wheel-drive system is offered, though it can be found on some small wagons such as the Matrix and Subaru Impreza.

The Forenza's ride can feel pleasant on relatively smooth roads and highways. But potholes and bumpy streets can jolt passengers.

The car has independent front and rear suspension - MacPherson struts up front and a dual link in back. But the standard, 15-inch tires can get to their limits quickly on twisty mountain roads. Steering felt a bit numb at times in the test car, and antilock brakes are a steep, $500 option.

It's good to know, though, that side-mounted airbags are standard for the front seats in the Forenza wagon. Curtain airbags mounted in the ceiling are not offered. All passengers have shoulder belts and height-adjustable head restraints.

The back seat is a tight squeeze for three adults, but legroom of 36.7 inches is much better than the 32.7 inches of the Rio Cinco. It's a bit less than the 37.6 inches in the back seat of the Focus.

This new model comes with Suzuki's 100,000-mile/seven-year limited warranty on the powertrain. I just wish Suzuki spent a bit more time attending to details, such as the installation of window rubber seals and dampening of ceiling-mounted handles and the glove-box door, the way Kia and Hyundai have on their recent new vehicles.

A Suzuki spokeswoman said the company expects wagons to make up 20 percent of Forenza sales.

Article Source: http://www.dailypress.com/features/l...ures-cyberlife

It looks like every bland car ever produced all wrapped up into one incredibly bland design. ZZZZZZZ. A fridge on wheels...sorry fridges everywhere...you are even nicer than this.

[jro4566]

Suzuki needs to cut down on the silver trim for the next Forenza since they'll actually help in the design and engineering of it. I'd like to see something on the lines of the new Grand Vitara, or use the silver, glossy trim from the new Aerio which will probably last longer and not show wear.

[AG3]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

Suzuki needs to cut down on the silver trim for the next Forenza since they'll actually help in the design and engineering of it.

Hmmm... Help in the design and engineering of all the next Forenza? What about its siblings, the Daewoo Lacetti and Chevrolet Optra, will they still be related and get input from Suzuki?

[Ming]

GM Alliance Partner Suzuki
Suzuki Forenza is endearing
By Frank Aukofer
THE WASHINGTON TIMES



There are few vehicles more endearing and practical than the small station wagon.

Done correctly, a small station wagon offers a low initial price, comfort for four, load space that betters that of a large luxury car, decent fuel economy and ease of parking and handling. For all those reasons, small wagons are popular in Europe, where fuel and purchase taxes are higher than in the United States. Why they have struggled for acceptance here is a mystery somewhere deep in the psyche of American buyers, who unaccountably and overwhelmingly prefer SUVs and traditional sedans.

As a result, there are only a few small wagons available. One of them is the Suzuki Forenza, introduced in the 2005 model year and revamped slightly for 2006. It's a classic and, some would say, classy-looking small wagon that carries the Japanese manufacturer's name but actually is built by Daewoo of South Korea. Other Daewoo models with Suzuki badges are the Reno and the Verona.

Daewoo once tried to sell its own cars in the U.S. But a series of misfortunes drove it out of the country and into the arms of General Motors. Now it sells its cars to Suzuki and Chevrolet (the Aveo).

Though the situation is changing, the South Korean advantage has been low production costs, resulting in more features for the money on cars built there. The downside has been spotty quality. The latter, however, was not evident on the tested Forenza wagon, which looked all of a piece, with no evidence of poor fit and finish, or shoddy materials.



However, because of consumer wariness about quality, Suzuki adopted a warranty policy similar to those offered by Hyundai and Kia. It consists of three-year, 36,000-mile coverage on the entire car, and seven years and 100,000 miles on the engine and drivetrain.

The test car was a Forenza wagon with a four-speed automatic transmission and the premium package, which included a decent level of equipment at a sticker price of $17,179.

In an attempt to simplify the lineup, Suzuki offers just two versions for 2006: a base model and one with a premium package, both available as sedans as well as wagons. Leather upholstery is no longer offered.

The base Forenza wagon, available with a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission, starts with a sticker price of $14,979 and comes with side air bags, antilock brakes, air conditioning, power windows and locks, heated outside mirrors, an eight-speaker audio system with CD changer and 15-inch steel wheels.

With the test car's premium package, the equipment included electronic brake force distribution, 15-inch alloy wheels, remote locking, cruise control, steering-wheel audio controls, a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, and fog lights.

The 2-liter four-cylinder engine, built in Australia, is rated at 126 horsepower, which is enough to afford respectable, though far from exciting, performance. The Forenza does not feel challenged in everyday traffic, though the engine emits raucous sounds under hard acceleration, and there is some interior resonance and vibration at idle.

The 2006 Forenza Wagon delivers an EPA estimated 22/30-mpg city/highway for the manual transmission model and 21/30-mpg city/highway for the automatic transmission model. For 2006, the ULEV-II emissions system has been upgraded with enhanced OBDII for more efficient diagnostics capability.

The cargo area is nicely finished, and features hideaway storage under the floor and in two side compartments -- not unlike what you would find on the $37,000 Jaguar X-Type Sportwagon.

More: http://washingtontimes.com/autoweeke...0527-6484r.htm

[regfootball]

tell us about the crash tests......especially side impact....

[mbukukanyau]

can you say 1995, ugly wagon?

[Ming]

tell us about the crash tests......especially side impact....

It was posted yesterday, first one I think:

Originally Posted by gmsickofan

Click "watch crash test"

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/3029.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2856.html

Just photos:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/1912.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/1887.html

[Ming]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

can you say 1995, ugly wagon?

On a side note, 1995 Was a good year I thought for the Ford Taurus Wagon, before it went all bubbly and roundish:

[paul8488]

Is 4 stars (frontal) considered acceptable, or is anything less than 5 stars not good? 3 stars side impact isn't too hot, but I don't think many small cars without side impact airbags (which are now standard on the Forenza and Reno) score very well.

[Ming]

Yeah, and take a look at the last 2:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/1912.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/1887.html

I think we'll see side airbags on the next gen of most cars, including this one - that new for 2006 6-air bag Kia Rio (?) really raised the bar as for what is expected standard.

After seeing serious abrasions on a friend's face by air bags after a slow impact bump up with another car, 6-airbags in a tiny Rio kinda scares me though.

[saturnsteve]

Originally Posted by Ming

On a side note, 1995 Was a good year I thought for the Ford Taurus Wagon, before it went all bubbly and roundish:

That's good stuff. Man that brings back some bad memories

[Road Kill]

It makes an OK second car for a family!

[gacSTclass]

How many real station wagons (with the profile in the photo below) in this price range are there in the US? I can't think of many. The Vibe (2nd photo) comes to mind but I'm not sure that's even a wagon so much as a 4-door hatch, as you can see from the very little overhang in the rear and not much space behind the rear seat. The aforementioned Kia Rio had a wagon, but will it in 2006? The HHR might be considered a station wagon I guess.

[chev454ls]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

can you say 1995, ugly wagon?

I wouldn't say it's ugly, but it certainly looks outdated.