The end is near. Not the end that conjures up images of
riots and zombies or the returning of a bearded man in a robe, but the end of a
quiet and often overlooked comrade. As I
have mentioned before Suzuki is leaving the United States because of financial
troubles. While Honda and other foreign car companies are building plants and
getting acquainted with deep fried foods, Suzuki is packing up and heading
home. When some read the news about Suzuki leaving they simply turned the page and continued on without ever really giving it thought. After all, bankrupt car
companies have become a common thing in the United States. However, I wasn't one of those people. I was a bit down over the news because just like Saturn,
Suzuki was leaving right as it was getting good. I won’t lie though, my slight
depression did only last 30 or 40 seconds but that’s borderline serious morning
in the iPhone-age.
Any car person who watched TV and saw the Suzuki Kizashi
commercials didn't pay much attention to the low budget filming and silly
attention-grabbing gimmicks. However, I bet they did notice what they were
saying in the advert such as “Better handling than a Volvo S40” and “Beat the
Mercedes C300 at the slalom test” which is pretty impressive for a car that
costs considerably less than both. Add the fact that you could buy one in AWD
and the rumors of a Turbocharged Apex version, and it began to catch the
attention of car lovers. On occasion I would type Suzuki into Google and
find pictures of hopped up SX4s or Kizashis and thus started to see the potential
in both. The Kizashi didn't look as ugly as the SX4 and actually stood out in
the sea of Civics and Corollas. So I began to really like the little guy and as
soon as I had come around to admitting I could own a one, Suzuki started
booking flights home.
This heartache wasn't entirely unfamiliar to me because the
same thing had happened with Saturn a few years earlier. I had just started
coming around to the Sky and Astra when GM decided to pull the plug. And to make
100% sure I would never have the enjoyment of a new Saturn GM selfishly backed
out of selling the brand to Penske. This disappointment hits differently than
the disappointment of losing Plymouth because unlike fading out, these
companies were actually building momentum. They were finally getting good and
leaving their econo-crap-box models and bringing out slightly sporty cars with
loads of potential. It’s not so much that I want one and can’t get one now, it’s
that they were put to bed too soon and they still had loads of spirit left in
them. If Saturn was going strong today the Sky would be better than it ever was
and they would probably be on the way to building a great sports car. I feel the same way for Suzuki. If Suzuki makes
a Kizashi with a turbo or gets Nobuhiro Tajima to help design a new sporty model then they will have achieved
the same status and be equally unobtainable as the Ford Focus RS and Nissan Skyline.
And to any North American car guy that’s a big thing to miss out on. Now I know
you’re thinking that’s only a hypothetical and Suzuki will go back to being
mediocre again but like breaking up with the hot cheerleader after Senior year,
it’s hard to say goodbye to someone in their prime regardless of the possibility that it is all baby
fat, bills, and arguments from there.
No comments:
Post a Comment