Maruti Suzuki Kizashi : First Drive

MSIL has the distinction of being India’s largest car manufacturer and a company that has managed to hold a distinct 50 percent market share despite the advent of just about every global player on Indian soil. No doubt, this is mainly due to the fact that MSIL dominates in the small car segment where growth is the highest and so are sales figures; however the company has boldly decided to step on the turf of the entry level luxury segment with the Kizashi sedan. Coming in as a CBU, the Kizashi is set to take on established brands such as the VW Jetta, Honda Accord and Skoda Laura.

 
While MSIL does not face the problem of brand recognition, it has another to tackle with in terms of brand association. MSIL is associated with small cars, and now entering the big league means a serious jump into a space unknown to the company. Having said that, the company is leaving no stone unturned in order to make the Kizashi the game changer that it was conceived to be.

 
The entry level luxury segment is a demanding segment for customers are constantly on the lookout for a vehicle that offers space, comfort, performance and utility combined with the elements of status, looks and a definite ego massage. Addressing all of these points is a difficult task in its own right; however the Kizashi does hold the potential to realize all the needs and wants. In the looks department, the Kizashi definitely scores well.  The neat lines work their magic to give the car a nice wide sporty stance and the rear brings the entire package together amazingly well. While the front sports a large grille with a honeycomb mesh done up in a gun metal finish, the rear houses a neat inbuilt spoiler on the trunk lid and very neat triangle shaped dual exhaust holes.

These design elements add a very stylish flair to the vehicle and in a way make it appealing to both the conservative customer as well as the thrill seeking enthusiast. Complementing the entire exterior design package are the 17 inch alloy rims shod with 215/55 R17 rubber that add the final touch to a car built for the classes but with appeal to the masses.

 
The interiors hold a similar story in terms of being fresh, top notch in terms of quality and boasting on neat little touches that work well for a car of this segment. The dual tone dashboard is well crafted, neat and boasts of great material, however we would have liked the texture to be a little more refined. The door trims in leather with dashes of chrome on the inner handles looks great and the quality of the plastics are definitely leagues ahead of anything we have seen on a Maruti Suzuki car before. Aspects that shine through on the interiors are the fine finish to the seats in leather, the well crafted center console that is simplistic but very neat and of course the sheer amount of space.

The Kizashi is a well-packaged vehicle and the company has worked hard to ensure maximum passenger comfort. Incidentally the rear leg room is one of the best I have witnessed in recent times. The Kizashi totally pipes the Skoda Laura on rear bench space and is most probably at par with the Honda Accord on this account. With great fit and finish as well as neatly appointed interiors the Kizashi is surely up to the mark on these accounts.

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In terms of equipment, the Kizashi is offered as a fully loaded sedan, there are no variants to speak of. It comes with a neat in-car entertainment system, quality speakers, automatic climate control that is split for the front passenger and driver and it has rear air conditioning vents as well. The Kizashi, being an import however does have its stalks for the lights and window wipers set up in the European fashion, which for most Indians means that when you reach to turn on your headlights, you will inadvertently turn on the wipers. It takes some getting used to and for those who drive cars such as the Skoda Laura, will actually be used to this. Nevertheless, we would have liked an Indian stalk set up. Other features include rain sensors so the wipers come on automatically when it rains, electronically adjustable driver and passenger seats with three programmable positions, as well as steering mounted controls for the stereo. The CVT version also features steering mounted paddle shifts in addition to the other controls. The steering wheel is adjustable for height and rake however this is manually done. Again, one will be hard pressed to find a feature missing on this segment of car and MSIL has ensured that the Kizashi comes packed to the hilt.

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi

Powering the Kizashi is a 2.4 liter petrol engine, namely the J24B engine from Suzuki's J-series of powerplants. It is capable of churning out a solid 178PS at 6,500 rpm and generates 230Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Mated to either a super slick six speed manual or a six speed continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Kizashi promises to be quite the driver’s car. If one opts for the manual version the Kizashi is capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in just 7.8 seconds flat. Should one opt for the CVT, then the timing increases by a second to 8.8 seconds to do the dash. Top speeds are 215km/h and 205km/h for the manual and CVT versions respectively, which is more than enough for our roads. Despite the large engine and the rocket like capability that this car possesses, it also answers to the holy grail of Indian customers in terms of mileage. Fuel efficiency as claimed by the manufacturer is 12.53kmpl for the CVT and 12.45kmpl for the manual transmission. You haven’t read that wrong, for the CVT indeed delivers a slightly better efficiency.

 
Fire up the engine and accelerate away to kingdom come, for the Kizashi is capable of handling all that power with ease. The steering input is spot on and the car goes exactly where you point it, the manual shift is slick and slots into gears very nicely. The CVT box is also extremely smooth but it does take away from the out and out acceleration. Aiding the driver are the ABS, ESP,EBD and other safety systems that ensure that you have a pleasurable and safe ride. What I noticed about the Kizashi was its ability to take corners at a blistering pace. This is a car that handles extremely well, holds its line without discomforting the passengers and at the same time it is a car that is capable of offering a great ride quality as well. Topping this is the great ground clearance that the sedan offers as I was able to navigate over large speed breakers without ever bottoming out. All these attributes spell only one thing and that is that nobody understands India like MSIL does and it shows in the tuning and set up of this product.

 
On the whole, the Kizashi is a brilliant machine. Top notch fitments, high levels of safety features including six airbags, great interiors and a well executed design. It caters to everyone from a corporate who wishes to make a style statement to an enthusiast looking for delight behind the wheel. Of course the CVT version addresses those who are looking for smooth chauffeur driven sedan and at the end of the day the Kizashi does stand tall as product. The challenge however is in building the brand. A lot of people are skeptical about a big car from Maruti Suzuki and with due reason.

 
MSIL is going to have to treat the Kizashi in a different manner. It cannot be clubbed with the rest of the fleet as just another car from the company. Dealers will have to treat a Kizashi customer differently and the true success of this vehicle lies at the service level. Customers for an entry level luxury car are more demanding and this has to be met not just in terms of the product offering, but also in terms of all the service requirements as well.

 
MSIL does have its job cut out for they have a great product in their portfolio, now it is all about building the brand and in doing so they should be able to pull a snook on the competition and indeed change the game. The dragon is now awake and it’s only a matter of time before it stakes claim to the top title.

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