The 2012 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD is a four door sedan that is one of my favorite, if not my FAVORITE, vehicle that I have ever owned. It comes with a CVT/Tiptronic transmission and has a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that, while slightly underpowered, averages between 21MPG/city and 29 MPG/highway. The SLS I owned had a very high quality cloth upholstery for the seats. Being that it is the higher trim le... Read more

2012 Suzuki Kizashi Review

Pros

European-style interior
Inspired handling
Responsive continuously variable transmission
Available all-wheel drive
Great value for money

Cons

Less rear legroom than rivals
No V6 or turbo engine option
Limited dealer network

Suzuki, the name instantly reminds us of the iconic superbike, the Hayabusa. The brand is also known for its inexpensive and value-for-money vehicles and caters to the middle-class crowd.

Overview

Suzuki, the name instantly reminds us of the iconic superbike, the Hayabusa. The brand is also known for its inexpensive and value-for-money vehicles and caters to the middle-class crowd. The Kizashi sedan was the brand’s attempt to mark its presence in the mid-size sedan segment and was a good product itself.

Pricing and Features

The Suzuki Kizashi is offered in four trim levels along with two powertrain, drivetrain, and transmission options as well. The base S carries a price tag of $18,999 for the manual transmission model and offers keyless ignition/entry, full power accessories, dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. The CVT-equipped model gets cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a seven-speaker stereo. The SE trim will get you all the features of the S trim along with steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, an eight-way power driver seat with memory settings, and power lumbar adjustment. The GTS trim tries to justify its sporty trim name with 18-inch wheels, sporty exterior treatments, fog lights, a sunroof, a sport-tuned suspension with a lower ride height, and steering mounted paddle shifters for the AWD model. The top-end SLS trim gets you some premium features including automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, heated sideview mirrors, rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power passenger seat, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Trims	S	SE	GTS	SLS
MSRP (FWD)	$18,999(manual) $22,499 (CVT)	$22,449(CVT)	$22,399(manual) $25,899(CVT)	$25,099(manual) $26,349 (CVT)
MSRP (AWD)	$21,999	$23,799	$25,899	$27,699
Key Features	16-inch steel wheels	Adds to S trim features	Adds to SE trim features	Adds to GTS trim features
	Keyless ignition/entry	17-inch alloy wheels	18-inch wheels	automatic headlamps
	Full power accessories	Driver seat memory settings	10-speaker Rockford Fosgate premium audio system	Auto-dimming rearview mirror
	Dual-zone automatic climate control	Eight-way power driver seat	Sporty exterior treatments	Universal garage door opener
	Height-adjustable driver seat	Steering wheel mounted audio controls	Sport-tuned suspension with a lower ride height	Heated exterior mirrors
	Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel		Paddle shifters(AWD only)	Leather upholstery
	Leather-wrapped steering wheel(CVT only)		Fog lamps	Rain-sensing wipers

We Recommend

We would recommend you the SE trim with the manual transmission or the GTS trim if you want a sporty driving experience.

Engine and Performance
8.5/10

The Suzuki Kizashi is powered by a standard 2.5liter I-4 motor and it is tuned to deliver a maximum of 185 horsepower and 170lb-ft of maximum torque. For a four-pot motor, it is quite refined and the 6-speed manual gearbox gets intuitive the more you drive it. Out on the highways, the motor remains quiet and always has enough power on tap when required. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side but that doesn’t bog down the whole experience. The Sport models get a lower ride height and a slightly stiffer suspension setting to deliver a more engaging driving experience. The 0-60mph sprint is covered by the sedan in a decent time of 8.3 seconds.

Model	Suzuki Kizashi	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
MSRP	$18,999	$21,480	$22,055
Engine	2.4L Inline-4	2.4L Inline-4	2.5L Inline-4
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD	FWD
Transmission	6-speed manual	5-speed manual	6-speed automatic
Power	185 @ 6500	177 @ 6500	178 @ 6000
Torque	170 @ 4000	161 @ 4300	170 @ 4100

The Honda Accord has lower power and torque figures than the Kizashi and has a less exciting driving experience too. The Toyota Camry has equal torque but lower power output than the Kizashi and has a numb handling, making the Kizashi the sportiest one among the three on the list.

Fuel Economy
8.7/10

The Kizashi delivers some decent mileage figures considering its power and performance figures. The city mileage of the sedan is rated at 21mpg and the highway mileage is rated at 31mpg while the combined mileage stands at 25mpg.

Model	Suzuki Kizashi	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
MPG (City)	21	23	22
MPG (Highway)	31	33	33
MPG (Combined)	25	27	26
Fuel Capacity	16.6	18.5	18.5
Range (City/Highway/Combined)	349/515/432	426/611/518	407/611/509

The Honda Accord takes advantage of its lower power figures and delivers impressive mileage figures as compared to the Kizashi. The Camry als impresses with its mileage figures despite being slightly more powerful than the Accord.

Interior
8.5/10

The cabin of the Kizashi is quite upscale for a Suzuki vehicle and the brand has used ample upscale materials and soft touch materials throughout the cabin. The controls are well within the reach of the driver at all times and are less distracting while driving. The comfort levels are commendable with the front seats with proper bolstering and cushioning. The rear seats are comfortable too but fall short in terms of legroom.

Model	Suzuki Kizashi	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
Seating Capacity	5	5	5
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)	39.3/55.5/41.7	41.4/58.2/42.5	38.8/57.8/41.7
Rear Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)	37/54.6/35.6	38.5/56.4/37.2	37.8/56.9/38.3
Cargo Capacity (cu-ft)	13.3	14.7	15

The Honda Accord has a comfortable and upscale cabin too with more than adequate space for all the passengers and uses premium quality materials as well. The Toyota Camry has an ordinary yet practical cabin and offers good comfort as well.

Infotainment

In its basic form, the Suzuki Kizashi’s infotainment system is extremely basic and offers a seven-speaker stereo with USB port/iPod interface. The sporty GTS trim gets a 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo, and Bluetooth with phone connectivity and audio streaming features.

Infotainment features:

7-speaker audio system
USB and iPod interface
Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity
10-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system(optional)

Exterior
8.5/10

The Suzuki Kizashi looks quite different than other Suzuki vehicles and has a distinctive yet sporty appeal to it. The front grille gets a mesh design and carries the Suzuki logo, flanked by a pair of downward sloping headlight units. There aren't any sharp styling details or sculpted lines, only a smooth and curvy design language all around the car. The rear end looks quite attractive with a unique trunk lid design and angular exhaust tip design.

Model	Suzuki Kizashi	Honda Accord	Toyota Camry
Curb Weight (lbs)	3241	3217	3263
Length (in)	183.1	194.1	189.2
Width (in)	71.7	72.7	71.7
Height (in)	58.3	58.1	57.9
Ground Clearance (in)	5.7	NA	5.5
Wheelbase (in)	106.3	110.2	109.3

The Honda Accord gets a more extensive and executive design language ac compared to the Kizashi. The Toyota Camry wears a more “executive” look from its front end and features a nice sculpted design along its side profile.

Safety
9.6/10

The safety stats of the Suzuki Kizashi is quite decent and has a commendable rating of “Good” from the IIHS. The standard safety features onboard the sedan are antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front airbags, rear side airbags, and side curtain airbags.

Safety features:

Brake Assist
Electronic Stability Control
Daytime Running Lights
Child Safety Locks
Traction Control

Final Verdict

The Suzuki Kizashi is a well-rounded mid-size sedan and gives tough competition to much more popular and established segment rivals such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Nissan Altima. The sedan features an upscale cabin, a punchy performance, and the practicality of an AWD layout. Overall, you can consider the Kizashi if you want a break from the above mentioned mainstream sedans but do keep in mind the short legroom of the Kizashi.

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The Underrated Gem - 2012 Suzuki Kizashi SLS

ProsVehicle has push to start ignition with proximity key that unlocks doors via buttons found driver and front passenger door handles as long as key is on your person., Rockford Fosgate Premium sound VRead more

Cons Vehicle has a low clearance level, scrapes easily, Vehicle is on the smaller size, would love to see it in a mid-full size sedan model

2012 Suzuki Kizashi Review

Pros

Cons

Overview

Pricing and Features

Engine and Performance8.5/10

Fuel Economy8.7/10

Interior8.5/10

Infotainment

Exterior8.5/10

Safety9.6/10

Final Verdict

Saved Cars

Pros
Vehicle has push to start ignition with proximity key that unlocks doors via buttons found driver and front passenger door handles as long as key is on your person., Rockford Fosgate Premium sound VRead more

Cons
Vehicle has a low clearance level, scrapes easily, Vehicle is on the smaller size, would love to see it in a mid-full size sedan model

Engine and Performance
8.5/10

Fuel Economy
8.7/10

Interior
8.5/10

Exterior
8.5/10

Safety
9.6/10