Suzuki US declares bankruptcy

[Fat Charlie]

Suzuki gives up on U.S. auto market

Sad. I miss my last car, The Flying $#*+box, a 96 Esteem sedan. Over 40 mpg even though I drove it as hard as it could be driven. Odd that they weren't selling enough cars with gas as high as it is.

[Arragonis]

I wonder if a few others will go too - thin margins and volatile exchange rates.

We lost Subaru from our market a couple of years ago, and a lot of the Eastern European brands have gone - certainly from the UK but some are back on the continent.

[Daox]

Haha, this reminded me of this much older post by Darin...

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mpg-14934.html

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Odd that they weren't selling enough cars with gas as high as it is.

Sure when the Swift was rebadged as Metro and the Sidekick/Vitara and lately the Grand Vitara as Tracker it improved the sales. Suzuki has an interesting lineup in Japan, apart from the current versions of the Swift. If one of their kei-cars was fitted with the 1.0L 3-banger instead of the 0.66L it could be easier to meet EPA requirements, altough it sounds pretty odd...

[Arragonis]

Wouldn't sell in the US though - or at least not at a price to make it worthwhile vs sending cars to Africa, other parts of Asia and especially China.

The US and Europe (and some parts of South America) are becoming tier 2 markets.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

At least the Chinese brands (such as JAC Motors and Chery) won't hit the American market so soon. Anyway, altough probably not turning into a top-seller, some Suzuki subcompact could be a good opponent for both the Fiat 500 and the Chevrolet Spark.

Maybe a version of the Suzuki Jimny could also be offered, as a more comfortable alternative to ATVs. The only problem is that 1.3L engine which feels quite underpowered...

[Arragonis]

Now that would be interesting - they did used to sell the old Sj series in the US - but with warnings about its limited handling.



There are millions of these about



and I quite like them - unusual for me to like a 4x4.

There is a Diesel one in Europe which is quite "a handful" (the Jimny only has RWD most of the time) and some have 1.6 VVT conversions from the "Grand Vitara" - the only part you would want to recycle from that car to be honest.

[shovel]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Maybe a version of the Suzuki Jimny could also be offered, as a more comfortable alternative to ATVs. The only problem is that 1.3L engine which feels quite underpowered...

Living in Arizona, any time I venture off pavement I have to contend with hundreds of these side-by-side ATV's being driven by random novices, carelessly and - if the litter along most trails is an indication - probably buzzed or drunk.

The owners of those vehicles tend to tow them to the start of a dirt road behind a 3/4-ton pickup that's been lifted and fitted with giant off-road tires, too

I see this a bit like the so-called "Cobra Effect" - utilitarian, stout and compact 4X4 vehicles like the Samurai and the early Trooper and Montero for example were declared unsafe by idiots who don't know how to drive, so now there is no such thing as an affordable compact off-roader - what's an outdoors enthusiast to do? Now that buyer spends $15000+ on an open-bodied side-by-side ATV which has very little safety equipment compared to a Samurai, and they have to tow it in a trailer to the recreation area, load and unload it, etc... all opportunities for probably more injuries than they would have ever been subject to when responsibly operating a compact roadworthy 4x4.

[godscountry]

We sold them where i use to work,they just didn't offer anything new,but the machining on their motors was so impressive.Other's manufactures need not forget this important detail.Years ago we all said the same where I work,in the future it will be a few of the top players now,most of all these smaller companies will be out,unless they become creative and take a few risks.I still think,a enclosed motorcycle if its done right could attract a lot of buyer's,but at the same time I look at Honda and the rest of the motorcycle 's big player's and think,what are they afraid of ?.I think their still stumped on how to make the ride seamless,they don't like out rigger's[monotracer] and their worried about low speed control with gyro's[C-1 in development],that's my good guess.I think we as consumer's will allow for a trade off on the early models, providing the vehicle is priced right.but that's me thinking and I'm not the expert.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by shovel

I see this a bit like the so-called "Cobra Effect" - utilitarian, stout and compact 4X4 vehicles like the Samurai and the early Trooper and Montero for example were declared unsafe by idiots who don't know how to drive, so now there is no such thing as an affordable compact off-roader - what's an outdoors enthusiast to do? Now that buyer spends $15000+ on an open-bodied side-by-side ATV which has very little safety equipment compared to a Samurai, and they have to tow it in a trailer to the recreation area, load and unload it, etc... all opportunities for probably more injuries than they would have ever been subject to when responsibly operating a compact roadworthy 4x4.

The early Troopers and the Montero are not exactly as compact as a Samurai or a side-by-side ATV.