IL Insider: Suzuki Kizashi's Fate Still Being Decided

Last week, Japan's Nikkei had reported that Suzuki was shelving its ambitious new Accord/Camry rival because of the global economic crisis engulfing the auto industry.

The midsize Kizashi has been touring the show circuits since the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show in different forms. Most recently, Suzuki rolled out the Concept Kizashi3, an aggressive 3.6-liter V6 all-wheel-drive sport sedan, at the 2008 New York Auto Show, and confirmed that it wanted to put its new flagship model into production, primarily for North America, in 2010.

All seemed well until the January 5 Nikkei piece reporting the car had been shelved.

Not so, countered American Suzuki, which said that a production version of the Kizashi will still appear at the 2009 New York Auto Show in April as planned. Suzuki said it will announce at the show when the 2010 model will make its debut in the showroom.

A knowledgeable Suzuki spokesman in Tokyo commented, however, "At the moment, we [Suzuki Motor Company] haven't made any final decision whether the Kizashi project will continue as we scheduled."

Everything, meaning timing, specs, engine — and whether it will actually appear at the New York show — is pending, he added.

Meanwhile, there is a leadership change afoot at Suzuki. Osamu Suzuki, the formidable past CEO of the company, has now taken up the reins again. Hiroshi Tsuda, the Suzuki president who oversaw the Kizashi and run of other recent impressive Suzukis such as the Swift and SX4 has now retired due to poor health.

Long championed in Japan as the force behind the company's rigorous, super-efficient, low-cost small-car manufacturing prowess, Osamu Suzuki, 78, may well be re-examining the Kizashi program to save cash, just as he abruptly pulled Suzuki out of the World Rally Championship.

Meantime, the Kizashi remains up in the air, it seems.

Inside Line says: It may not be until the New York show, if then, that the sedan's fate will be clear. — Peter Nunn, Correspondent