Rumored: Suzuki Kizashi Hybrid in 2011

A report on the Kizashi hybrid was carried in Japan's Nikkei business daily, which said the car is expected to get 20 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline-engine version.

GM, which once owned as much as 20 percent of the Japanese automaker, sold its remaining shares late last year for $230 million. At the time, GM said the two companies would "continue promoting and implementing their existing projects, including development and collaboration on advanced technologies such as hybrids and fuel cells."

The standard Kizashi, with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, will reach U.S. dealers late this year as a 2010 model.

At the car's media unveiling last month, a company statement said, "In addition to this excellent new powertrain, and to even further enhance the Kizashi's strong efficiency story, Suzuki is developing an even more fuel-efficient hybrid version that will be added to the lineup in the future."

Inside Line says: The last of the hybrid holdouts in Japan is about to join the party, with a little help from its former partner. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent