This nameplate was Suzuki’s modern entry into the midsize sedan class, developed from the Kizashi concept series that was shown in 2008 before the production car arrived in 2009. Suzuki positioned it as a sporty flagship sedan, aiming to move the brand upward with a more refined, more premium-feeling four-door than its usual small-car lineup. The production model reached Japan first and then the United States as a 2010 model-year vehicle, making the 2010 model year the first time the nameplate was sold as a regular production car.
The car was notable within Suzuki’s history because it represented an ambitious attempt to compete in a larger, more mature segment that was important for the company’s image, especially outside Japan. It carried the Kizashi name, a Japanese word meaning a sign or prelude of things to come, which fit Suzuki’s presentation of the car as a statement of intent. In markets where it was sold, the model was remembered for its driving character and as one of Suzuki’s most distinctive passenger cars of the era.
The nameplate had a single continuous production run and was not revived after discontinuation. It was phased out after the 2013 model year, leaving it as a relatively short-lived but memorable chapter in Suzuki’s passenger-car history.