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Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?

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Offline zaggy

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Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« on: July 30, 2005, 09:47:44 AM »
Marketing and Engineering representatives of Suzuki USA and Canada

Ladies and Gentlemen

     As a major fan of the earlier generations of Suzuki products, both Swift and Sidekick, I would love to consider buying a new vehicle. The problem is that you are not currently offering a product that attracts me, and many others, in your North American line up.
     Being in business myself I understand the issues surrounding the marketing, support and infastructure required to bring a new product into the market place and I am not planning to rant and rave. But I would like it if you could advise as to the number of orders it would require to bring an product you have existing overseas to North America.
     The Escudo has recieved rave reviews among members of the Suzuki community that currently are in love with their older SideKicks, Samurais, Trackers. How many confirmed orders would be required to get your company to import this vehicle to Norht America?

I hope you could post your reply to this forum, as we are the potential customer.

Sincerely

Zag
92 Sidekick 4dr, Suzuki Powered Airplane

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Offline zaggy

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2005, 09:49:49 AM »
I'd like one
- Soft top
- 1.6/16v
- 5 spd
- 4X4
- Black exterior, Grey interior
- Am Fm CD


Who's next?

Zag
92 Sidekick 4dr, Suzuki Powered Airplane

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Offline Blasted

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2005, 09:58:03 AM »
Id like one too..
Hard Top
1.8 (if avalible) Maybe a diesel option would be cool too.
5 Speed
4X4
Black on Black
AM FM CD with MP3 (i like options)
AC.
And could someone post some pics or link to the Escudo thread?  ty.
93 Sidekick 2Dr.  2"body lift.  30" Tires. 1.5" Coil spacers. 4 door coils. 2"strut spacers. K&N Factory replacement filter. 2.25" Cat back, with glass pack.  Custom ground High torque Cam shaft. And CB for talkin trash.

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Offline ack

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2005, 10:16:57 AM »
Right now, the only competition that the Jeep Wrangler has is itself.

Every other manufacturer of 2-door SUVs either has stopped production (Kia for example) or gone with unibody construction.

No one except Chrysler builds anything like the Jeep Wrangler at or near that price point.

If anyone built a decent ladder-frame 2-door 4x4 SUV (IFS or otherwise) that could compete with the Jeep and meet EPA specs as necessary, I'd buy it.  Especially if it came with factory offroad packages or used driveline components for which there were aftermarket offroad replacements already available.

I don't need some goofy concept car -- just something that gets good mileage, has a softtop, can get out of it's own way (read bigger engine) and DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AN INVERTED BATHTUB!

I would buy that.  And I bet there are a lot of young people (one of which I am not) who would buy one as a first car.   Espeically if it was a Suzuki product.
Ack

'88 Samurai, '88.5 Samurai TT, '11 Ford Transit Connect XLT
Ack's FAQ  http://www.acksfaq.com

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Offline SnoFalls

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2005, 10:54:03 AM »
I'd rather have a jimny than an escudo ...

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

Buy-it, Build-it, Beat-it, Part-it

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Offline adamd

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2005, 11:08:16 AM »
I'd rather have a jimny than an escudo ...



I was just gonna say.... with a diesel!
'98 kick
3" B/l
30" Mud Kings

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Offline zukisuzi

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2005, 02:33:32 PM »
I'd sure be interested in any of the above! Jimny sounds great & diesel as well. I think if Suzuki's North American operations seriously studied our market they'd offer a vehicle like this. They'd find interest not only from people like us that love their older products, but from all those that would like a SUV geared even somewhat more to the (at least periodic) off-pavement use. Besides Wrangler, the market is ignored. Buyers that are in the lower half of the income scale are Suzuki's targeted customers anyway. With their history, you'd think they'd jump into this market, wouldn't you?!    ::)

Also, looking at a couple of Honda & Toyota's recent offerings, I say boxy seems to be IN. Imagine how well kinda boxy, less ugly, more fun, & more versatile could do!   ;D
"I was so poor growin' up, if I wasn't a boy I'd've had nothin' to play with..."
--Rodney Dangerfield

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Proud2BCDN

Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2005, 03:57:36 PM »
I'd love to get a new Jimny...but they'd have to put at least a 1.6L 16V in it to have a hope in NA.

http://www.globalsuzuki.com/automobile/jimny/index.html

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Offline cj

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2005, 04:52:50 PM »
The Jimny only gets a turbo diesel(Renault 1.5 I think) in Europe  :( Be good if we got that as they can be tweaked for a lot more power. I agree that the 1.5 or 1.6 engines that Suzuki have in other models would be great in the Jimny. They dropped the soft top Jimny in OZ a couple a years back so we only get the hard top now. A couple of problems with them are that they need serious lifts and cutting to get decent sized rubber under them and the front ends are a bit weaker than the older Samurai's. Also they need beefing up in their suspension mounting points. On the place side there are plenty of aftermarket parts for them inc. front & rear lockers, t-case gears and t-case swaps, body and suspension lifts, winch bars, snorkels etc. I've even seen some flare kits for them on an Iceland site I think.

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Offline mth712

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2005, 10:25:49 AM »
I will take the Wagon R with the 1.0  ;D
Thanks,

        Mike

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Offline Utah_Tracker

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2005, 08:55:35 PM »
I'm in too,
   I'm not as familure with the none north american models but, jeep needs something to bring it back to reality. and what better than something from Suzuki that would nock it's socks off.  Have the Fuel options, with one of those neet V-6's for the 4 door.  Stock fitting 31' tires.   Easy mods.  I think that they would have a huge market with very little tweaking of what they're selling over seas.

Utah

two cents?, two cents?.... any body got a nickle?
91 soft top Tracker, 3' Calmini Sup, locker around, Auto, & no Power Steering

GO BIG or GO HOME

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Offline ZeusZuki

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2005, 09:46:04 PM »
To anyone interested.  :)
The Jimny is just a glorified coil sprung sammy. :-\ We have "tweaked" one here in NZ. It runs 33" MTR's ( kick ass tyres! ), 5.14:1 rock lobster in sammy T case, 3.9:1 r&p's ( used on the road as a daily driver ), lift - 4 inches? give or take, manual tranny, fitted with power steering ( this one did not have it standard but it is a standard feature on some models ), locker in the rear.
It has a horrible two pinion front nugget. :-X We are going to modify a 413 front end with three link with a panhard rod. Doing the same for the rear too - they flex Ok but are limited by the standard arm mount arrangement.
Once it is done it should go pretty good. ;D

ZeusZuki.
1600 Escudo / Kick, beam front, coils all round, 37 MTR's, 97" wheelbase, locked fr & rr,twin stick, front stock ratio, Calmini 5.14 t box rear, Warn XD9000i winch, blah blah!

2.0 V6 auto, Calmini 3" kit, 33" jandles, LT struts, blah blah

2.5 V6 man GV, Calmini 2.5" kit, 235/85x16 jandle

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Offline Mikerpm4x4

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2005, 09:53:50 PM »
Jimny, escudo, or something similar and Id buy one too.

Mike
If your not living life to the fullest then your not living at all.

You wont really know if your wrong till your upsidedown

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Offline xoffroad

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2005, 09:26:39 AM »
There's only 1 problem... Chrysler had Lawmakers impose a HUGE tarrif on 2 door SUV's back in the late 80's... Why? Jeep Wrangler sales fell over 60% because of... Ah hell I'm in the right forum you guys figure it out.

It would have to be built in the states in order to beat the tarrif, even Canada doesn't count. We got the trackicks at cost basically. I mean the rig doesn't undergo any changes from 89-95 yet the price almost doubles... Figure it out.

Would be sweet to see something other than junk in the 2dr drop top SUV with lo-range. The H4 is gonna compete in that market but with no lo-range, solid axles, or a frame... Still there gonna call it an "SUV".

Being a Jeep owner myself I'd prefer a Suzuki. Oh yea, I'm also a Suzuki owner... Kind of a contracdiction but with 900 miles on the Jeep between breakdowns and 30k on the XL7 with no problems at all I'd ditch the b*tch for a Jimny in a heartbeat.

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Offline crikeymike

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Re: Hey Suzuki North America...How many orders would it take?
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2005, 01:03:15 PM »
I REALLY HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT...

I'm sure a lot of people have heard on here recently about the new Hyundai plant set up in Alabama.  At a cost of $1.1billion, absolutely everything in there is brand new.  Suzuki should get in with these guys to have US made SUV's like we all want.

You guys do realise that hyundai is making the "Terracon" that's available in Australia with a turbo-diesel engine. 

I honestly don't think suzuki will go back to the good old days of sami's and kick's thanks to the good American spirit of listening to F'n consumer reports and how they can sway the country away from a product.

Write Hyundai a letter.  If anyone will compete with jeep anymore for SUV's, I have a feeling it will be them.

(they just need to lose the plastic, and bubble look).
1993 4-door Sidekick
3" hybrid Calmini/OME lift, 2" B/L, Rear air locker
Shrockworks bar & sliders, Full skid plates
4.24:1 t-case
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