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).

I dont want a f---ing Hyundai! I want a real zuki, not this minivan/station wagon crap they are calling SUVs.

Mike

 With HEEPS on every corner going for 25-35k (new), why couldn't suzuki build and old school with all or selected options(power accessories, diesel, turbo etc..) and still make good money? 

 Jeeps haven't changed style wise hardly at all, so bringing in a new/old zuki line should be that hard right?

 my .02
Steve

I think....

     Suzuki, like any auto mfg will bring in or build what evere will make them a profit. I would bet if we could find a way to prove to them that they could consistanly sell 30,000 Escudo, Jnmiy, Sidekicks or 4wd Swifts with beam axles they would build and import them. I believe the reason they don't is that they do not see a large enough market.....sooooooo let's show them there is.

     I still want a black one

Zag

Just show them the #'s on Wrangler's being sold... Then show them the #'s on the 2007 Wranglers which loose the SWB model. There's your market. They could do it and honestly pick up were the wrangler is going to leave off.

Another problem is all these Wanna B SUV's on the market are taking control of where it goes. Why? Nobody is buying the Real SUV's. Mostly because of gas mileage and ride. But then look at Nissan, all there SUV's cept that dorky looking Murano are frame based with real 4wd systems. It's there but Suzuki's current advertising doesn't show what these vehicles are, what they can do, and how they can fit into your life (style). All there showing are the benefiets of owning one which is a HORRIBLE way to sell vehicles. In fact I sent 4 people to Suzuki showrooms this year, none bought one but thought the vehicles were great and the sales staff knew everything about them but all 4 bought Honda's because they were sold on the honda reliability thing. Even though we all know Suzuki's will run with piss in the tank and sh*t in the oil.

They saw the #'s on the SWB sidetracks dwindle and axed that model. Not much profit and sales stunk after the remake...

Creating a new manufacturing facility in the states would be wise but too expensive for a market that is only buying less than 150k Suzuki's a year. That Hyundai plant can produce over 300k of ONE model (the Sonata which is a kick ass car! Test drove one of the first ones out-my wife has been waiting on that model for 2 years).

"Just show them the #'s on Wrangler's being sold... Then show them the #'s on the 2007 Wranglers which loose the SWB model. There's your market. They could do it and honestly pick up were the wrangler is going to leave off. "

That true?  Why the fart would they do that?  The LWB ones are just strange looking, I rented one while i was in hawaii and I found it to be annoying, would much rather have a SWB one.

Also how did Chyrsler pass this tarrif thing anyway?  Oh Jeeps aren't selling as well, lets just keep the rest out of the country, or jack thier prices up to what ours are?

Things never fail to amaze me.  If suzuki made a 4wd 2dr vert model I would probably buy one if the price was under 20 grand just because of the luck I have had out of my 89.  I guess I will keep dreaming now....

Well I am laughing my ass off with all of the makers
coming out with the V8s in everything, and they still
get sucky milage like a domestic V8 fullsize Suburban
or truck.

This is time to bring the return of the Mini SUV, Track/Kick
or Jimny, it really doesn't matter, with gas reaching $2.75
a gallon, I know lots of people that are shelling out $100
a week to keep their truck on the road.

And what about the proliferation of Diesels that are available
in the new trucks and SUVs???  Time to re-introduce the small
real value 4x4s

Wild

well seeing as suzuki seems to be evolving towards unibody awd vehicles, atleast for north america. it leaves me with a few options for the future, import a jimny from another country, buy a smaurai, and build my own version of the jimny  or build my tracker into some funky version of a built jimny 

right now i'm actively looking for a auto sidekick in either 2dr tintop or 4dr for my mom, which will preserve me one for the future 

still options out there, it just depends on how you aproach it  the real problem i face is not being able to just think of one way of building my ride. everytime i change my underwear "which is everyday, in case your wondering  " i have a different way of wanting a finished product which will never be. it's like crack, except you keep the weight on  :'(

I just read the ASMC release that Eric added....

For the record...
- Vitara................on projection
- Aerio.................over target
- Forenza............over target

- Grand Vitara.....well below projection
- XL7...................below projection
- Verona.............below projection

Does anyone notice a trend....

Suzuki vehicles on or exceeding projection are their smaller, economical, FUN vehicles!

Suzuki it's time to revist the market place tht really wants to deal with you...

How about a North American spec....
-Jimny
-Escudo
-Swift
-Swift Gti

Zag

I just read the ASMC release that Eric added....

For the record...
- Vitara................on projection
- Aerio.................over target
- Forenza............over target

- Grand Vitara.....well below projection
- XL7...................below projection
- Verona.............below projection

Does anyone notice a trend....

Suzuki vehicles on or exceeding projection are their smaller, economical, FUN vehicles!

Suzuki it's time to revist the market place tht really wants to deal with you...

How about a North American spec....
-Jimny
-Escudo
-Swift
-Swift Gti

Zag

I think your right on target!

Mike

 Why don't we make up a petition and mail it to Suzuki America?

That's what starting this thread was supposed to turn into.

      An electronic, polite, petition.

Zag

Also how did Chyrsler pass this tarrif thing anyway?

Remember the "Bail out" in the 80's? Somebody had to pay for it (taxpayers) then something had to happen to pay that back (import tariffs).

Also the XL7 is outselling the rest of the pack except the Forenza, check your sale numbers. Xl7's were above 4000 a month, Forenza's above 5000 for the month everything else was below 2000, and the Vitara which was axed and nobody noticed was below 400 for the month. I'm suprised the Verona and Aerio are so low... AWD sedan/Sport wagon for less than $15k with the rebates?!?!?! That's below Subaru in their own territory... Where's the advertising on that one!

Those are the numbers I saw in May.

The problem with Suzuki North America's auto division has NOTHING to do with products. It's all Marketing. If they want to fix it they can call me up anytime. I agree a small 2dr SUV is missing.

We'll work for Jimny's!

Do a search for 2007 Wranglers on Yahoo and Google... You'll see the SWB is GONE! It's being replaced with a slightly shorter than Unlimited LWB, then there will be a slightly longer than Unlimited 4dr model. Also a V8 option will be available and the I6 will be replaced with the problematic 3.7L. Nobody in the Jeep Wrangler world is happy about this one either. It's an effort to sway Cherokee owners back to Jeep (ain't gonna happen with the $3500 price increase that's expected too). Base Wranglers will be in the $20K+ category which leaves a GAPPING hole for SOMEONE to fill in the US market... It will come from China, if Bricklin get's his way, and be priced around $13K with part time 4wd, IFS and a solid rear axle. But SOME COMPANY in JAPAN NEEDS to start thinking about IMPORTING something like the JIMNY.

Hi there

     If you look at Suzuki's numbers that Eric posted and compare 2004/2005 thats where my numbers come from....and a lot of my conclusions.

    I did not say they weren't selling...I said they were below projection and target. That tells the story in itself.

Zag

Just recently I read in one of those news magazines for dealerships that between now and 2008 Suzuki wants to DOUBLE its North American penetration.  That means two Zuk dealers to every one today, in the next 2-3 years.  They'll need more people heading to the showroom to float that.  Suzuki must know that they need a more diverse market.  To get more people in, you need more stuff to draw them.  What I'm not sure that they know is that there is an niche in the market for something like the Trackick.  It may not be an exact replica of a Kick or Sammy, or even a Jimny or Escudo, like we all hope, but it MUST fit that bill!

-btw...that Heep tariff theory is a PILE OF PUKE!  GM would have never let that happen, and if they did just let that market go...why the hell did they then aquire such a large interest in Suzuki.  It sure wasn't to fill their lot with metros and storms was it?! 8)  Plus they produced a 2dr conv. until '03 for similar money as the 4dr.  They sold them at cost for 10+ years and partnered with Suzuki so everyone could roll in the lack of dough selling at cost. ::)  Oh yeah, and as far as building it in Canada...NAFTA dumpus! :o  Shut it up with your paranoid Heep conspiracy theory.

Oh and put me down for one Escudo please.  It's introduction hopefully will be timed perfectly with the expiration of my Trailblazer lease.  I'd like the one that includes that chick from girlsstuckcars.com