BREAKING AWAY – SUZUKI SETS THE PACE IN TOUR’S FINAL STAGES

BREA, Calif. (July 21, 2010) – In a competitive arena testing both men and their mettle, the Tour de France is like no other sporting event in the world. Sprints and time trials demand quickness, the mountain stages demand both strategy and endurance, and the three-week grind extracts every last ounce of a competitor’s emotional and muscular fiber.

Many of those same demands are faced by smaller, less visible automakers in the U.S. An always evolving sales environment demands quick product and marketing reflexes; annual sales improvements represent a long, hard climb; and a full model year demands both the speed of a time trial and the endurance required by a week’s worth of climbing. For either challenge, Suzuki and its automotive lineup stand ready.

Winning the maillot vert or “green jersey”1 in the 2010 Tour is Suzuki’s new sprinter, the SX4 SportBack. A development of the already successful and widely recognized SX4 Crossover, the SX4 SportBack combines the SX4 Crossover’s five-door architecture with the FWD platform of Suzuki’s SX4 Sport. The end result is a hot hatch fully appropriate for sprinting through the streets of Paris, France or the rural topography of Paris, Texas.

“King of the Mountain”2 is once again awarded to Suzuki’s Grand Vitara. With a composed, all-independent suspension combined with an available 4WD and low range, the Grand Vitara is capable of off-road performance offered by no other SUV in the compact segment. Available with either a 2.4 liter four or 3.2 liter V6, Suzuki’s Grand Vitara can fit into the budget of any team. The standard four is the category’s premier domestique; opt for the available V6 and you’ll enjoy a podium finish with each and every daily commute.

As the Tour arrives in Paris, the “yellow jersey”3 is worn by Suzuki’s newest sport sedan entry, the Kizashi. With a platform developed on Germany’s Nurburgring, and engaging feedback and braking refined on the switchbacks of Switzerland’s Alps, the Kizashi brings an international perspective to the execution of a Japanese performance sedan. For that, it takes the overall lead. And with America’s #1 Warranty, fully transferable for seven years and/or 100,000 miles, Kizashi is fully primed for a repeat performance. The feat is actually simple: Buy a Kizashi and take the podium!

1Not production colour for 2010 SX4 SportBack.
2Not production colour for 2010 Grand Vitara.
3Not production colour for 2010 Kizashi.

About Suzuki The Brea, Calif.-based Operations of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) was founded in 1963 by parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) and currently markets its vehicles in the United States through a network of more than 300 automotive dealerships and numerous other motorcycle, ATV and marine distributors in 49 states. With global headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, SMC is a diversified worldwide automobile, motorcycle, and outboard motor manufacturer. In 2009, SMC sold more than 2.3 million new cars and trucks and more than 2.8 million motorcycles and ATVs. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has operations in 196 countries and regions. For more information, visit www.media.suzukiauto.com. Suzuki can also be found on Twitter (@SuzukiAuto), Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SuzukiAuto) and YouTube (www.YouTube.com/SuzukiAutomotive).