Motor Trend and Suzuki's Kizashi - Tokyo to L.A.: The Hard Way

-- Motor Trend teams with Suzuki for grand tour of two continents and four countries. -- New Sagara plant is launch site for Kizashi's capable and versatile platform. -- Available AWD is put to transcontinental test.

SEE ALSO: Suzuki Buyer's Guide

BREA, Calif., Aug. 2, 2010: Almost concurrent with the invention of the car was the creation of the road trip. For more than a century, on virtually every continent, people and their cars have used geography to test both their collective will and the automotive mechanism. Beginning this month, Suzuki and the editors of Motor Trend, 4-Wheel & Off-Road, and Motorcyclist magazines will embark on an international adventure, putting the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi (along with its pickup counterpart, the Equator and V-Strom sport-touring motorcycle) through the ultimate long-term test drive, incorporating nearly 10,000 miles of asphalt, gravel and mud.

The month-long adventure will stretch across four countries (Japan, Russia, Canada and the U.S.), and will provide a rich palette for the three driver teams, as well as those monitoring their travels on the outlet's respective websites and - of course - through Suzuki's Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SuzukiAuto), Twitter (@SuzukiAuto), and YouTube (www.YouTube.com/SuzukiAutomotive) pages. Suzuki has also created a dedicated website for the three-legged road trip where fans can view background information, including vehicle specs, bios and photos of the driving teams, photo albums, interactive maps and even a countdown for the road trip - from Hamamatsu, Japan through Siberia, Alaska and back to Brea, Calif. To learn more about the Tokyo to L.A.: The Hard Way road trip and track its route, visit www.suzukiauto.com/allpoints/events/road-trip/.

As noted at the time of its U.S. launch in July 2009, the Kizashi was designed and engineered to not only exceed the current levels of safety, convenience and practicality found in the midsize segment, but also to deliver an added amount of driving refinement and control via available all-wheel drive.

The adventure will begin at Suzuki's new Sagara plant in Japan before heading to Russia for the trek through Siberia. The Kizashi's refinement will be put to the test on the arduous ground of eastern Russia, beginning at Russia's Vladivostok port and ending at Magadan nearly ten days later. The Kizashi will then be airlifted to Anchorage, Ala., where a third and final editorial crew will be dispatched through the 50th state, down British Columbia and on to the finish line in Brea, Calif.

The Russian and North American legs will include both the Equator pickup and V-Strom motorcycle. The Equator, recipient of 4-Wheel & Off-Road's 4X4 of the Year Award in 2009, speaks directly to the Suzuki motorcycle and ATV owners needing a pickup for their recreational pursuits. And the V-Strom, already the beneficiary of an almost cult-like following, gives Suzuki's 'confident explorer' owner base even more confidence when touring on- or off-road.

In those nearly 10,000 miles, the staff of Motor Trend hopes to take the "biggest little company you've never heard of" and provide it with a global imprint fully appropriate to Suzuki's global reach.

  Technical Specifications - 2010 Tokyo to L.A.:  The Hard Way
   Kizashi
  Wheelbase:                 106.3 inches
  Overall Length:            183.1 inches
  Overall Width:             71.7 inches
                              2.4-liter, four-cylinder, 16-valve
  Engine:                     DOHC engine
  Horsepower:                180 hp @ 6000 rpm
  Torque:                    170 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
  Transmission               CVT Automatic
                              Front ventilated disc brakes/Rear
  Brakes:                     disc brakes
  EPA Fuel Economy
   Estimates:                22 City/29 Highway with CVT and AWD

Additional information and coverage of the Tokyo to L.A.: The Hard Way road trip can be found online at www.motortrend.com (Motor Trend), www.4wheeloffroad.com (4-Wheel & Off-Road) and www.motorcyclistonline.com (Motorcyclist).

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).

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