When the brightest news you share about your brand is a couple of facelifts and the inclusion of a factory-installed Garmin GPS unit in the next model year, things aren’t going all that well at your company. But, when we inquired with American Suzuki (and Suzuki Canada) about the future of the brand, we did get some interesting information that didn’t seem important enough in Brea, California to publish a press release.
Melissa Fujimoto has a tough job at the smallest non-luxury automotive brand in the US: damage control. After being with American Suzuki on the promotions end of the business, she has the pleasure of filling former PR extraordinaire Jeff Holland’s shoes who left the company earlier in the year.
Where things get really interesting is on the marketing side. Former head of marketing, Steve Younan, who silently slipped out the door of the American Suzuki headquarters in January, has been permanently replaced by newly minted Marketing Manager David Ossenmacher, who’s been with American Suzuki since 2010. Mr. Ossenmacher has an interesting professional past, including nine years with Nissan North America and another three with Hyundai North America during the doldrum product years of the early 2000s (Remember the Hyundai XG? No, we don’t either.) After parting ways with the Korean marque in 2003, David left the automotive industry altogether…to sell houses.
When Melissa Fujimoto replied to my inquiry about Suzuki’s future, the first thing mentioned was Suzuki having “one of the most aggressive financing offers in the industry and our popular 0% for 72 months has been extended into July,” promptly followed by a reconfirmation of facelifts and other features which aren’t new news.
But, maybe this is the line American Suzuki will be towing for the next 12-24 months, as Mr. Ossenmacher tries to sell the outdated imports like cheap properties on the most undesirable corner of Detroit.
Brutal. But from all the Suzuki television spots I’ve seen in the last few years (and I haven’t seen a lot; no one has), they might as well have had an inanimate carbon rod at the marketing helm.
I know a guy named Rod that has the personality of inanimate carbon. Will that do?
+1 for the awesome Simpsons reference.
Where might I contact this inanimate carbon rod? I want to purchase everything it has to sell.
EVERYTHING!
Rearranging the deck chairs, that’s all….
The only good part is that when Suzuki leaves the US market, at least they’re still in business elsewhere (spare parts, etc.), so it won’t be as bad as Saab.
Maybe Suzuki can return in 30 years just like Fiat did.
Chrysler/Suzuki? Chryzuki? Really rolls off the tongue…
I’ll take a Chryzuki Kizashi, in red, please.
I feel kinda bad for poor li’l Suzuki. Their products haven’t always been terrible, or if they were terrible they did have some strange, redeeming charm to them (Cultus, Sidekick, etc.) Now their fresh products are legitimately competitive and they get no attention at all.
If I had the money, I’d certainly give them a looking over, but until then I will simply remind people that Suzuki exists and makes fairly competent cars now.
Agreed. My friend kept his 87 Samurai going nearly 20 years. It was all rust, but it had the durability (and refinement) of a mountain goat.
As someone currently using my father-in-law’s 4cyl Gran Vitara, let’s just say their refinement tends more to the ermmm…agricultural spectrum.
“Now their fresh products are legitimately competitive and they get no attention at all.”
That’s the whole problem- they are trying to be competitive. They will never get anywhere by competing with the big boys. They need to avoid the competition and go back to being unique.
You can be unique and still offer product that matches the overall quality of the competition. Volvo has pretty much always been this compared to its contemporaries.
mr_muttonchops: I think you’re missing icemilkcoffe’s point.
In this context we’re not talking ‘competitive’ as in, ‘competitive interiors’ or ‘competitive drivetrains’ or ‘competitive handling’ or etc.. etc.. etc..
Niche vs Competition in this case means…
There was a time when Suzuki’s crown-jewel of it’s SUV segment was basically a smaller, lighter, leaner, more economical but still rough-and-readily capable Jeep Wrangler.. and it was like Nothing ANYONE else Produced! The Wrangler itself was too burly and thirsty, the Isuzu Rodeo/Amigo was too ‘gentle-mannered’ for the more hardcore trails, and everything else was just too Gorram HUGE! It didn’t Compete with anything because there was nothing quite like it enough to Compete With.
Today, Suzuki America has decided to ‘Compete’ with the rest of the SUV market rather than continue exploiting that niche; and now it’s main SUV is just another TrailBlazer/Explorer/Pathfinder/Nitro/Rav4/Liberty/etc.. etc… etc…
As someone who put well over 100k on one, I’d really love to know how you think a Sidekick is “terrible”. They’re not paragons of carlike refinement, but they weren’t intended to be. As a light, durable, capable 4×4, they excelled.
So in what way do you seen them failing at they’re intended mission?
Suzuki, you are the weakest link, goodbye.
Weaker than Mitsubishi????
Yes – Mitsubishi has a good business designing platforms for other automakers. Like the Jeep Caliber, and some Galant-based sedans that I can’t remember at the moment.
I agree that the Mitsubishi brand is on the rocks, but that’s not the same thing as the Mitsubishi company being on the rocks.
Seriously, the “weakest link, goodbye” cliche?? How bout throw in a “Whachu talkin’ bout Willis?” while youre at it?
Is Suzuki struggling in other markets, too, or just North America? Are they holding back on some awesome “sold everyplace but North America” vehicle that they figure it’s not worth their time to federalize, or is their lineup equally blah everywhere? Can I buy a Kizashi wagon with a turbocharged diesel engine and manual transmission in Europe, where they’re being sold as fast as Suzuki can build them?
My understanding is that Suzuki owns the Indian market, and currently offers the best-selling car there:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/indias-best-selling-car-maruti-suzuki-alto/
In Indonesia their new product, the Ertiga, seem to be selling like hotcakes. But that’s their only product that was hot. The Swift was a hot item when it was launched, but it’s getting stale now. So does the minivan APV. Before the launch of the Ertiga, they’re pretty much an also ran.
An automaker needs a steady stream of new products if they want to succeed. When does Suzuki last launch a new product in the US? The Kisazhi? Unfortunately that one fails to gain recognition from the public. All the other automakers that have departed, their showrooms in their last years always filled with old, stale models, with nary an update.
question is what would happen to suzuki car owners with warranties im really getting worried i love my car but is it time to trade in?????…
If they did leave the market, they would still honor their warranties – they wouldn’t want to damage their reputation in the motorcycle market.
i hope they really honor there warranties but ahhhh another issue is getting parts i really love my kizashi dont want to trade it in
If I were you, I wouldn’t worry. If Saab, a totally defunct brand, can still support its cars, I am sure Suzuki will still be able to provide parts for its cars if/when they pull the plug on NA operations.
i hear you mark thing is with saab gm is doing there warranty work right im not sure suzuki has no such backup …man suzuki dealers in ny looks so shitty its unreal…..the dealer i bought car from was nice but they pulled out
A couple thoughts – I drove Peugeots long after they pulled out of the US. Parts were not a problem for a decade or so. Warranties were only one year back then though, so that was not much of an issue.
In theory, the Swedish government is running the parts business that was once Saab. Reality is who knows how well that will work out long term. Short term it is a big mess. I would not be worried if I owned a Suzuki, other than resale will crater. I sold my last Saab last year…
Ahhh….no. Saab Parts North America is now a fully functioning subsidiary and controls parts distribution. They have designated local distributors and retailers around the country. There is no longer a shortage of Saab parts whatsoever. The Swedish government has precisely nothing to do with Saab parts in North America.
Gotta love the interwebs.
They are the kings of the microcar market in Japan aren’t they? Maybe they should try those here. *shrugs*
Bring back the Cappuccino!!!
Actually Honda is the king. Suzuki is second best, but yes. They do some good business. I’ve got a friend who bought a Vagon-R.
This isn’t ‘Highlander’ where there can only be one.
I welcome smaller players in the market – it gives consumers that much more choice.
If Suzuki is able to sell a handful of cars a year in the USA, but makes a profit doing so, then good for them. If they can’t, then that’s a corporate decision.
This whole regurgitated ‘someone kill Suzuki in N.America’ mantra is just nuts. It’s great to have a nice-player that’s not for the super-rich, yet half the people who comment are hoping and cheering for Suzuki to pull out because…they only want to choose between a Yaris and a Spark and nothing else???
The problem isn’t their cars, it’s their network. Suzuki car dealerships are few and far between for many of us. There’s only one Suzuki auto dealer within 50 miles of where I live, and only a few more when stretched to 100 mi.
When you have so few dealerships within reach of many customers, you really aren’t a “choice” so much as an “idea”
while the network is a problem i’d say their portfolio is kinda stale
i appreciate what they are doing with the kizashi but it clearly isn’t working and neither is the rest
and what happened to VW? problem is people don’t want their stuff and even if they did, its inconvenient to buy and service them
When I contacted American Suzuki and Suzuki Canada I had only one thought: please, please give me some good news.
Suzuki Canada just completely ignored my request for comment. American Suzuki only had incentives and facelifts to mention. When I probed further, there was no response.
As a Suzuki owner, I would absolutely love for them to make a cracking comeback. But, the reality is Suzuki is treading water with concrete shoes.
My point was not that Suzuki should stay or receive a second look.
Nor was I criticizing those who feel the company would pull out of NA sooner than later because of the obvious issues (dealer network, car offerings, etc…).
My gripe is this “Suzuki is small, therefore they suck, therefore they should pull out of NA, and I’ll be thrilled when they do” sort of mantra.
They may quit, they may not quit, but I just don’t get those posters gleefully salavating at the prospects of them leaving.
Yes they have hurdles, but if they are able to manage to keep a small network going for many years, and sell just enough to make it worthwhile, then good for them.
Besides, US Govt. regulations will probably force them out before consumers do (new crash/CAFE/manditory ‘connectivity’ or whatever other crap they think of – may make it un-economical to make/update a new model for the US marketplace – a la Citroen, MG, Triumph, etc many moons ago…)
I’d hate to see Suzuki, as a brand, leave the US and Canada. But, would I miss their current lineup and wax poetic about not being able to purchase a Kizashi? Not likely.
Here is what I know/think:
1) I KNOW (for a fact) they are SHRINKING their dealer network. It’s a cost cutting measure that will surely bite them later if they don’t have a plan to make up for the lack of visibility.
2) Suzuki burned its bridge with VW. Who knows what happened behind the scenes. But, these days, it’s merge, partner, or die. Even Nissan and Mercedes are tied up, and neither of them are in the dire straits Suzuki is in.
3) American Suzuki doesn’t even recognize, at least publicly, there’s an issue. The most I have gotten from them is “times are tough all around.” At the same time, other auto manufacturers are selling more cars than they did in 2008 and Suzuki is selling less cars since 2008.
4) They have absolutely no plans for future product (that they will talk about publicly). The only model we have seen is the possible SX4 replacement in spyshots (which will more than likely be a 2014 model) and a couple of facelifts (like the Grand Vitara above). Usually an auto manufacturer is at least HINTING of a new model down the road, but American Suzuki and Suzuki Canada have absolutely nothing to say at this point.
im looking at kia optima really hard now lol…
Do I really have to look at ‘Payday loan’ adds and ‘how to get 3000 visitors to your site’ adds to read your site????
Is there any over-site by the editors or this the reality of the new and improved TTAC???It takes forever to load the site and then I must be insulted by these adds…and adds…and adds.
Like an old song by Tennessee Ernie Williams:
I sold my soul to the company store!
Respectfully
Old Yak
In Suzuki USA’s H.Q.,the greater Los Angeles area,there is one dealership selling Suzukis,it’s located in Santa Ana(Down by Disneyland). I would also like to assure everyone that one of the world’s safest drinking games could quite possibly be “Spot the Suzuki Kizashi or SX4 Sportback on LA streets or freeways to date.” If I relied upon this game for cocktailular activities, I could easily have become an Islamic Mormon by now.The Score? For me so far,its five Kizashis,and zero Sportbacks.Other Suzukis don’t really count,as their numbers are also in a steady state Daewooian decline.It makes Mitsubishi seem almost relevant,by comparison.
Saw a Kizashi on the street for the first time two days ago. I thought someone slipped a hallucinogenic substance in my dinner.
There are three Suzuki dealerships in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I just checked their inventories; 29 total new (as in untitled) vehicles between them. One of the dealerships lists a 2010 Grand Vitara Limited in new inventory. Another shows two new 2011 Kizashis.
Within the same 40 mile radius 549 new, untitled Mitsubishis are offered for sale at 6 Mitzi dealerships.
Well there’s your problem.
Bring in the Global Swift (if they can offer it for sub 14 grand opp) and get the SX4 an upgrade asap – one with a more fuel efficient engine. Lower the price on the Kizashi via a more stripped version FWD (like at 17,995) it and call it something else (SX5?). Revise the look of the Grand Vitara and offer it in 4WD and 2WD to expand its offering (or do they do that already — I really wouldn’t know). Look for more fuel efficient engines. That would be a start.
They need to boost demand for their cars with better product and support a bigger dealer network if they want to stay in North America.
Mitsubishi is in the same boat: their products are dated, dealer network is weak. I really don’t know how they survive in Canada, let alone in the US.
Even if the companies don’t merge on a global level, it might be a good plan for Mitsubishi to take over distribution of Suzuki cars in this country – all badged as Mitsubishi.
I just got my Motor Trend magazine the other day and it showed all the new cars. What Mitsubishi is lacking, Suzuki has – and vice versa.
The Kizashi could be sold as the new Mitsubishi Galant with a refreshed grille and badges.
All Suzuki car dealers get Mitsubishi signage, and an expanded line-up; all Mitsubishi dealers get an expanded line-up.
Take the Suzuki warranty and use it on Mitsubishi.
Then take the savings of having one US/Canadian operation instead of two, and spend the money marketing the product.
Awww man if only the kia optima had awd i would go for that,,, even better if suzuki could turn this thing around…. If i remember correctly though about 3 years ago it was being said to kia they should pull out they turned things around i also remember when nobody want to be seen near hyundai ahh we tend to forget dont we
The difference here is Hyundai and Kia were actively courting good talent and revealing lots of stuff at auto shows. It was more than 3 years ago they started. And even when they were building crap, it was inexpensive crap, and people bought it because it was inexpensive. Suzuki doesn’t have that luxury.
I hear ya kizashi aint crap though
I know how they can right the ship – by reselling rebadged GM cars. If that doesn’t work then what can?
That aside after reading up on their history they are really struggling in the US even on the motorcycle front as they’ve even had crazy overcapacity in that area that they carried unsold stock from 2009 model bikes all the way through 2010 into 2011.
The whole motorcycle industry got rocked. Even Harley Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy. So, it wasn’t just a Suzuki thing, but a motorcycle industry thing.
Im sure if it was a toyota kizashi or nissan kizashi it would be flying out of showrooms …. Its a mind game
Suzuki simply needs more dealers. Maybe not big 3 levels of a dealer in almost every decent sized town but at least as many dealers as Mazda. I have no idea what the franchise would cost and what showroom and lot size requirements are.
I know the dealers i have to deal with are dumps in the ny area …. Like suzuki where is your pride
Suzuki has been a failure to launch because from the US HQ down through the regional ranks to the local level, there is absolutely zero coordination of sales messaging, marketing support, strategy and coordination, and product distribution/availability.
In fact, Suzuki set up its automotive marketing and product network even more haphazardly than it did its motorcycle channels, and that, as everyone in the bike industry knows, was wing-it-and-a-prayer. Best described as a rolling accident, I guess.
So while modern manufacturers have three defined and coordinated tiers of marketing budgets and strategies, Suzuki, for all practical purposes, has none. It, as an entity in the US, never had a plan, never had a vision, didn’t and doesn’t have a workable structure on any (or across any) level.
It would take an overhaul of epic proportions to right this ship, and many, many millions of dollars to fix US operations. Never mind its current and future product offerings. In short, against well-oiled operations like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda (and even Mazda, for that matter, comparatively speaking), Suzuki is as good now as they’ll ever get in the US. Unfortunately (and consequently), that may no longer be enough to even survive.
One little grammatical point– you’re not “towing a line” unless you’re a deep-sea fisherman. Put your foot right behind the line, instead. Now, you’re toeing it.
Hah, thanks for the lesson. Still going to keep it in there to show I am not infallible.