Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Suzuki Grand Vitara getting facelift for 2013

Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-5150107/

Yesterday Suzuki announced that a refreshed Japanese-market Suzuki Escudo will bow for 2013, sporting a new front fascia and wheels and dropping its rear spare tire carrier, among other tweaks. Suzuki's American PR staff has confirmed to Autoblog that we will be getting some of the updates here as well, in the form of a facelifted 2013 Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Suzuki tells us that an official announcement will be made later this month, but confirmed that the Grand Vitara will be indeed be offered in a model sans external spare tire and extra side mirror. The updated look seems designed to make the long-in-the-tooth Grand Vitara seem more of a crossover than traditional SUV, though we assume Suzuki isn't ditching the transfer case and low-range gearing that sets it apart from the cute ute set.

Japanese customers will also get a special X-Adventure edition of the Escudo, which packages features like a sunroof, stability control, 18-inch wheels, and an interior with contrasting red stitching on the suede-look seats and leather-wrapped wheel and gearshift.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/12/s...lift-for-2013/

mmarshall

While I don't know of any immediate plans for the company to pack up and leave, I will honestly be surprised if Suzuki Automotive stays in the American market much longer. Although their motorcycle shops are still in reasonable-access, their auto dealerships are dropping faster than Jerry Sandusky's pants. Even in the auto-rich D.C. area, there are now only two of them left within a thirty-mile radius of my house (a couple of years ago there were 4 or 5)....and practically none in smaller towns or rural places. And the ones that are left are usually quite small, and don't do much buisness.

MadMax96

I wouldn't be so sure about the motorcycles either. As a Suzuki motorcycle owner I've always kept up with their new models, etc..

If you go and look at their bike website, they still have models listed from 2010 because many of them were not even updated for later years. And for the current models all they've done is new paint colors.. pretty pathetic when compared with the competition (Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki)

If Suzuki pulls out of the automotive market, I doubt many people will notice (except for my neighbor who has a 2008 SX4 and 2008 XL7 - and his inlaws have two SX4s too!) I think they account for about 20% of IL sales...hehe.