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Suzuki iV-4 Concept is a personalized 'ute for everyone but US

It's with some sadness that we present to you the Suzuki iV-4 Concept - there's absolutely no way we'll ever see a production Suzuki based off this conceptual design in the States, despite the fact that the brand has quite a small-SUV heritage on our shores. Of course, we won't be seeing any new Suzuki passenger cars or trucks in the US at all...
For the rest of the world, Suzuki's push with this concept is personalization. According to the automaker, the name is broken down as such: "i" stands for "individuality," "V" for "vehicle," and "4" for "4 wheel-drive." A tad convoluted, perhaps, but we'll roll with it.
As far as its styling, the iV4 doesn't break any new ground for Suzuki, recalling its past and current production models with details that include a clamshell hood and a five-slot grille. Suzuki promises a production variant of this concept, and the "individuality" part will be accomplished through a selection of exterior components, colors and textures, though we're not clear what exactly that means or how it will differ from the accepted practice of ordering a unique car through a dealership.

Which automaker's 84-year-old CEO is making investors nervous?

We haven't heard much about Suzuki since it decided to leave the US market in 2012, but things are going well for the little automaker these days with the recent announcement of record annual profits. It would seem that investors should be ecstatic, but they are starting to question the man at the helm. Company president and chairman Osamu Suzuki is now 84 years old and is guaranteed at least one more year as the leader, but shareholders want to know who is taking his place when the inevitable happens.
We're not being ageist, here. As long as the Suzuki can run the company to the satisfaction of investors, he absolutely deserves the top spot. According to Bloomberg, the issue making shareholders so edgy is that the business doesn't have a transition plan in place. The president obviously isn't a young man, and folks are worried that if something happens suddenly, there could be chaos deciding a successor and a free-falling stock price.
Suzuki's tenure at the company is somewhat astounding. He married the granddaughter of the founder and took her name because the family had no male heirs. In world where many people hope to retire as soon as possible, he's worked for the same automaker for the last 50 years, including stints as company president from 1978 to 2000 and 2008 to the present. Investors aren't questioning the president's ability as a business leader; they just want a clearer understanding of the automaker's future direction.

Suzuki Jimny displays Samurai spirit in Japanese snowstorm

Say what you will about its smallest SUVs, but you have to hand it to Suzuki: the likes of the Samurai, Sidekick and Vitara were doing the little-sport-ute-that-could thing long before most of the rest of the industry caught on. And the formula remains relevant enough that Suzuki is still selling the same basic Samurai overseas as the Jimny.
That could be why the Samurai still has something of a cult following. Well, that and the name - which, as it turns out, may not have been such a stretch after all. A Samurai warrior, after all, was just one man - but like any other knight, he was worth more than his headcount on the battlefield. Or in this case, a Japanese snowstorm. Just watch the half-minute video below to see what we mean.