2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Base Sport Utility 4-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Suzuki shows weird, wonderful trio of concepts in Tokyo

Suzuki brought a whole mess of intriguing little runabouts to the Tokyo Motor Show this year. And though the Japanese automaker no longer participates (at least with its four-wheel automobiles) in the North American market, we didn't want to miss the opportunity to check out its latest oddities, and capture them for your Nipponophilic amusement. The one that caught our attention the most on the Suzuki stand this year is the Mighty Deck. The little yellow minicar features a canvas roof, an open rear cargo bed, and a genuinely delighted look on its face. Though it strikes us as about as useful as an umbrella in a snow storm, we really dig the stylistic combination of new materials and old, the rugged with the approachable, and of course the tiny size that could only come from the densely packed island nation. We're not exactly longing for the return of the Suzuki X90, but we'd love a new version to look like this Mighty Deck. Joining the Mighty Deck is the equally unusual Air Triser, a concept that aims to put the "mini" back in minivan. Though clearly designed for the crowded streets of Tokyo, the Air Triser manages to squeeze three rows of seats into its compact footprint. Maximizing ingress, egress, and interior volume, the engine (surely displacing about as much as a bottle of bubble tea) is pushed all the way into the front, with pillarless side portals consisting of opposing sliding doors. Its shoulders may be high, but the interior appears light and airy, with four individual buckets floating atop the flat wood floor ahead of a rear bench, all uninterrupted by consoles or excessive clutter. Though clearly much smaller than what we'd call a minivan on our side of the Pacific, designs like these make us wonder if we really need our family haulers as big as they are. Though there were plenty of other production JDM curiosities on the Suzuki stand, the last concept that caught out eye is the Ignis Trail. The ruggedized soft-road hatchback combines rounded styling with beefed-up wheel arches packed with (relatively) large rolling stock, rack rails on a black roof, and anodized red accents inside and out to offset the white and black color scheme. Scope out the trio in our gallery of live images from the Tokyo Motor Show.

Toyota will roll out solid-state battery EVs globally in a couple of years

GANDHINAGAR, India — Japan's Toyota Motor will in a couple of years globally launch vehicles with solid-state batteries that charge faster and last longer, an executive said on Thursday at an investment summit in India. Solid-state batteries promise to dramatically improve the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs), a key element of a strategic pivot Toyota unveiled in June to make up ground lost to Tesla and Chinese rivals, such as BYD, in the EV race. Last year, Toyota and oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan said they would tie up to develop and mass produce all-solid-state batteries, which they aim to commercialize in 2027 and 2028, followed by full-scale mass production. "We will be rolling out our electric vehicles with solid state batteries in a couple of years from now," said Vikram Gulati, the India head of Toyota Kirloskar Motor. It "will be a vehicle which will be charging in 10 minutes, giving a range of 1,200 kms (750 miles) and life expectancy will be very good". Gulati was speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit where one focus of the Indian government is attracting more investments to scale up EV manufacturing capacity in the world's third largest auto market. At the start of the summit on Wednesday, Japan's Suzuki Motor said its Indian subsidiary and Toyota partner Maruti Suzuki would export the group's first battery EV to Japan and Europe — marking the first time for Maruti to export to its parent company's home country. Electric models made up around 2% of India's car sales last year, but the government is targeting 30% by 2030 and India's road transport minister said at the summit he sees annual EV sales in India reaching 10 million vehicles by 2030. On Toyota's plans for solid-state batteries in India, Gulati said the carmaker had various sustainable technology options that would differ based on the country, market and customer preferences. "Right now, for India, flex fuel and ethanol can be a no-brainer right away," he added India's trade department has backed lowering taxes on hybrid vehicles to help the transition to cleaner energy sources, following demands by Japanese carmakers, Reuters has reported. Gulati said the Indian government should consider a carbon-based tax structure for cars, which would make it technologically agnostic and more equitable.  Green Lexus Suzuki Toyota Electric

2016 Suzuki Baleno is the 'ultimate' hatchback [w/video]

Suzuki unveiled its iK-2 concept at this year's Geneva Motor Show to imagine an inexpensive, compact hatchback for the future. Now just a few months later the Japanese brand has brought that shape to production largely unaltered with the Baleno. The company claims that it's trying to create the ultimate small car, and European customers get to find out in spring 2016. The Baleno doesn't break new ground in five-door hatch styling, but it's an unpretentious and handsome take on the traditional two-box look. The front end flows in an arc up to the windshield, and from the A-pillar back, the design sports a chunky, utilitarian shape. The interior looks somewhat staid with a lot of black plastic and cloth, but silver trim mixes up the monotony. Underneath the new look, Suzuki is making some big improvements. The Baleno rides on a new platform with less weight and more rigidity. The powertrain range also includes the brand's latest 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 110 horsepower and 125 pound-feet, and it can be hooked up to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic. There's also a 1.2-liter four-cylinder with 89 hp and 89 lb-ft available with the same five-speed or a CVT. In addition, the mill is offered with as a mild hybrid with an Integrated Starter Generator. Suzuki says this option boosts acceleration at low speeds but doesn't specify how much extra power there is. Check out the company's promo video below to see the Baleno in motion. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. INTRODUCING THE BALENO Sep 15, 2015 When Suzuki set out to create a hatchback like none before, it first established a key guideline—hold back on nothing. The result is the Suzuki Baleno, a harmonious combination of styling that flows, superb performance achieved through ground-breaking technologies, and smart packaging. To create a new, bar-raising hatchback that is fun to drive and engineered to meet today's consumers' needs, Suzuki wanted to take the compact car to the ultimate level. Baleno chief engineer Kunihiko Ito explains: "We set our sights on developing the ideal hatchback, one that makes no compromises, giving it an elegant, sophisticated and grown-up character.