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Suzuki Chapter 11 bankruptcy plans approved by US court

It's pretty much a done-deal now, folks. A US bankruptcy judge has approved Suzuki's plans to wind down its operations in the States. As part of Suzuki's Chapter 11 proceedings, its automotive unit will cease to exist in the US, leaving the motorcycle, ATV and marine units to function as Suzuki Motor of America.
It's not clear how many vehicles are left on the 219 remaining Suzuki dealership lots - the company reported sales of 1,764 in February - but the automaker has assured customers that warranty service and parts will remain available. Suzuki made an investment of $45 million to ensure its past and current customers aren't completely left in repair-work limbo.
Check out the complete announcement from Suzuki below for more information, and please join us in mourning the loss of the Kizashi sedan and SX4 hatch, two vehicles we are legitimately going to miss when this whole sordid affair is done and over with.

Lucky Australians get super-limited Suzuki Jimny Heritage Edition

Every time the Suzuki Jimny comes up, people in the U.S. throw around phrases like “forbidden fruit” and words like “unobtanium.” Still, the automakerÂ’s newest off-roader may be impossible to get, even for people in markets where itÂ’s sold. The new Jimny Heritage Edition will soon be available in Australia, but its super-limited numbers will make it one of the rarest pint-sized off-roaders yet. Suzuki said it would only build 300 of the retro-inspired Jimnys. The companyÂ’s Australian website shows four colorways, including green, white, grey, and black, each accented by red and orange graphics and red mudflaps. Heritage decals and a unique cargo tray round out the look. The Heritage Edition gets the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that the standard Jimny and Jimny Lite get, which produces around 100 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque. Suzuki offers a four-speed automatic transmission in other variants, but the Heritage comes exclusively with a five-speed manual gearbox. The JimnyÂ’s ultra-compact size, short wheelbase, and almost nonexistent front and rear overhangs make it a surprisingly capable off-roader. Utility vehicles have ballooned in size here in the States, and while we never got the Jimny, we did get oddities like the Geo/Chevy Tracker before the market went wild on luxo-barge SUVs. The Heritage Edition builds on the GLX trim, the most “luxurious” variant, if you can call it that. The trim gets a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, LED headlights, a rearview camera, fog lights, and even some advanced driver aids. Though small and somewhat basic, the Jimny Heritage Edition can be upgraded with several options and accessories. Suzuki offers skid plates, cargo accessories, premium speakers, and even an $1,800 (AUD) 15-inch wheel kit. Pricing starts at AUD 33,490, or $22,591, a few thousand more than the base Jimny. White is the only standard paint color, however, so lucky buyers will have to shell out an additional $695 for one of the other hues. Related Video

Are orphan cars better deals?

Most folks don't know a Saturn Aura from an Oldsmobile Aurora. Those of you who are immersed in the labyrinth of automobilia know that both cars were testaments to the mediocrity that was pre-bankruptcy General Motors, and that both brands are now long gone. But everybody else? Not so much. By the same token, there are some excellent cars and trucks that don't raise an eyebrow simply because they were sold under brands that are no longer being marketed. Orphan brands no longer get any marketing love, and because of that they can be alarmingly cheap. Case in point, take a look at how a 2010 Saturn Outlook compares with its siblings, the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. According to the Manheim Market Report, the Saturn will sell at a wholesale auto auction for around $3,500 less than the comparably equipped Buick or GMC. Part of the reason for this price gap is that most large independent dealerships, such as Carmax, make it a point to avoid buying cars with orphaned badges. Right now if you go to Carmax's site, you'll find that there are more models from Toyota's Scion sub-brand than Mercury, Saab, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saturn combined. This despite the fact that these brands collectively sold in the millions over the last ten years while Scion has rarely been able to realize a six-figure annual sales figure for most of its history. That is the brutal truth of today's car market. When the chips are down, used-car shoppers are nearly as conservative as their new-car-buying counterparts. Unfamiliarity breeds contempt. Contempt leads to fear. Fear leads to anger, and pretty soon you wind up with an older, beat-up Mazda MX-5 in your driveway instead of looking up a newer Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky. There are tons of other reasons why orphan cars have trouble selling in today's market. Worries about the cost of repair and the availability of parts hang over the industry's lost toys like a cloud of dust over Pigpen. Yet any common diagnostic repair database, such as Alldata, will have a complete framework for your car's repair and maintenance, and everyone from junkyards to auto parts stores to eBay and Amazon stock tens of thousands of parts. This makes some orphan cars mindblowingly awesome deals if you're willing to shop in the bargain bins of the used-car market. Consider a Suzuki Kizashi with a manual transmission. No, really.