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Hisham is a graduate from Institute of Technology MARA (UiTM) majoring in culinary arts. Since his early days at the Hotel Istana, Hisham embarked on an adventurous journey honing and shaping his culinary skills working at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, Villa Danieli Restaurant at Sheraton Imperial Hotel, SHOOK Restaurant @ Starhill Gallery, Prince Court Medical Center and Azamara Cruise Line under the parent company of Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line, to name just a few. So you guys already knowing me. Come On, Join Me Talking @Mamak

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Thursday 12 April 2012

Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 Sport in KL

When we heard that Suzuki, the purveyor of excellent small cars, was releasing its first big D-segment car (ignoring the rebadged-Daewoo Verona), we were a little sceptical.
It is like moviemakers making a full length movie out of your favourite 30-minute television show.
Surely it would be bigger, better and more content packed, but there is a worry that the end result would be just an overblown and bloated facsimile of what you were hoping for.
We know Suzuki does compact and fun very well, so how does the big Kizashi fare in a market that is defined by comfort and space?
For starters, we are pretty sold on its looks alone.
With its pumped-up body, sleek lines, narrow window line and spectacular 18-inch rims, the Kizashi looks stunning in the metal, a barely diluted form of the Kizashi 3 concept car.
The cabin on the other hand is charmingly simple, with classy white-on-black instrument dials, buttons with great tactile feel, and more than enough legroom and headroom for six-foot tall individuals in the back.
Although the Kizashi’s size sits between the C-segment (Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla) and the D-segment (Honda Accord or Toyota Camry), it shares the wheelbase of the former but the engine displacement of the latter.
As such, the Kizashi doesn’t have to worry about performance as its combination of 180hp and 1,475kg meant that it won’t have too much trouble leaving its rivals in the dust.
Its 2.4-litre engine doesn’t hum or wheeze about politely like a big D-segment car, but has a gruff growl which befits a sports car.
However, that is as exciting as the Kizashi’s drivetrain gets.
Even with such power figures, the sensation you get behind the wheel is dampened by its CVT gearbox.
Its constantly self-adjusting nature meant that the revs would stay in the optimum power band or gradually move around at most, so the engine’s power delivery isn’t immediately felt.
You can use the manual shift to trawl through its six pre-set ratios, but the drive would then be blighted by the "rubber-band" effect as the power delivery just bounces about between up-shifts.
Though the CVT’s smooth progression is excellent for a comfort oriented car and when you are just cruising on the motorway, it seems at odds with the Kizashi’s billing as a driver’s car.
That is a shame because once you get this big Suzuki up to speed and show it some corners, it really starts to shine.
The chassis just clings on gamely to the road with a whiff of understeer if pushed too hard or a slight hint of controllable lift-off oversteer.
Even with a big 2.4-litre lump nailed to the front, the Kizashi is surprisingly agile, though we have to say that the chassis is more capable than involving.
The ride is on the firm side - we have to say that it does smoothen out rough roads remarkably well for something that sports low-profile tyres and comparatively massive 18-inch rims.
Not that ultimate ride comfort would matter much in the Kizashi’s case as this is one for people who prefer life behind the wheel, rather than behind a driver.
On how well the Kizashi fares in the D-segment, it somewhat misses the mark.
Then again, to match it against the D-segment competition would be unfair - its size and pricing put it in a comfortable niche of those who want something that isn’t too big or too unwieldy.
It is for those who put more importance on driving and want a car which looks anything but the archetype “uncle’s” car.
If the Kizashi has taught us anything, it is that it stays true to Suzuki’s unique take on a D-segment car. More compact than the rest and as fun as the best, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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