Suzuki 2004 Verona and Forenza
by Gary S. Vasilash

Although Suzuki is actually a player in both the Japanese and European markets with regard to sales, when it comes to the U.S. market – although it is selling more products of late – its objectives are to greatly increase its sales ( to 200,000 by 2007, triple where it is right now). And so it is coming out with a mid-size sedan, the Verona, and a compact sedan, the Forenza. These are the first of nine new vehicles it plans to roll out in the next five years. Both of these vehicles will be built in Korea thanks to Suzuki’s participation in the General Motors-led GMDAT operation. This will help account for a comparatively low price-point for these vehicles, around $12,000 to $15,000 for the Forenza and $16-19K for the Verona.

So, you may be thinking: A Japanese brand, cars being built in Korea... and Italian names? That’s because the Forenza was penned by Pininfarina and the Verona’s exterior was executed by Italdesign. So the cars come by their names honestly.

The Verona has a look that is certainly more European than Japanese mid-sized vehicles have tended to be... but then the Accord changed that. The Forenza is a variant of the Nubira, late of Daewoo, so this small sedan has much more of an Asian look, its pedigree notwithstanding. One uncharacteristic departure on the Verona is on the roof, where there are roof-rack grooves stamped in in case someone is looking for a little more utility than is offered by the 15.4-cubic foot trunk.

Inside the Verona there’s an array of storage devices for everything from containers to PDAs. This is becoming seemingly de rigueur for passenger vehicles of all types. Power windows, doors, and mirrors. CD and cassette. Remote keyless entry and trunk release. And just lots of small touches that it hopes will help differentiate the vehicle, as well as a standard 2.5-liter DOHC in-line six that provides 155 hp at 5,800 rpm – an engine engineered with Porsche, no less.

The four-door Forenza is a small vehicle (102.4-in. wheelbase) that seems to share cues with the Mitsubishi Lancer (especially the front grille treatment). The approach is upscale, with cylindrical halogen headlamps in the front reaching back to oversize tail lamps in the rear.

Inside, the gauges are rimmed with silver and are back lighted to glow a jade color when illuminated. And once again, there are the multitudinous amenities, including lots of storage in the arm rest, center console, overhead, and seatbacks.

While neither of the cars is something that will knock one back on his or her heels, presumably that would be the sort of reaction that would be caused by looking at the sticker: there’s a whole lot of car in either case for not a whole lot of money.

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