Thursday, July 17, 2008
American Suzuki Motor Corporation continues to show offerings in its Suzuki LIVE Series, launched last year as a line of concepts for life huggers and as a way to promote the fun quotient of the vehicles from which they are derived. Of the four rolled out this year, two are on Suzuki's stand this week at the New York auto show.
The Zuk stems from the 2008 SX4 hatchback, and the theme here is sports bike. Its street cred comes from a 300-hp turbocharged-and-intercooled 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an alcohol injection system connected to a five-speed automatic transmission.
Ode to Japanese creativity: The Zuk has bodywork, ground effects, mirrors, spoiler, and exhaust inspired by the Suzuki Hayabusa and GSX-R. Inside the Zuk, think sports bike without the exertion.
The series also includes the 2007 Flix concept based on the XL7 crossover. The Flix was at the Detroit auto show in January as a mobile movie theater, complete with a 40-inch movie screen that extends above the roof for mass viewing.
The other two LIVE vehicles on the auto-show circuit are the BaseCamp for the outdoorsy type and the SXBox for the gaming crowd.
New York also doubles as the North American debut of the 2008 SX4 sedan that goes on sale in the U.S. this fall.