Car Moon

Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima has broken his own record at this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb, completing the 12.42-mile (19.9 km) “Race to the Clouds” in just 9:51.278, demolishing the 10:1.408 time he set four years ago.

“Monster” Tajima, who has being racing at Pikes Peak every year since 1988, accomplished this extraordinary feat driving an extremely modified Suzuki SX4 with 910-horses. Second fastest was Rhys Millen in the modified Hyundai PM580, with a time of 10:09.242.

More than 32,000 Suzuki Grand Vitara and SX4 vehicles are being recalled in the United States over an improperly manufactured component of the tension adjuster pulley that could cause the drive belt to either slip or come off and lead to engine overheating or stalling.

Suzuki said the recall concerns the 2009-2010 model year Grand Vitara SUVs equipped with 4-cylinder engines; 2011MY Grand Vitara vehicles produced prior to October 17, 2010; 2010MY SX4s and 2011MY SX4s manufactured before October 14, 2010.

A new special edition version of Suzuki's SX4 small crossover called the SZ-L is being launched onto the UK market this week. What makes the SZ-L special is a styling package that adds a number of exterior and interior features.

After Garmin announced a voluntary recall of 1.25 million units of its popular Nuvi GPS system at the end of August amidst concerns that the batteries could overheat and catch fire, Suzuki and Nissan followed with a recall on several vehicles equipped with the affected Garmin Nuvi navigation systems including the 750, 760, or 765 models for the same reason.

Suzuki's mildly updated SX4 hatchback (also sold in Europe with the Fiat Sedici badge) has made its way into the UK with the front-wheel drive petrol models on sale now and the 4x4 petrol and diesel versions to follow in April. The five-door crossover model has been revised for 2010 with some subtle styling and interior changes as well as an introduction of a new 1.6-liter petrol engine that offers 10 per cent more power, 10 per cent lower fuel consumption and 12 per cent fewer emissions than the previous unit.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki exhibited its latest 'green' concept studies for the future including a Swift with Plug-in Hybrid and an SX4 Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV). The hybrid version of the Swift is a supermini aimed at city dwellers that travel around 20 km (about 13 miles) a day and has been designed to be driven primarily on electric power.

Suzuki has finally rolled out a four-door sedan version of the SX4 for the UK market. Measuring 4,510mm in length, 1,730mm in width and 1,545mm in height, the sedan's most prominent feature is its enlarged boot capacity that has 515 liters. Priced from at £11,895, the sedan is offered with a 107HP 1.6-liter engine that powers the car from nought to 62 mph (100km/h) in 10.7 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).

Suzuki's joint-venture in China, Changan-Suzuki, has released a facelift version of the SX4 crossover for the domestic market. Not surprisingly, both the hatchback and sedan variants of the updated SX4 feature the same aesthetic changes as the European version of the car that was scooped undisguised last December. These include the redesigned bumper, reworked grille and concave surfaces above the fog lights as well as a new skid-plate at the rear of the hatchback.

The same folks over at the Sedici community that brought us the first shots of the facelifted Fiat Sedici, now bring us photos of the subcompact crossover's Japanese twin, the 2009 Suzuki SX4. More of an (extremely) subtle makeover than a true facelift, the 2009 SX4's nose gets a revised bumper with a restyled center air grille and concave surfaces above the fog lights. Other than that, Suzuki has also revised the protective aluminum plate on the rear bumper. Given that the 2009 Sedici features a few mild changes in the interior, we gather that the SX4's cabin will also be upgraded. Like the Fiat Sedici, the 2009 SX4 will make its market debut in 2009.

Via: FiatSedici.forumcommunity

A member of an Italian Fiat Sedici enthusiast forum has scooped the facelifted version of Fiat's soft-roader ahead of the car's official debut at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, 2009. The Sedici is the twin brother of the Suzuki SX4 and it is offered in front-wheel and all-wheel drive layouts. The subtly restyled Sedici features a new front grille inspired from Fiat's latest models like the Bravo and Grande Punto as well as a redesigned front bumper. Interior revisions include the restyled instrument panel and the new air-condition controls.

Via: Autoblog.it , Source: Fiatsedici.forumcommunity.net

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has given Suzuki the green light to test a new compact fuel cell vehicle based on the SX4 crossover. Quite interestingly, the SX4 FCV is equipped with a GM-made high-performance fuel cell along with a Suzuki-developed 70MPa hydrogen tank, and a light, compact capacitor that recovers energy during brake application and uses it to reduce fuel cell loading during acceleration. -Continued

The Japanese carmaker has been developing fuel cell vehicles in cooperation with General Motors (GM) since 2001 and up until now, it has tested three fuel cell mini vehicles on public roads with ministerial approval: the MR Wagon-FCV and Wagon R-FCV in October 2003 and the MR Wagon-FCV again in December 2004.

Looks can definitely be deceiving as this special edition version of the Suzuki SX4 proves. Although Suzuki Germany’s SX4 WRC looks just like the World Rally Championship race car, take out the stickers, the subtle bodykit and the white 16-inch alloys and your left with a normal SX4 equipped with a stock 107Hp 1.6-liter engine and faux carbon fiber trim in the interior. Of course you can brag about owning one of only 500 units that will be produced, but we gather that won’t earn you street cred. The SX4 WRC is available in Germany for €19,500. -Pics after the jump

Via: WFC