Suzuki Aerio

Coming to the States in just a few weeks is the new Suzuki Aerio. It was shown last year at the New York Auto Show as the Suzuki SX concept. It's a tall wagon, in the same class as the PT Cruiser or Renault Megane. It's Suzuki's best chance to make a "popular" car.

It's currently sold in different countries as the Aerio or the Liana (stands for "Life in a New Age", honestly). The power provided to the Aerio will not be as extrodinary as the SX was. We'll get a mildly tuned (about 150hp) four cylinder and AWD may be added. The SX had a killer 220hp supercharged four with AWD. We can dream, though.

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? After seeing this photo, I've lost just about all inspiration for the Aerio. Too bad concept vehicles seem to always get their balls hacked off for production.

As opposed to this:

And this (of course, not to mention the aforementioned degradation of performance, as well):

Do you know how much the power the production version will have.
And you're right, the concept looks way better than the production one.

That one doesn't look too bad either.

Wow, that really livens up the look!

looks like a different car altogether.

I took one of these little units out for a test drive this weekend, and drove the Toyota Matrix and the PT Cruiser on the same day. The Suzuki offered the best handling, a fair ride, good acceleration, and a fantastic manual shifter. For the money, it also provided the best level of equipment, with the loaded, top-of-the-line model coming in for less than even the most basic (but still air-conditioned) Matrix or PT Cruiser.

I just test drove it today, and I am going to be buyiong one. u knpow they r selling aftermarket stuff that will make it look almost the same as the concept car?! yeah they got the grill and all the body kit, and I am getting the fully loaded one for $20,000 CDN, that is consdierably less than a matrix with eveyrhting this has. no one can touch it for features to HP to mnost stabndard stuff. plus it moves pretty good. nice sporty ride, and very upgradable. have u seen how much room is under the hood? LOTS!

Hmmm... Matrix or Aerio.

Tough call for me. Up close, the Matrix looks way to minivanish to really spark my interests. I think I would go with the Aerio, but I'd have to take one for a spin first.

my girlfriend just bought one of these suzuki's, supposed to be the first aerio sx owner in california, the car is cool, it drives really well, has good pick up, and is roomy, my sister has a 2003 matrix xr, and the cars are quite similar, i think the areo feels a little quicker, and is difintly lighter than the matrix, the matrix is a little bigger inside as well as the out side, but i must say i like the suzuki a little more than the matrix, i think it has a lot of potential and for the price you can beat it, my sisters matrix out the door was 20k, while my girlfriends aerio out the door was 15500.00. right now my GF and i are looking to put 17" rims on the aerio this should increase handeling and looks.

The Aerio does seem like a tidy and well-kempt design. I have to say again, the Matrix is too bulky and massive to be on par with the subcompact king company, Suzuki. I love the 2ZZ-GE Celica motor, but its spirit really gets muted out in the Matrix. The Aerio definately has room for improvement, which is either good or bad on your point of view (but for the majority of auto enthusiasts, that's a 'good').

Hope to see some photos of that Aerio on 17"s, and finally, welcome to AF! :D

Ok, maybe the Aerio looks good, here called the Liana and the diference that its more oriented as a little minivan. Have you seen the sedan? that is ugly, it has the size and shape of the Echo but with a little more elegantish styling, :D

First came the Civic, then the A-class LWB, then the 3O7, then the Corolla, then the Stilo and NOW we have the Liana, I think the cab-forward Mini-MPV style large hatch is here to stay.

I think this is the ugliest of them all, probably the worst as well..........

All your foreign ideologies are beyond me.