When it comes to automakers, most want to be everything to everyone, with few exceptions. Want a full size SUV? We've got it! Need a small wagon? Right over here! Looking for a hybrid family car? You're in luck! It's this mentality that is running rampant at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Mercedes-Benz displayed a compact hatchback (they call it a sports tourer), Saturn showcased a hot roadster, and Kia debuted their largest SUV concept to date. So, it shouldn't be shocking to hear that Suzuki, an automotive brand consisting of small cars and small SUVs, introduced its first midsize SUV, the Concept-X. Suzuki has done its homework. According to its own research, potential Suzuki SUV shoppers are focused on five main criteria; versatility; functionality; safety, infotainment; and performance. Designers have done their best to meet the challenge. Six-passenger seating, "4GO" full-time four-wheel-drive with low range capability, and a 3.6-liter V6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission address the issues of versatility, functionality and performance. But safety and infotainment are the strong points of the Concept-X. Safety features include antilock brakes, stability control, side-curtain airbags, exterior heat-sensing cameras with a warning system, active cruise control, emergency 911 dialing, and a lane departure warning system. The infotainment requirement is satisfied with a satellite TV, 12-inch LCD screens in the second and third rows, a navigation system with traffic updates, and Bluetooth communications technology. What the research apparently didn't discuss was styling, but Suzuki hasn't ignored that issue. Like many of its competitors' SUV concepts, fluid bodylines, bulging fender flares, and wraparound lighting elements characterize the Suzuki Concept-X. Twenty-inch alloy wheels accent the design. The Concept-X also features power-retractable running boards and suicide doors, features that were also seen on concepts from Infinti (Kuraza) and Kia (Mesa). Suzuki is moving itself forward with this attractive concept, laden with desirable safety and "infotainment" features. However, the Suzuki Concept-X, as good as it is, does little to distinguish itself from pack of midsize SUV concepts on the auto show floor. By Thom Blackett
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