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Suzuki bringing compact iV-4 to Frankfurt

Even though American Suzuki Motor Corporation filed for bankruptcy last year and stopped selling cars in the US and Canada as part of its reorganization, there are still plenty of countries around the world where Suzuki continues to sell autos. For those markets, the automaker is working on a compact sport-utility vehicle, called the iV-4, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Suzuki says the iV-4 "embodies the basic ruggedness of an SUV," and that its styling is modern and innovative. We'll have to take Suzuki's word on that one, though the teaser above certainly looks the part, with the grille reminding us of the one found on the Jeep Grand Cherokee (minus a few slats, of course).
Scroll down for the short-and-sweet press release, and expect the full brace of information to be revealed in September.

The Suzuki Misano is a concept car inspired by motorcycles

Lately, concept cars have become showcases of touchscreens and batteries, but remember not that long ago when they used to get you excited about automobiles, driving, and design? Now Suzuki, of all companies, has unveiled a concept that brings us back to the stirring show cars from a bygone era. The Suzuki Misano is a low-slung, open-top sports car that asks the question, what if there was a four-wheeled motorcycle? Inspired by the Japanese firm's long history of high-performance two-wheelers, the Misano seeks to "merge the adrenaline rush on two wheels with the driving experience on four." The Misano caps off a thesis project for 24 students of transportation design at Istituto Europeo di Design Torino with collaboration from Suzuki. It has a footprint of 157 inches by 69 inches, or about the length of a BMW i3 and the width of a VW Polo. Its height, however, measures only 39 inches, about 50 percent shorter than a Toyota Yaris hatchback. Like concept cars of old, the Misano does pack in one wacky idea that has no chance of making it into production. It offers a tandem 1+1 seating position, even though it's wide enough for a side-by-side construction. Not only that, but the seats are off to one side. We would've expected a side-mounted motorcycle engine on the other, but it actually contains a trunk and small battery pack. Presumably, the Misano is an EV. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Strictly speaking, it's a barchetta because it has no mechanism for covering the cockpit and barely a windscreen. In lieu of a steering wheel, the car is controlled by what the IED statement calls a motorcycle-inspired yoke. Clear openings in the doors provide a view of the road that only a motorcycle can match. It's not the first time Suzuki has answered the question of a four-wheeled motorcycle. In 2001, it showed the Hayabusa-powered GSX-R/4 concept, which featured a more traditional seating position. The Misano is just the right amount of beautiful design and bonkers-ness that makes you wish for an alternate universe where it would make it into production. But alas, we know it'll be a miracle if Suzuki ever makes a sports car again. If you happen to be in Italy and want to check out the Misano for yourself, it will be on display at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino from Saturday May 15th to Sunday June 6th 2021. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Drive pits Ariel Nomad against Suzuki bike

Ariel introduced the Nomad at the beginning of the year, which is basically an Atom converted to sand-rail duty with the addition of features like a composite cage and waterproof cockpit, Hella light bar, and Ohlins suspension with hydraulic bump stops. Evo reviewed it not long after, now Drive has got hold of it and put Steve Sutcliffe at the wheel, sending him to the Sweet Lamb Rally Center in Wales. The Nomad in this guise also gets a winch and BF Goodrich tires with a rear high-mounted spare. The motor is a US-spec, 2.4-liter Honda unit tuned to 240 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, all going to the rear wheels only. The weight is just 1,477 pounds. For kicks, they sent Northern Irish motocrosser Graeme Irwin along to give Sutcliffe a point of reference. We're used to seeing cars battle bikes, and unless it's wet or the race goes to beyond 200 miles per hour the bike almost always takes it. Irwin was on his Suzuki RMZ-450, a bike with about 60 hp, but that, combined with Irwin's skills, was plenty enough to keep Sutcliffe hard at work. You can watch the dust fly in the video above. Related Video: