First Drive: 2004 Suzuki Verona

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by Richard Russell

Suzuki’s relationship with GM has been particularly evident in Canada where the two have shared production facilities and re-badged Suzuki sub-compact cars and compact SUVs have found their way to GM showrooms. The latest fruits of this union can also be found in both Suzuki and GM stores – as the Chevrolet Epica and the Suzuki Verona.

General Motors, in a move to get its foot in the massive and still-emerging Asian market, agreed to purchase the assets of ailing South Korean carmaker Daewoo. As part of that agreement, GM got to pick and choose what to keep and what not to. It refused to assume billions of dollars of debt but kept some manufacturing facilities and products. Among those products were two brand new cars – fresh off the drawing boards and testing – ready for the production line. There was a sub-compact hatchback and a six-cylinder sedan. Both had been destined to help bail out troubled dealers in North America and as such, were designed for our market. They contained all the latest technology and had been subjected to and passed all crash and emission tests.

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GM’s marketing wizards immediately put a stamp of approval on these two and decided that in order to ensure sufficient volume to keep the newly-owned plant operating efficiently, they would offer versions to Suzuki. The sub-compact wears an Aveo name in Chevrolet stores in Canada and the U.S., and is called Swift+ in Canadian Suzuki stores (it is not available in the U.S.). The sedan is called the Chevrolet Epica, which is sold only in Canada, and the Suzuki Verona, which is sold in both Canada and the U.S. While there may be some question about the Epica going head-to-head with the Malibu in Canadian Chevy stores, the Verona was received with open arms at Suzuki as it gave dealers a high quality entry in the heart of the market – the mid-sized family car.

Suzuki has no misconceptions about knocking Accord and Camry off their perch. But it figures this segment is so massive, there will be enough bargain hunters and consumers looking for something different to generate sales and awareness. Suzuki has a great reputation for bulletproof small cars and SUVs, motorcycles, outboard engines, etc. With the Verona it not only has something to offer existing customers looking to trade-in and/or move up, but also to generate conquest sales and enhance the brand. While the main targets are people considering four-cylinder Accords and Camrys, it is also highly likely the Verona will attract those considering the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Magentis.

In its dying months, Daewoo knew it had to come up with something strong, so it turned to international consultants when developing the new cars. The Verona’s look and name are suitable European – it was designed by Italdesign. Its mechanicals also have an European base – they were developed with assistance from Porsche.

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The Verona breaks no barriers in the looks department. It is a typical modern four door family car with smooth, unobtrusive lines. Where it does differ is beneath the hood where a Porsche-developed six-cylinder engine rests cross-wise between the front wheels. Nothing too unique there. But wait, those six cylinders are all in a row – a straight six instead of a V-6! Now that’s different. Inline six cylinder engines are inherently balanced with a long crankshaft to smooth out the forces of combustion. But inline sixes are long and with the switch to front-wheel-drive, engine designers switched to the V configuration with three cylinders per side resulting in a shorter engine that would fit in the space allowed for a four.

But Porsche came up with an extremely compact inline six design that permitted the new all-aluminum engine, with a four-speed automatic transmission bolted on back, to fit sideways between the front wheels without restricting how far they can turn. The six is velvet-smooth and very refined. It boasts two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The automatic features adaptive control which monitors driver habits and adjusts shift points to match – delaying them for aggressive drivers and allowing them to take place earlier for more fuel efficient pilots. The “step-gate” console-mounted shifter is a bit awkward, but otherwise the transmission is well matched to the smooth six. While it boasts six cylinders, this isn’t an especially powerful engine. Its 155 horsepower and performance are pretty much in line with the four-cylinder competition. The advantage is the refined smoothness of the powertrain – and price.

Value is a big issue with the Verona. Considerable effort has been spent on endowing the new car with more features than the competition – with price taken into consideration. The Verona comes in two trim levels – GL and GLX at $22,995 and $25,695. The “base” GL includes air conditioning, cruise, power windows and locks, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt wheel, a good sound system and heated mirrors. The line-topping GLX gets automatic climate control, traction control, alloy wheels, ABS, power sunroof and an eight-way adjustable power driver’s seat. In either form, the Verona enjoys a considerable price advantage over the others.

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The interior is upscale and stands up well to cars costing tens of thousands of dollars more. Wood trim abounds instead of the normal bland plastic. It may be synthetic, but it goes a long way to brighten up the atmosphere and will stand up to many years of use and/or abuse. The material used for the seats and door panels is very soft to the touch and sticks like Velcro keeping you in place during spirited driving. The seats, all of them, are fairly flat, rather than sculpted so the added bum grip is appreciated. The packaging is excellent with impressive legroom in light of the outside dimensions – in fact more than most in this class – front or rear.

In addition to a pleasantly short turning circle, the Verona boasts a very supple ride. Major imperfections are erased with ease and even sharp minor ones, which usually find their way through to occupants, are well damped. Enthusiasts will find there is too much body roll and sloppiness when taking turns quickly, but enthusiasts are not expected to figure, at all, in Verona sales. This is a family car designed for value-conscious buyers seeking reliability and features. The Verona has obviously received extensive work in the areas of noise, vibration and harshness. In addition to the silky-smooth driveline, very little wind or road noise can be discerned at normal speeds.

The Suzuki Verona is one of those rare vehicles that outperforms its price tag.

Related posts:

1. First Drive: 2001 Suzuki XL-7
2. First Drive: 2004 Chevrolet Aveo, Optra, Epica
3. First Drive: 2002 Suzuki Aerio
4. 2004 Canadian Car of the Year “Test-Fest”
5. Used Vehicle Review: Suzuki Esteem Wagon, 1998-2002