Handling is sharper in the 2011 Kizashi, with its independent suspension on all four corners. The Sport model's ride-height is 10 mm lower and tuned to give precision control while still maintaining a comfortable ride. The standard electronic stability control has been tuned to not be obtrusive during spirited driving. The manual-equipped S has been rated at 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, with other trims achieving 23/30 mpg with the CVT and front-wheel drive and 22/29 mpg with the CVT and the available all-wheel-drive system.
The Kizashi measures out at 183.1 inches nose to tail, riding on a 106.3-inch wheelbase with a track width of 61.6 inches. It's slightly smaller than the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, but is larger than the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta. Trunk space measures in at a healthy 13.3 cubic feet and a folding 60/40 rear seat adds extra space for longer items or luggage for longer road trips in the Kizashi's upgraded appointments.
The basic S model comes with 16-inch wheels standard, keyless entry, push-button start and dual-zone climate control. When fitted with the CVT automatic, the S is fitted with cruise control and a leather-covered steering wheel. The SE adds 17-inch wheels, cruise control and leather-covered wheel and an 8-way power driver's seat with memory. The Sport GTS gets 18-inch wheels, fog lamps, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters with the CVT, sunroof and a 10-speaker Rockford-Fosgate stereo with Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming. Finally, the top of the line Sport SLS comes equipped with rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, leather upholstery with heated front seats, power passenger's seat and auto-dimming rearview mirror. All-wheel-drive adds heated side mirrors to all trim levels.
Optional equipment includes Suzuki's i-VSP intelligent vehicle stability program on all-wheel drive models only and an available rear-view camera and touch-screen GPS on Sport GTS and Sport SLS models.