Suzuki Liana Reviews

OK, own up! Who's been hiding this thing? Where has this car been and why isn't it outselling everything else on the market?Suzuki's Liana GS is one big surprise package – a fully loaded five-door hatch with a willing 1.8-litre engine and lots of room and comfort. Even the Koreans would be amazed.Mind you, it has taken a while for the Liana to reach this level. Previous versions weren't as physically attractive and had so-so performance and ordinary equipment levels.They were exceptionally reliable and fuel efficient but looked awkward, with a bulbous body and weeny wheels.As a fight back, Suzuki upped the engine size and started loading the interior with accessories to create the GS with a startling $19,990 price tag.Off the mark the GS sparks down the road with a lovely revvy engine and a slick five-speed manual box. Auto is optional.The steering is well weighted and though it has some vagueness the wheel is light and easy to twirl through the Subi Centro maze.Despite the test car being a manual, this was one of the easiest cars I've driven.Some spectators thought the Liana – I just knew you wanted to know that it stands for Life In A New Age – a bit bulky.Certainly it's a bulbous shape but it has been tamed by the use in the GS of a bodykit and big alloy wheels.The bonus is the interior room. It will seat four adults with excellent headroom and sufficient legroom and there's not much complaint when you add a third adult to the rear seat.The boot is accommodating, helped by the welcome feature of sliding – and reclining – rear seats that allow a flexible interior for people or cargo.I like the Liana's dashboard, which has excellent items such as general instrumentation and ventilation controls, though the radio switches are fiddly.Some may not like the gloomy all-black interior of the GS but there are some silver plastic highlights and – above everything else – the fine cord-clothed seats have excellent support, feel luxurious and look great. Running through the standard gear in this car – and remembering this is a sub-$20,000 carriage – you get airconditioning, electric windows and mirrors, central locking, CD player, sliding rear seat, alloy wheels, a full bodykit and dual airbags.On the road the 1.8-litre engine runs clean and fast, and though the manual version can hiccup off the mark if you don't feed in more revs, the rest of the rev-band is all about releasing power.There is some understeer and, when pushed hard there is bodyroll but I won't overly criticise here because that's not the market for this car.It fights hard against cars from Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Mazda and I recommend giving this car a decent try.

Kids sometimes tend to slam doors. But on this occasion, it wasn"t an over-enthusiastic or petulant teenager at fault; it was the Suzuki Liana"s rather clunky doors.No matter how soft you shut them, they sound like they are being slammed and the windows about to break.It is one of only a few quality niggles in Suzuki"s new cheap and cheerful small passenger car.However, it should be pointed out that you still get an awful lot of features for your dollar.At $18,990 for the base model, it's cheaper by $1000 than the Pulsar ST and Corolla Ascent, yet has features some cars costing $5000 more don't have.The base model includes air conditioning; power steering, mirrors and windows; tilt-adjusting steering wheel; driver seat height adjustment; central locking; keyless entry, boot spoiler and body kit all standard.Add $2000 for auto, $675 for cruise control and $185 for metallic paint.The Z series, which I tested, comes standard with cruise control, alloys, fog lamps and lower-profile Z-rated tyres for $20,740.There are plenty of creature comforts, including the integrated radio/CD with a seven-speaker system and audio switching gear conveniently on the steering wheel, something some of the more expensive competitors don't have.Inside, it is evident that Suzuki is capitalising on its strong junior World Rally Championship performances last year and its creditable results this year, with the Ignis.The new Liana interior has a sporty look and feel with plenty of brushed aluminium, a leatherette steering wheel and red-lit instrumentation.Outside, the car looks quite attractive but a little out of proportion. The vertical lines appear to belong to a much wider and longer car, giving it the impression it has been squashed.Yet its lines are not fussy and there is surprising luggage and seating room, especially the headroom.But back to those clunking doors and quality problems.Another lack-of-quality feel is in the notchy gear shifter.It grinds and rattles quite a bit for a vehicle that had only done 3884km.The Liana also seems under-tyred, with its 195mm Yokohamas on 15-inch wheels.Its peaky 1.8-litre engine throws power to the front wheels in a spurt from 3000-5000rpm. This leads to wheel-spin when the wheels get a little light, such as on a turn, or in the wet.Back off and because of the lack of torque, it bogs down.There is not much that can be done about the engine characteristics, but wider tyres and bigger wheels could resolve much of the problem.Otherwise, the ride and handling have been improved with a stiffer chassis and fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts.It now sits fairly solidly on the road for its size.And it is one of the few small cars that still has a full-sized spare.