Suzuki Liana

The Suzuki Aerio (called the Liana in Europe, South Asia and Australia) is a compact car built by Suzuki Motor Corporation. It fits in between the compact and lower mid-size segments. The car was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the Suzuki Esteem/Baleno, with a tall 5-door hatchback (for maximum inner room efficiency) or 4-door sedan bodies. It featured two different 16-valve gasoline engines, with 1.5 L and 1.8 L, this one capable of 125 pS JIS (92 kW). Manual transmission is standard in the USA and all wheel drive available.
In North America, featured a bigger and more powerful 2.0 L engine, with 145 hp SAE (108 kW). Manual transmission was standard, with optional automatic, as well as the possibility to install four wheel drive. For 2004, Suzuki North America introduced a new 2.3 L engine, with enlarged bore and stroke, now capable of achieving 155 hp SAE (115 kW), with the same transmission choices. The American Aerio also features a standard sport bodykit with rear spoiler and is available in all wheel drive. The following year, the exterior styling was slightly updated and the interior completely redesigned, the most prominent feature being replacement of the digital display with conventional analog dials that glow red when the headlights are activated.
In Europe, where the car is called Liana (an acronym for “Life In A New Age”), it’s seen as a more affordable alternative to small family cars or to mini MpVs, introducing a new generation of Suzuki M engines, with 1.3 L and 1.6 L engine. All wheel drive is available on the bigger engine. In 2004 the car was restyled with a look that closer resembled the Japanese version, and also received a Diesel engine, with a 16-valve version of the 1.4 L HDi engine supplied by pSA peugeot Citroën, capable of 90 pS DIN (66 kW) thanks to common rail direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger.
Until 2006, the Aerio sedan was sold in two models in North America: the “S” (standard) and “GS” (luxury). The GS model had a few more features than the S, including color-keyed door handles and rear-view mirrors, cruise control, and keyless entry. In 2006, the two package levels were given the names “Aerio” and “Aerio premium.” The change is not only superficial, as in 2006 the North American Aerio began to be sold with an Mp3-capable 6-speaker sound system with subwoofer, cruise control, and keyless entry standard on all models. previously, these features were only available as upgrades in the lower package level. In addition, the “Aerio premium” comes standard with a six disc in-dash CD player.
The Aerio hatchback stopped being sold in Japan in early 2006, and North America by the end of the year. The Liana will leave Western Europe and North America in 2007, but the sedan will remain in Eastern Europe. The SX4 hatchback and sedan replace the Aerio for 2007-08. In September 2007, Suzuki Canada’s website removed the Aerio to promote the new SX4 sedan.
The Liana is best known for its appearances in the BBC’s Top Gear’s Star in a Reasonably-priced Car segment, as the sedan model was used from its first show until the model’s replacement by a Chevrolet Lacetti in the show’s spring 2006 season.
In 2001, Suzuki specially built spaceframe racing car for hillclimb races with a bodyshell to resemble the Aerio dubbed the Suzuki Aerio p950 pikes peak Special driven by its rally team manager and former rally driver, Nobuhiro Tajima.
Tajima retired from the race, one mile short of the finishing line suffering from mechanical failures,, team-mate Yutaka Awazuhara took the forth overall in a Grand Vitara. Tajima would finish as runner up in the All Japan Dirt Trial Championship that year with the same car and won the Race to the Sky hillclimb in 2003 before it was rebuilt as a Grand Vitara, then in 2007 as an XL7, breaking the overall course record at pikes peak.