Suzuki Twin

The Suzuki Twin is a small car the Japanese automaker Suzuki. Due to its small dimensions and engine power, he is in Japan as so-called K -Car and is therefore subject to tax advantages. As a design study, the vehicle was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, three years later was made on the same fair presentation of the production model. From January 2003 to October 2005 some 10,000 copies were sold.

Specifications

Designed as a front-wheel drive two-seater Suzuki Twin has dimensions of 2.74 meters long, 1.48 meters wide and 1.45 meters high, a turning circle of around eight meters. That it is some 24 inches longer, three inches narrower and four inches lower than the comparable in terms of design and space Smart Fortwo Smart manufacturer. The curb weight is around 560-590 kg for the model with a gasoline engine and 700 kg for the version with hybrid drive, with a maximum payload of 150 kilograms.

The petrol engine of Suzuki Twin has three cylinders with a displacement of a total of 660 cubic centimeters. The maximum power is 32 kW (44 hp), top speed about 130 kilometers per hour. From the state of the car accelerates in about 32 seconds at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The petrol variant is equipped with either a manual 5 - speed gearbox or an automatic transmission only and the hybrid version only with automatic transmission.

By means of a start -stop system of the engine is switched off in idle for longer standstill of the vehicle and restarted by pressing the accelerator pedal. The average fuel consumption is around 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers for the version with a normal petrol engine and in less than three liters per 100 kilometers for the addition of a five- kilowatt ( seven horsepower) electric motor equipped hybrid model.

Market relevance

Suzuki was after Toyota and Honda, the third manufacturer to a production vehicle with hybrid drive developed by Suzuki Twin, brought to market and sold in large numbers to end users. The Twin is the first and only K -car with hybrid drive and the smallest-ever selling hybrid model. He is thus a demonstration of the possibilities of reducing the hybrid technology. The disadvantage was the one measured by the size of the vehicle, high price equivalent to around 9,500 euros, compared to 3500-6200 € for the version with petrol engine.

The main target group were customers whose driving traffic consists entirely or predominantly of urban trips because the fuel consumption advantage of hybrid drive for short distances and at low speeds the greatest. The small size of the Suzuki Twin also makes it easy to find parking and driving in tight traffic areas. It was sold for these reasons, especially to authorities and service providers.