What's New?
The Forenza received freshened styling in 2006; otherwise, it hasn't changed significantly since its 2004 introduction.

Overview
The Suzuki Forenza has its roots in a Korean car called the Daewoo Nubira, which was sold in the United States between 1999 and 2002. Around the same time Daewoo pulled out of the U.S., the Nubira—still sold in other countries around the world—was redesigned. Like its predecessor, the new car was styled by Italian design firm Pininfarina. The car has been sold in several markets under several names, including Daewoo Lacette and Chevrolet Nubira in Europe, Holden Viva in Australia, and Buick Excelle in China. The car re-appeared in the United States in 2004 as the Suzuki Forenza sedan, followed in 2005 by the Forenza wagon—a welcome addition to the lineup, as compact wagons are few and far between in the U.S. Suzuki also started selling a 5-door hatchback version in 2005 which it dubbed the Reno.

Power for the front-wheel-drive Forenza comes from a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 127 hp and 131 lb.-ft. of torque, with a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. Forenzas have front seat-mounted side air bags and a tire-pressure-monitoring system, but anti-lock brakes are only available (as an option) on the Forenza sedan. Standard features include power windows, locks and mirrors, air conditioning, and a CD player, with most options (sunroof, cruise control, and remote keyless entry) grouped into option packages.

Suzuki backs the Forenza and Forenza Wagon with a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty with roadside assistance and a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which can be transferred to a new owner should the car be sold.

The Competition
The Suzuki Forenza competes in the Compact Conventional segment, which consists of 20 models. Buyers in this segment look for fuel economy, reliability, and safety, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Avoider Study^SM and the Escaped Shopper Study.^SM

The top sellers in the segment during calendar year 2006, according to the J.D. Power and Associates Sales Report,^SM were the Toyota Corolla (328,699 units sold), Honda Civic (316,638), and Chevrolet Cobalt (211,449). The Suzuki Forenza sold 42,683 units in 2006, an increase of 20.8 percent compared to the previous year. Other models offered in the Compact Conventional segment include the Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Jetta, and Saturn Ion. Joining the segment in 2007 are the Pontiac G5, Suzuki SX4, and Volkswagen Rabbit.