WRITE TO autocar@haymarket.com

Suzuki clarifications

In reply to the letter from ‘Streaky’ (6 April), I would like to explain and clarify the following points.

Firstly, limited sales of the Suzuki Jimny passenger car in the UK ceased in 2020. The 2021 launch of the Jimny Light Commercial Vehicle gave the opportunity to continue satisfying more private as well as business customers who are happy to own a two-seat model. With production for several regions globally sourced from one factory, UK demand remains above the available production capacity. The 1.5-litre engine is the most suitable for the Jimny, which is designed primarily to be highly capable for rural and off-road use.

Secondly, the newly developed Automated Manual Gearbox, or AGS, introduced for the Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid, enables the driver to enjoy both the direct driving experience of a manual gearbox and the shifting ease of an automatic transmission. Another key advantage is lower component weight versus a conventional torque-converter-type automatic. A further and relevant feature of the latest Suzuki hybrid system with AGS is the position of the motor-generator unit (MGU) on the output side of the transmission assembly. In doing this, output from the MGU is directly transmitted to the driveshafts to fill the torque gap during shifting and gives a smoother transition from the transmission.