Suzuki's $90 million investment in GMDAT, the new General Motors and Daewoo automotive venture, has returned immediate dividends with two sedans that will play a key role in tripling American Suzuki's sales by 2007. Designed by Pininfarina, the Forenza will overlap the more daring Aerio products as a more traditional economy vehicle. Expected to be priced in the $12,000 to $15,000 range, the Forenza will compete with the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Corolla. Its edge will be value, with standard equipment including eight-speaker stereo with CD and cassette players, integrated audio controls on steering wheel, and four-wheel disc brakes. To find its position in the Suzuki line, the Aerio will be billed as the sporty range, with the 2.0-liter/119-horsepower Forenza being the mainstream choice.
