Suzuki's Kizashi 2 Concept; Front Wheel Detail
Makuhari Messe, Japan
With the V6 engine which Suzuki has planted in the vehicle's engine bay, and that's the largest they've ever made, according to press materials, and its six-speed automatic transmission, Suzuki appears to be experimenting with the drivetrain of the entire Concept Kizashi 2. It's probably the largest car-like 'crossover' four-wheeler which Suzuki has built, in their attempt to outfit the vehicle with the comfort of a sedan and the stowage, towing and moderate off-roading ability of an all-wheel drive car, van or station wagon (see the company's "X-HEAD" elsewhere in these albums for a much larger Suzuki truck concept). Suzuki said at their Tokyo Show's press conference that the company is very interested in the possibilities of hybrid powerplants for the future, yet showed-off little of that 'interest' in prototype or even concept vehicles in their large exhibit space. Large disc brake rotors can be spied inside this, uh, 'interesting-looking' front wheel of Kizashi 2 ... An important feature of gas/electric hybrid cars, trucks and crossovers already in production and on the streets around the world, takes the energy generated during braking and transmits it to the vehicle's battery pack for automatic re-charging. When such systems are more developed, in the near-future, traditional wheel brakes on hybrid vehicles can be completely replaced by electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction.