Suzuki LIANA
The
Suzuki Liana a press office acronym for Life In A New Age promises sensible family motoring for those fancying a change from the normal routine. Vanessa Hinkley anticipates a flush of success.
At first glance, the Liana presents an interesting profile. From the rear, it appears far narrower than you would expect judging by the height alone. At the side, the wheels are deceptively small (even though they are fifteen-inchers) but by the time you reach the front, it turns into a generic People Carrier. It certainly is a long car, and a tall one, but then again if youve got a few passengers, the added size is no bad thing.
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Even Marge Simpson wouldnt have a problem getting her hair in this car. Certainly all of the press propaganda looks promising. First impressions are always important, and the
Suzuki scores sufficiently to arouse my interest. I think that well make a good pairing.
I wont claim to have discussed this car down the pub, but that doesnt mean it didnt provoke a few conversations. Due to the large internal dimensions, short wheelbase and long overhangs plus conservative styling, none of us in the office could quite decide whether the Liana was in fact a
mini-MPV, a hatchback or conventional estate car. Whatever it is, it is certainly spacious. If you find the shape a little too confusing a more conventional saloon variant is also available.
The 1.6-litre engine is a very willing power plant, able to top 60mph in a shade under 11 seconds. The size of the engine, combined with the lightness of the vehicle, means that you can return about 31mpg around town and 48mpg on a longer combined run. Even though ABS is absent from the base GL model, safety is given more than a moments thought.
Side impact protection beams and a rigid safety cage protect passengers from harm, the front seatbelts feature pretensioners, plus theres a child
seat fixing device in the rear seat. The standard engine immobiliser and deadlocks lessen the prospects of your Liana disappearing in the night. The obligatory front airbags are included, but to get the front side bags, youll need to stretch to the GLS model that also sports the ABS. The seats are supportive, even on long journeys and rear accommodation will keep deep vein thrombosis firmly in the pages of Grays.
The boot is plenty large enough for five suitcases each containing a weeks luggage. Full marks to the Liana for practicality then.
The first thing that you notice is the rather Blakes 7 digital display. While trying not to be too harsh, I think I remember exactly the same digits and display characteristics on a souped-up 1987 Astra. Its hardly cutting edge in its design. The stereo appears to be a rather 1970s affair, with buttons so tiny you need to carry around a hatpin and magnifying glass to operate them.
And dont even get me started on the remote control included with our test car to operate the stereo from the back seat That, however, concludes the griping. The rest of the interior hangs together nicely, with the grab handles on the doors positioned in the perfect place for easy opening and closing. The engine isnt the quietest unit on the block but is willing enough, even with a full load of passengers. Every control has been thoughtfully placed so that, should the dashboard light cut out on an unlit back road, you can still operate everything intuitively.
The power steering is rather over zealous, but this isnt necessarily a bad thing especially in urban motoring. By the time that you get up to 70mph it is worth remembering that the servos are pretty activeThe pedal cluster is sensibly spaced and, like the steering, very light. In fact, it all reminded me of the
Kia Mentor and Shuma that we had in on test a little while before but the gear change is infinitely more precise. The ride is firm enough to transmit some feel to the driver but also soft enough to soak up the worst of the potholes.
It suited my route to work perfectly, which encompasses pitted B-roads and smoothly tarmaced carriageways. Once you get into a fluid driving rhythm, not much can knock you off course.
At £9,999 to £11,867 the Liana certainly offers value for money in my opinion, as it undercuts its nearest rival, the
Ford Focus, by some margin. It wont reward the enthusiastic driver in the same way though, but if you are primarily a family driver, you wont always be looking for thrills and spills. The overall quality isnt as high as that of the Ford, nor the styling so eye catching, but you do get more space and specification. As far as affordable family transport, I think the Liana fits the bill perfectly
I could certainly live with the Suzuki Liana. Whether Id experience Life In A New Age is another thing entirely though. But Im waiting to give it a go
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