“Does the world really need another family sedan?” During a visit from Suzuki, this was the opening line of the execs’ presentation—not a question we asked them.

The marketing rationale follows the assumption that the potential Kizashi buyer wouldn’t want a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord—that was their parents’ car. And that the “Euro-inspired” handling, compact size, “interior design,” and optional AWD will also appeal to a new generation of buyers. Volume expectations are modest, according to Suzuki. Pricing spans roughly between $20,000 and $27,000.

The Kizashi is a pure Suzuki design that doesn’t trace its roots to GM or Daewoo. It was designed to be sold in world markets and adapts the D-segment size standard, which means it straddles a Corolla and Camry in terms of dimensions.

We briefly drove a high end Kizashi with 18-inch wheels and all the bells and whistles. Bottom line: We were not impressed. The 2.4-liter engine mated to the CVT isn’t the most cultured powertrain out there. The ride is rather stiff, and the steering, in our judgment, has very little European inspiration, if at all. The interior is nothing special, but the cabin has a pleasing appearance and decent seats.

We’ll have more details on the Kizashi in the coming months when we put it through our battery of tests on our track and publish a full review.

The Kizashi will join the Subaru Legacy and Ford Fusion as the third AWD mainstream family sedan. It goes on sale by the end of 2009.

—Gabe Shenhar