Taking centerstage at the Suzuki stand in Paris was the Project Splash, a concept car built on the subcompact Swift/SX4 platform. Other than the bright blue color scheme, there's nothing terribly remarkable about the Splash -- it merely represents another direction Suzuki might take with this platform, something more along the lines of a subcompact people mover/MPV. It also looks quite similar to Renault's Twingo concept.
Suzuki says the Project Splash is designed to cater to drivers of all ages, abilities, tastes and priorities, though given the fact that it has a 5.5-inch shorter wheelbase than the SX4 and measures 16 inches shorter overall, it's safe to say that these drivers wouldn't have big interior space demands. The Splash is, however, two inches taller than the SX4, and has a glass roof desiged to give its five-passenger cabin a roomier feel.
Instrumentation and controls are concept-car minimalist. A single, circular pod houses the speedometer, fuel gauge and trip meter (the tachometer and temp gauge are nowhere to be found) and resides in the traditional location behind the steering wheel. The center stack controls, which include a nav system, are a Star Trek-esque touchpad design. The silvery sphere at the bottom of the stack is the gear selector for the front-drive Splash's four-speed automatic transmission. The power source is a diminutive 16-valve, 1.2-liter inline four, and Suzuki did not disclose power specs.
Although the Splash is a concept, Suzuki notes that it has all the relevant safety equipment -- antilock disc brakes, a full set of airbags, stability control -- as well as crashworthy body structure. If showgoers get excited about the Splash, it sounds like the company is prepared to build something like it, at least when it comes to the exterior.
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