Suzuki's North American arm introduced the most highly developed version of General Motors' GMT 360/370 SUV a few years ago. Its timing would be comic if it weren't so tragic. The Suzuki XL7 was a new 2008 model, which meant it rode the body-on-frame midsize SUV wave far beyond its crest, first into the collapse of the truck-based SUV market amid rising gas prices, then into the collapse of the auto market itself.

The first question we asked was, Why?

Why did Suzuki and Nissan apparently agree that a regrilled Frontier belongs in Suzuki showrooms? The answer, of course, is that Suzuki doesn’t sell a pickup in the U.S. (never has, actually), and Nissan evidently needs some A-segment cars in other countries.

Electric-car maker Tesla has updated its Roadster for 2011, quelling rumors that the two-seater would disappear next year. The revised car, called Roadster 2.5, has freshened styling and equipment changes to make it more livable for electro enthusiasts. The company says the modifications were driven by feedback from owners of the 1200 Roadsters already sold.

Like his colleagues in Detroit, GM China Group president and managing director Kevin Wale spent a lot of time last year revising sales forecasts. But unlike the GM execs in Motown, who watched helplessly as American buyers stayed out of showrooms and the U.S. vehicle market imploded, Wale was forced to keep revising his forecasts dramatically upward. "I started 2009 forecasting the Chinese market at 9.5 million units," says Wale, a laconic Aussie who came from GM's Holden operation to run Vauxhall in Britain, before moving to GM's Chinese headquarters in Shanghai five years ago. "I undercalled it by four million units."

It may have a Japanese design and a Japanese name, but the 2007 Suzuki XL-7 is about as Japanese as a Yoshinoya beef bowl.

You see, although this fully redesigned version of Suzuki's midsize SUV is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 built in Japan, the engine was actually designed by General Motors. Suzuki builds it under license and adds its own computers, but it's essentially the same engine found under the hood of the Pontiac G6.

Unknown to them, males 18-32 years old run this country. As the most sought-after demographic group alive, they control advertising budgets larger than the GDPs of some small countries. Automakers around the world pour millions into capturing the attention of these trendsetting males, yet little-known Suzuki has had these beer-drinking Xbox aficionados pounding down its door for years.

We switch the Suzuki's four-mode four-wheel drive into the 4L Lock position and begin our ascent of the muddy hill. It isn't exactly K2, but recent rains have left much of the Santa Monica Mountains sloppy enough for it to challenge the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Luxury.

"The hot side stays hot while the cool side stays cool." "Tastes Great, Less Filling." "Strong enough for a man but made for a woman." Each of these familiar product slogans have the same hook — opposites that coexist. More to the point, they're opposites that complement each other to the point that they become the defining characteristic. And whether you're talking about a McDLT, Miller Light or a new SUV, it's the contrasts that make them interesting.

Suzuki has big plans for its flagship model, the Kizashi. That much we already know. What we didn’t expect though was that the model would be branching out with different variants.

While several staffers drove a pair of Kizashis through Japan, Russia, Canada, and the U.S., our long-termer stayed home. On one staffer's drive, it suffered minor damage when a bit of debris became lodged in one of the front fenderwells. The Kizashi continues to impress with top-notch interior styling, sporty character, and ergonomically sound cabin.