New Car Review of the 2005 Suzuki Verona Mid-Size Sedan

Description: Mid-Size Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $17,499 - $20,449
Invoice Price Range: $16,402 - $19,222
Where built: South Korea

Suzuki's front-wheel-drive (FWD) flagship sedan fits in the mid-size class and supports a spacious five-seat cabin loaded with features of convenience and luxury. Verona shows sleek exterior styling in the manner of premium European touring sedans with fog lamps in the bumper and twin-light halogen headlamps.

The sensuous body sculpting was developed by Giorgetto Giugiaro's studio in Italy, while Porsche of Germany contributed to the design of the aluminum in-line 6-cylinder engine, which has dual overhead cams and a 2.5-liter displacement. It produces 155-hp and mates with a 4-speed adaptive automatic transmission with step-gate shifter.

Verona has three trims -- S, LX and EX -- with features building to the level of a luxury car. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry system and cruise control, plus in-dash CD and cassette decks with six speakers. Options extend to an automatic climate system, leather upholstery, a power tilt-and-slide sunroof, four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with traction control system (TCS), eight-way power controls for the driver's bucket and 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

All Veronas for 2005 carry new side-impact air bags and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).