We were stopped by no less than three Garda check points on the Irish launch day of the Suzuki Liana which involved a run from Dublin to Faithlegge House in Waterford and back. It felt as if there was an all-points bulletin out for us.
The third time, the garda wanted to know all about the car and took his time to have a good look front and back. I don’t know what the motorists behind were thinking at this grilling by the law. Eventually, his curiosity satisfied, we were cheerfully allowed on our way.
Billed earlier that day by Suzuki Ireland’s Niall O’Gorman as the company’s “first major new car of the 21st century”, the Liana is available here in two versions - the 1.3 GL and the 1.6 GLX.
It is taller than competing vehicles like the Ford Focus, the Toyota Corolla and the VW Golf. Good use of the interior area also ensures ample legroom and shoulder width for five adults.
From the front, while it is quite stylish, it’s not so much different from many other small passenger cars. However, it is the rear end that stands out. It really looks quite superb and is very much enhanced by the black insert which makes the car extremely distinctive, especially in lighter body colours.
The interior is chic and I loved the real feeling of space, due partly to the car’s design with a high roof line.
I particularly fell for the velour, deep beige-patterned upholstery on the seats and headrests, continued along the doors for a very plush look. The seats are both comfy and supportive. In the rear, the seat-backs come with a four-position reclining adjustment.
It’s easy, too, to get a good driving position as the steering wheel comes with tilt adjustment and the fact that the seats are high means a great view of the road. Rear visibility is good too. Foot pedals are well positioned and have plenty of space around them. A nice high footrest helps beat left-foot fatigue on a long run.
The dash is unusual, each side a mirror image of the other, with the same gaps, which allows relatively easy engineering of left and right hand side models. The centre console controls are clear and simple, except for the radio which was a bit fiddley.
But the speedometer really took my fancy. The LCD digital display is set in a long triangular inset. The speed readout, in big orange figures, is easy to see and speed can be displayed in either mph or kph.
The audio system is at the top of the instrument panel on the centre console where it is easy to see and reach. The short, stubby 5-speed gearshift at the base looks and feels good and operates accurately. But it might be set a little far back for the shorter driver.
Driving showed a car which was pleasantly quiet and which didn’t allow much road noise to intrude over quite a number of different surfaces. There was a solid feel to the car generally, though there’s a disappointing hollow sound when the dashboard is tapped.
On the road, the Liana is definitely a car that likes to be driven. There’s not too much roll in bends and the suspension seems to be well-controlled.
Standard equipment includes front/rear electric windows, central door locking, radio/cd, tinted glass, front seat height adjustment of driver’s side, separately folding 55/45 rear seat backs, rear wash/wipe, immobiliser, colour co-ordinated bumpers, door mirrors/handles, and on the safety side, driver and passenger airbags, side impact protection beams.
The top of the range 1.6 GLX also has front airbags, ABS, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard.
The 88bhp1.3-litre returns a combined fuel consumption cycle of 42mpg while the 102bhp 1.6-litre GLX offers a combined figure of 39.7mpg.
Inside fabrics are colour coordinated with the exterior paint finish. This means that cooler exterior body colours are matched with shades of blue trim while the warmer shades come with the deep beige.
The 5-speed manual 1.3 GL sells for £13,500 ex-works and the larger 1.6 is £15,500. The Liana is covered by a 3-year warranty, a 12-year perforation warranty and a 3-year roadside assistance programme.
August 2001
by Trish Whelan