I can't help but feel that this is some kind of marketing strategy here from Suzuki Canada. I can't believe they don't realize that volume will be in the more basic equipped FWD models.
I think by first introducing the top dog model they're hoping to get people to forget about the re-badged Daewoo cars, and think sporty, luxury when they hear the name Suzuki. I wish them luck with that...tough to change perceptions. I'm sure FWD and manual models will follow in the next year or so. Otherwise this move makes no sense at all.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the CVT is not living up to the sporty credentials. Shame because it sounds like the chassis and suspension tuning are up to the task. Then again, the switch to CVT seems to be going over fairly well for Subaru in terms of sales.
I hope this car makes some inroads for Suzuki. With the SX4 and now this Kizashi, it's looking more promising.