Hi folks,

I've been moving in this direction for a while, but I've finally gone and bought a Suzuki S Cross. I have spent too much money over the year I have owned the Doblo, and I wanted a more economical car that was fun to drive and offered me a good amount of space and utility.

The Suzuki hits the spot very well and I'm loving the performance, handling and fun, not to mention around fifteen, plus, more miles per gallon and three years free servicing - it all helps.

I'll miss the Doblo, it was a very comfortable and convenient car and if it had had a better gearbox and clutch, better throttle response and performance, and better economy, I would have kept it.

The Suzuki still has the same (with a variable rate turbo) engine as the Doblo, so I feel I still have a toe dipped in the Fiat water and I will keep an occasional eye on the forum. Who knows, the forthcoming X Cross may be on the cards for a few years down the line, let's see.

Anyway, the forum was, and is, the best make-specific car forum on the web, so many thanks to everyone here who has been supportive over the years, and equal thanks to all those who have been 'stimulating', it's all part of the fun!

I'll dip my toe in from time to time - Fiat engine see ....:devil:

Good luck with your new venture, but don't mention clutch to me :bang:

Hope all goes well with the Japanese version

Would that be a Dobro :devil:

Again good luck with the Suk. Interesting to read about the Suk/Fiat engine cross reference. If I'm reading correctly, is the base engine made by Fiat with further cross component use in other models from the same manufacturers. Appreciate it's quite common to utilise single model manufacture and badge for individual car builders but I didn't realise Fiat have a tie up with Suzuki.
Going back to Suzuki, I drive past a main dealer's daily and am quite tempted to have a look at the entry small motor with £69 per month repayment banners all over it. Doing a 60 mile a day round commute to work, reckon the pennies would nearly balance compared to what I'm paying in diesel using the Doblo, and that's with presently touching 50mpg. Doblo you've been warned:chin:

Retro Pedro said:

Doblo you've been warned:chin:

Click to expand...

Ha ha ha, it's probably planning a 180 and siding with the Germans, Japanese, Koreans and Turks

If you see a white flag in the back, be prepared :devil:

Suzuki uses the Fiat 1.6 Diesel in exactly the same form (118bhp) as Fiat uses. My guess is that the gearbox is the same too. However, the Suzy has reverse over to the right and back, whereas with the Doblo it was over to the left and up. The Doblo change was awful, obstructive into first and very snaggy and clicky in all the lower gears. The clutch take-up was so abrupt that I had the choice of stalling it or slipping it. I got better, but in the Suzy the gearbox is slick, well oiled and precise, and the take-up is progressive and normal.

Suzuki has used the Fiat 1.3 Diesel in the Swift for years, and they are now using the Magnetti Marelli Dualogic automatic in the new Celerio in India, which will come here this year. Suzuki has a number of new cars on the way over the next few years. I had a Wagon R once, and it was very good, but noisy at speed. So, there you go, engine sharing by Fiat with Suzuki. Suzuki is developing its own three cylinder petrol which arrives, I think, this year.