More vehicles display the marque of Suzuki in 2005 as this automaker from Japan points new products at the American market. Last year brought two new curvy four-door sedans -- Verona and Forenza -- featuring sensuous Italian styling and noteworthy standard equipment.

This year, Suzuki adds a five-door wagon version of Forenza plus a five-door compact hatchback called Reno. Suzuki's subcompact coupe and hatch return under the banner of Aero, and there are two sport-utility vehicles with the XL-7 and Grand Vitara.

Suzuki's front-wheel-drive (FWD) flagship sedan fits in the mid-size class and supports a spacious five-seat cabin loaded with features for convenience and luxury. The 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 six-cylinder engine, which has dual overhead cams and a 2.5-liter displacement. It produces 155 hp and mates with a four-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).

Pininfarina, the Italian design studio that has shaped some of the most beautiful cars in the world, worked out the exterior styling for Suzuki's compact-class car. It emerged in 2004 as a four-door notchback sedan but shows up in the 2005 line with a new five-door wagon variation. Both versions feature FWD orientation with a spacious five-seat passenger compartment filled with comfortable features. The sole powertrain is a thrifty four-cylinder engine constructed in Australia by Holden, a subsidiary of General Motors from Down Under. The dual-cam 2.0-liter plant achieves 126 hp and teams with a five-speed manual or four-speed-automatic transmission.

In the cabin two contoured bucket seats mount up front on either side of a padded console, while the rear bench, notched with seats for two but space for three, has a seatback that splits and folds in two sections. Three trim levels -- S, LX, EX -- increase the equipment load in stages. All contain standard gear like four-wheel disc brakes, speed-sensitive power steering, heated exterior mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, plus a stereo with CD and eight speakers. Suzuki adds options like a sunroof, ABS and leather upholstery.