2006 Suzuki Verona

The Suzuki Verona, the company’s only midsize sedan, undergoes no content changes and no price change from 2005. Five colours are available: Pearl White, Beige, Black, Silver and Red.

The Verona is a sister car to the Chevrolet Epica; both are built in Korea by GM-Daewoo Auto and Technology. While the Verona is also sold in the U.S., the Epica is Canada-only. The Verona comes in a base GL and upper-line GLX. Both use a 2.5-litre inline six cylinder, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

The GL includes air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes, CD with six speakers, cloth seats, cruise control, power windows, power locks, heated mirrors, keyless entry, 60/40 folding rear seat, wood grain trim and variable intermittent wipers.

The GLX adds an eight-way power driver’s seat, ABS with traction control, 16-inch aluminum wheels, heated windshield, CD/MP3 player with six speakers, chrome accents, climate control air conditioning, auto-dimming rearview mirror, fog lamps, heated leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and power sunroof.

The Verona features an uncluttered and understated design by Italdesign-Giugiaro of Turin, Italy. The company says the inline engine design was chosen because it is very smooth, and it is; there’s not a hint of vibration. But at 155 hp, it’s underpowered, making fewer horses than some four-cylinder offerings from Honda and Nissan. It’s also thirsty for its size. A price reduction at Chevrolet brings the Epica closer to the Verona, although Suzuki’s GLX is still $110 less than the top-line Chevrolet.