YOU may sometimes wonder how car companies dream up some of the more oddball names for their new vehicles.

In the case of Suzuki, and its first venture into the mid-size area of the market, Kizashi isn't just a random word that sounds sort of Japanese.

It actually reflects the manufacturer's vision of the future and literally translated means ‘a sign of great things to come'.

So far as the UK is concerned Suzuki has adopted a suck it and see policy with this car.

Having proved a hit in its homeland, the Japanese producer extended it to the USA, Australia, parts of Europe and in the past few months to Britain.

While deemed by Suzuki to be a niche product - the aim is to sell just 500 cars here during 2012 - potential buyers can rest assured they will be getting a car of genuine quality and style.

Low slung, elegant and very well appointed, the Kizashi is only available in a single Sport specification with a 178ps 2.4-litre petrol engine under the bonnet.

And taking into account that 93 per cent of the company's customer base is retail, and those people want petrol powered vehicles, there are no plans for a diesel option.

Nor will there be any manual gearbox as the company has decided to go with an automatic CVT continuously variable transmission set-up with steering wheel-mounted paddles for manual shifts.

Tested and tuned in areas as diverse as Death Valley and English country lanes with the precision of BMW and Audi as the benchmark, the Kizashi not only looks racy but boasts plenty of punch and a smooth ride.

It also has a four-wheel drive set-up similar to the one first used on Suzuki's SX4 compact MPV, that can be engaged on the move for extra grip in poor weather.

Fuel economy isn't fantastic though, its official average consumption figure of 34 miles per gallon rather on the optimistic side. In fact the tested model only returned 28.3mpg.

While the Kizashi looks stylish rather than practical, closer inspection reveals the opposite.

Ample room for three back seat passengers, nets in the rear seat backs, pop-out cup holders from the rear armrest, bins with cup/bottle holders in all four doors plus a flap through to the boot, which itself is huge, all contribute to its appeal.

Both front seats are heated and electrically adjustable and the standard spec list is comprehensive outside of a sat-nav, which is an £800 option.

What you do get are the likes of leather upholstery, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, sunroof, keyless entry, air-con, CD player, 18-inch alloys and seven airbags.

It all adds up to a value for money package when compared to considerably more expensive rivals like the Audi A4 quattro and Subaru Legacy.