Start with what the Suzuki Palette is: a 5-door hatchback with 658 cc K6A I3 DOHC 12 valve VVT, built from 2008 to 2013, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. What it meant takes a little longer.
How it came about
The Suzuki Palette is a kei car produced by Suzuki from January 2008 to February 2013. The Suzuki Palette has twin rear sliding doors, and competes directly with the Daihatsu Tanto. During 2009 the higher spec Suzuki Palette S models were replaced by the Suzuki Palette SW, whose revised frontal design is positioned to better compete with the Daihatsu Tanto Custom. Since the addition of the SW, the Suzuki Palette range has generally performed well in the sales charts. On December 1, 2009, the Nissan Roox was released, an OEM version of the Suzuki Palette that was first shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
The Nissan Roox Highway Star is a rebadged Suzuki Palette SW. On June 26, 2012, the Mazda Flair Wagon was released, another OEM version of the Palette. The Palette was replaced in February 2013 by the Suzuki Spacia, with a corresponding new Mazda Flair Wagon launched simultaneously. The Nissan Roox was discontinued and replaced by the Nissan Dayz Roox, a new model designed with Mitsubishi Motors. In 2020, the Roox nameplate returned as the replacement of Dayz Roox. The newer Roox is based on the second generation eK Space.
The hardware
The engine is 658 cc K6A I3 DOHC 12 valve VVT. On the scales it comes to 900-990 kg. Drive goes through a 4-speed automatic / CVT. The wheelbase is 2,400 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
In the Suzuki line-up the Suzuki Palette has a clear place: it handed the line to the Suzuki Spacia / Nissan Dayz Roox; the factory was Kosai, Shizuoka, Japan. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Nissan 370Z, the Tesla Roadster, the Hyundai i30. Its Suzuki stablemates include the Suzuki XL-7 and the Suzuki Landy.