By FRANK A. AUKOFER, Scripps Howard News Service

More than most vehicle manufacturers, Japan's Suzuki has tested different ingredients to develop a recipe for success in the United States.
It has kept some, rejected others and been out of sync with consumer tastes. For example, in 2002 it introduced a small, tall wagon called the Aerio, which was ahead of its time.

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Specifications for the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport four-door sport utility vehicle.
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, 166 horsepower.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic with four-wheel drive.
Overall length: 14 feet 9 inches.
EPA passenger/cargo volume: 99/24 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,611 pounds.

Specifications for 2009 Cadillac CTS-V four-door sports/luxury sedan.
Engine: 6.2-liter V8, supercharged, 556 horsepower.
Transmission: Six-speed manual.
Overall length: 16 feet.
EPA passenger/trunk volume: 98/14 cubic feet.
Weight: 4,300 pounds.
EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 13/19 miles per gallon.

One of the more pervasive modern trends in vehicles is niche marketing, where manufacturers no longer seek big sales. They look for clutches of fewer customers among fragmented affinity groups.

Specifications for the 2009 Toyota Venza AWD four-door crossover wagon.
Engine: 2.7-liter four-cylinder, 182 horsepower.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode and full-time all-wheel drive.
Overall length: 15 feet 9 inches.
EPA passenger/cargo volume: 108/34 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,945 pounds.

A funny thing happened to the Chevrolet Aveo on its way to prominence.
At a time when gasoline prices were rocketing through the roof, the subcompact Aveo should have been flying out of stores as frightened buyers sought fuel-efficient vehicles.

The most prominent inclination among designers of luxury vehicles in recent years has been all-wheel drive.
Driving the trend has been the development of sophisticated systems that are largely imperceptible to the driver but which inspire comfort and confidence when the going gets sloppy, especially in northern climates.

Specifications for 2009 Infiniti G37x two-door coupe.
Engine: 3.7-liter V6, 330 horsepower.
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.
Overall length: 15 feet 3 inches.
EPA passenger/trunk volume: 90/7 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,847 pounds.
EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 18/25 miles per gallon.

The 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera is new in an inside-out way.
It's no surprise. The iconic sports car still looks essentially the same as the first U.S. model in 1965.

Specifications for the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera two-door coupe.
Engine: 3.6-liter horizontally-opposed six-cylinder, 345 horsepower.
Transmission: Porsche-Doppelkupplung seven-speed twin-clutch manual with automatic mode.
Overall length: 14 feet 7 inches.
EPA cargo volume: 12 cubic feet (front and rear).
Weight: 3,120 pounds.