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47-525: The Suzuki Cultus Crescent ( Japanese: スズキ カルタス クレセント , Suzuki Karutasu Kuresento ) is a subcompact car that was produced by Suzuki in Japan between 1995 and 2002, with South Asian production continuing until 2007. The Cultus Crescent was sold as such in Japan until May 1998, when it was renamed Suzuki Cultus due to the sales discontinuation of the previous Cultus in the Japanese market. The Cultus Crescent

94-410: A turbocharger . As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, especially when used in combination with an intercooler . Turbocharging of diesel engines began in the 1920s with large marine and stationary engines. Trucks became available with turbo-diesel engines in the mid-1950s, followed by passenger cars in the late 1970s. Since

141-450: A distinct model. The Cultus Crescent was initially available as a three-door hatchback and four-door sedan , with the SOHC belt driven 16-valve G-family engines , in 1.3- and 1.5-litre form, with power ranging from 85 to 97 PS (84 to 96 hp; 63 to 71 kW). The 1.3-litre was only offered in the hatch while a 1.5-litre was only fitted to the sedan. Eventually, four-wheel drive

188-562: A group of younger buyers who otherwise shop for used cars. While fuel prices at the time were increasing, the small cars were planned before fuel prices soared; for example, Honda had announced that it would release a subcompact model as early as 2004. By 2008, sales of subcompact cars had dramatically increased in the wake of a continuing increase of fuel prices. At the same time, sales of pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles had dropped sharply. By April 2008, sales of Toyota’s subcompact Yaris had increased 46 percent, and Honda’s Fit had

235-481: A heavy modified Suzuki Cultus sedan for competing in Pikes Peak International Hill Climb . It featured two turbocharged J20A inline-four engines, with a combined power output of 800 PS (588 kW; 789 hp) with 90 kg⋅m (883 N⋅m; 651 lb⋅ft) of torque. Driven by the last year's runner up, Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima , it failed to finish the race due an accident that wrecked

282-596: A higher average transaction price. Models that were no longer sold in the United States by the end of the decade include the Mazda 2 (discontinued after 2014), Scion xD (2016), Toyota Prius C (2017), Ford Fiesta (2019), Smart Fortwo (2019), Fiat 500 (2019), Toyota Yaris (2020), Honda Fit (2020), and Chevrolet Sonic (2020). Turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel , also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel , refers to any diesel engine equipped with

329-449: A lower compression ratio. Indirect injected engines used to have compression ratios of 18.5 or higher. Following the introduction of common rail engines in the late 1990s, compression ratios decreased to the range of 16.5 to 18.5. Some diesel engines built since 2016 to comply with the Euro 6 exhaust emissions regulations have a compression ratio of 14.0. Turbocharging can greatly increase

376-436: A more acceptable spread of torque over their speed range or, if being built for commercial use, can be designed to improve torque output at a given speed depending on the exact use. Naturally aspirated Diesels, almost without exception, have a lower power output than a petrol engine of the same capacity whilst the same time requiring stronger (and thus heavier) internal components such as the pistons and crankshaft to withstand

423-493: A record month with an increase of 54 percent. However, low fuel prices and the added room in SUVs impacted subcompact sales negatively in the late 2010s. During this period, industry executives and analysts said that the subcompact car market was returning to historical norms after an unusual period when manufacturers had expanded small car lineups in anticipation of rising demand fueled by rising fuel prices, which has since eased. In

470-477: A second vehicle for use around town, not as a primary car. The Volkswagen Beetle was marketed with advertising pointing out the car's unconventional features as strengths and to get buyers to "think small." Prompted by the British government for exports, Ford was one of the first companies to try and sell inexpensive small cars in volume. From 1948 to 1970, approximately 250,000 economical English Fords were imported to

517-500: A sedan and powered with 1.3- and 1.6-litre petrol engines. While in India, the wagon body style also produced there and marketed as Baleno Altura and also the only country that produced Cultus wagon outside Japan. In North America, the changeover took place with the 1999 model year. The engine lineup was expanded to include Suzuki's J18A chain-driven DOHC engine that was fitted to the sedan and wagon. The Esteem 1.8-litre wagon completely replaced

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564-673: The Ford Mustang II temporarily downsized from the pony car class to become a subcompact car for its second generation. The Monza with its GM variants Pontiac Sunbird , Buick Skyhawk , Oldsmobile Starfire , and the Mustang II continued until the end of the decade. The Chevrolet Chevette was GM's new entry-level subcompact introduced as a 1976 model. It was an 'Americanized' design from Opel , GM's German subsidiary. Additionally, subcompacts that were imported and marketed through domestic manufacturers' dealer networks as captive imports included

611-584: The Gebrüder Sulzer engine manufacturing company. The turbocharger was originally intended to be used on diesel engines, since Büchi's patent of 1905 noted the efficiency improvements that a turbocharger could bring to diesel engines. However, the first production turbocharged engines to be manufactured did not occur until 1925, 10-cylinder turbo-diesel marine engines used by the German passenger ships Preussen and Hansestadt Danzig . The turbocharger increased

658-665: The Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage . The smaller cars in the A-segment/city car category (such as the Chevrolet Spark and Smart Fortwo) are sometimes called subcompacts in the U.S., because the EPA's name for this smaller category — "minicompact" — is not commonly used by the general public. The prevalence of small cars in the United States increased in the 1960s due to increased imports of cars from Europe and Japan. Widespread use of

705-607: The OM617 five-cylinder engine. A year later, the Peugeot 604 D Turbo became the first turbo-diesel car to be sold in Europe. Turbo-diesel cars began to be widely built and sold in Europe during the late 1980s and early 1990s, a trend that has continued to the present day. Since the 1990s, the compression ratio of turbo-diesel engines has been dropping, due to better specific power and better exhaust-emission behaviour of turbocharged engines with

752-562: The Renault Le Car and the Ford Fiesta . In 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to use a new vehicle classification system, based on interior volume instead of exterior size. Sedans with up to 100 cubic feet of passenger luggage volume were classified as subcompact. There was not a separate subcompact station wagon class with all up to 130 cubic feet of volume classified as "small." In 1978, Volkswagen began producing

799-683: The Suzuki Cultus (a three-cylinder hatchback, badged as the Chevrolet Sprint) and the Isuzu Gemini (a four-cylinder hatchback/sedan badged as the Chevrolet Spectrum). Subcompact cars were highly popular in the 1990s due to their affordability and fuel efficiency. These cars typically had engines under 1.6 liters and were ideal for city driving. During the 1990s GM offered the Geo brand featuring

846-625: The "Rabbit" version of the Golf — a modern, front-wheel drive design— in Pennsylvania. In 1982, American Motors began manufacturing the U.S. Renault Alliance — a version of the Renault 9 — in Wisconsin. Both models benefiting from European designs, development, and experience. To replace the aging Chevette in the second half of the 1980s, Chevrolet introduced marketed imported front-wheel drive subcompact cars:

893-418: The 1990s, the compression ratio of turbo-diesel engines has been dropping. Diesel engines are typically well suited to turbocharging due to two factors: As per turbocharged petrol engines, an intercooler can be used to cool the intake air and therefore increase its density. The turbocharger was invented in the early 20th century by Alfred Büchi , a Swiss engineer and the head of diesel engine research at

940-469: The Esteem 1.6, but in most markets the 1.8 sedan became the sports model. In some European markets, the 1.8-litre was installed in the hatchback and sold as the limited edition Baleno GSR. Europe also gained a turbodiesel version, with a SOHC belt driven 8-valve 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) XUD9 engine supplied by Peugeot . In 1999, Indonesian market Baleno received new 1.5-litre petrol engine, replacing

987-524: The Philippine-market to have at least one sedan model to compete with other popular Japanese-made sedans. Suzuki restyled the Cultus Crescent and renamed it Cultus (for the Japanese market only) in mid-1998. In this year, both India and Pakistan started producing Baleno in their countries. Unique for Pakistan, Baleno was produced with pre-facelift front end (but facelifted in 2002), only available as

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1034-620: The Suzuki-built Metro subcompact. Subcompact cars of the 1990s typically featured a small footprint, lightweight design, and engines with displacements generally under 1.6 liters. They were designed to provide maximum interior space while maintaining a compact exterior, making them ideal for city driving and parking. Several models defined the subcompact car market during the 1990s. Some of the most notable include: The 1990s focused on fuel efficiency and emissions, leading to innovations in fuel injection and aerodynamics. These subcompacts set

1081-574: The U.S. in limited volumes, including the 1930 American Austin (later called the American Bantam) and the 1939 Crosley . From the 1950s onwards, various imported small cars were sold in the U.S., including the Nash Metropolitan , Volkswagen Beetle , and various small British cars. The term subcompact did not yet exist, so the Metropolitan was labeled a "compact or economy car" and marketed as

1128-536: The US while over 235,000 went to Canada. Models such as the 1960 Ford Anglia were promoted as "The world's most exciting light car." Due to the increasing popularity of small cars imported from Europe and Japan during the late 1960s, the American manufacturers began releasing competing locally-built models in the early 1970s. The AMC Gremlin was described at its April 1970 introduction as "the first American-built import" and

1175-420: The United States, the segment experienced a 50 percent drop in sales in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. In Canada, the subcompact share of the car market shrank to 1.6 percent for the year ending 2020, down from 2.4 percent in 2019. As a result, manufacturers stopped offering subcompact models and focused on larger cars instead, including subcompact crossover SUVs which offer higher profit margins and

1222-417: The advanced turbocharger design, comprising a five-stage axial compressor combined with a nine-stage radial compressor and an intercooler. Use of turbo-diesel engines in road-going vehicles began with trucks in the early 1950s. The prototype MAN MK26 truck was unveiled in 1951, followed by the production model MAN 750TL1 turbo-diesel in 1954. The Volvo Titan Turbo truck was also introduced in 1954. By

1269-563: The assembly line giving way to the SX4 sedan. A yellow Suzuki Esteem (with one red door) is used as Jimmy McGill 's car in the AMC TV show Better Call Saul for most of the show. Suzuki Baleno regularly finished in the top five spots of A6 class , mostly in Rally New Zealand from 1997 to 2001. The Baleno also received a cult following in India among rally enthusiasts. In 2000, Suzuki entered

1316-515: The car.        Vehicles exclusive to Mexico        Vehicles exclusive to Canada Subcompact car According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) car size class definition, the subcompact category sits between the "minicompact" and " compact " categories. The EPA definition of a subcompact is a passenger car with a combined interior and cargo volume of 85–99 cubic feet (2,410–2,800 L). Current examples of subcompact cars are

1363-526: The country for a new decade was not a market success. The 1.6-litre SOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder which made 97 PS (96 hp; 71 kW) was the only engine choice offered and had fewer features than the rest of its rivals. Its main competitors were the Ford Lynx , Toyota Corolla , Honda Civic , Nissan Sentra , and the Mitsubishi Lancer . Due to poor sales, production ended in 2002, just 2 years after it

1410-677: The first U.S. built subcompact car. Also introduced in 1970 were the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto . Plans for the subcompact AMC Gremlin pre-dated Vega and Pinto by several years because of AMC's strategy to recognize emerging market opportunities ahead of the competition. Sales of American-built "low weight cars" (including subcompacts) accounted for more than 30% of total car sales in 1972 and 1973, despite inventory shortages for several models. The Gremlin, Pinto and Vega were all rear-wheel drive and available with four-cylinder engines (the Pinto

1457-418: The global market in the first half of 1995. It was Suzuki's first attempt in the competitive compact segment. As a North American replacement for the Suzuki Cultus (Swift) sedan (the three-door hatchback remained after it was redesigned in 1995), it was built on a slightly stretched Cultus platform for improved cabin room, but otherwise sharing most of internal components with the smaller model—and marketed as

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1504-593: The greater stresses of the Diesel engine's much higher compression ratio . These factors give naturally aspirated Diesels a poor power-to-weight ratio. Turbocharger units weigh very little but can offer significant power, torque, and efficiency improvements. Fitting a turbocharger can bring a Diesel engine's power-to-weight ratio up to the same level as an equivalent petrol unit, making turbodiesels desirable for automotive use, where manufacturers aim for comparable power outputs and handling qualities across their range, regardless of

1551-619: The late 1960s, demand for increasingly powerful truck engines led to turbo-diesels being produced by Cummins , Detroit Diesel , Scania AB , and Caterpillar Inc . In 1952, the Cummins Diesel Special became the first turbocharged car to compete at the Indianapolis 500 motor race and qualified on pole position. The car was powered by a 6.6 L (403 cu in) inline-six engine producing 283 kW (380 hp). Research into smaller turbo-diesel engines for passenger cars

1598-619: The old 1.6-litre engine, as the country imposed higher tax for cars with engine above 1.5-litre starting in the late 1990s. 4-speed automatic transmission was later added in 2000. In the Philippines, the facelift model was introduced in 2000 as the Chevrolet Cassia . Suzuki chose to drop the Esteem in the market in favor of Chevrolet Philippines, who have been re-introduced at that time to have an entry-level sedan competing against other Japanese-made sedans. Chevrolet's first sedan to be offered in

1645-449: The power output from 1,750 PS (1,287 kW) to 2,500 PS (1,839 kW). In 1925, Büchi invented sequential turbocharging, which according to Helmut Pucher (2012) marks the beginning of modern turbocharging technology. By the late 1920s, several manufacturers were producing large turbo-diesels for marine and stationary use, such as Sulzer Bros., MAN, Daimler-Benz, and Paxman. Subsequent improvements in technology made feasible

1692-569: The power output of a diesel engine, bringing the peak power-to-weight ratio closer to that of an equivalent petrol engine. Improvements in power, fuel economy, and noise, vibration, and harshness in both small- and large-capacity turbodiesels over the last decade have spurred their widespread adoption in certain markets, notably in Europe where they (as of 2014) make up over 50% of new car registrations. Turbodiesels are generally considered more flexible for automotive uses than naturally aspirated Diesel engines. Turbodiesels can be designed to have

1739-676: The same 1.6-litre, which also received the optional four-wheel drive in the wagon. In Europe, the 1.5-litre engine was not available for sale. The 1.8-litre engines was exclusively fitted to GTX sport model and was rated at 121 PS (119 hp; 89 kW) ( EEC ). A commercial van with higher roof was also available in several European countries. Cultus Crescent also assembled in Colombia at GM Colmotores in 1995, marketed as Chevrolet Esteem and only available as sedan with 1.3-and 1.6-litre engines. Suzuki also produced this car locally in Indonesia, which

1786-553: The sedan was discontinued in November 2001, although the wagon remained until August 2002. The entire range was pulled from the market in Europe and North America in 2002, after one year of overlapping with the Aerio/Liana. The car remained available in many developing countries, including India and Southeast Asia, where it was sold until 2007, when production stopped at the Maruti factory, with

1833-477: The stage for modern small cars, emphasizing efficiency and reliability. Because of consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars during the mid- to late-2000s, sales of subcompact cars made them the fastest growing market category in the U.S. In 2006, three major subcompact models were introduced to the market, the Toyota Yaris , Honda Fit , and Nissan Versa . These models were released by their manufacturers to aim at

1880-598: The term subcompact coincided with the early 1970s increase in subcompact cars built in the United States. Early 1970s subcompacts include the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . The term subcompact originated during the 1960s. However, it came into popular use in the early 1970s, as car manufacturers in the United States began to introduce smaller cars into their line-up. Previously, cars in this size were variously categorized, including "small cars" or "economy cars". Several of these small cars were produced in

1927-448: The use of turbochargers on smaller engines that ran at higher engine speeds, so turbo-diesel locomotive engines began appearing in the late 1940s. In 1951, MAN built the K6V 30/45 m.H.A., 1 MW prototype engine, which had, for its time, an exceptionally low fuel consumption of just 135.8 g/PSh (184.6 g/kWh), equivalent to an efficiency of 45.7 per cent. This was possible because of

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1974-718: Was also available with a V6 engine, and the Gremlin was also available with I6 and V8 engines). The Pontiac Astre , the Canadian-originated re-badged Vega variant was released in the U.S. in September 1974. Due to falling sales of the larger pony cars (such as the Chevrolet Camaro and first-generation Ford Mustang) in the mid-1970s, the Vega-based Chevrolet Monza was introduced as an upscale subcompact and

2021-764: Was also marketed as the Suzuki Esteem in North America, Philippines and Thailand, and as the Suzuki Baleno throughout Asia, Australasia, Europe, and Latin America. In India where it was manufactured by Maruti Suzuki , the Cultus Crescent was sold as the Maruti Suzuki Baleno . In the Philippines, the facelift model was marketed as the Chevrolet Cassia . The Cultus Crescent was introduced in Japan in January 1995 and then to

2068-509: Was introduced. After its discontinuation, the car was replaced by the Chevrolet Optra . A minor facelift appeared in 2001, with only changes on the front grille. For the Indonesian market, this facelift appeared with new white coloured rear blinkers and later arrived in India around 2006. The Cultus was replaced in most markets by the new Aerio/Liana , which was launched in 2001. In Japan,

2115-495: Was launched in July 1996 as replacement of previous Cultus sedan (marketed as Esteem there) and sold as Suzuki Baleno and only available as sedan with 118 PS (116 hp; 87 kW) 1.6-litre engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The Suzuki Esteem was introduced in the Philippines in 1996 and sold until 2000, and was only available as a wagon. Suzuki then dropped the "Esteem" name in favour of Chevrolet, who had just been returning in

2162-570: Was offered with the 1.6-litre variant in February 1996, basically the same engine as found in the Suzuki Escudo , with power raised to 115 PS (113 hp; 85 kW). At the same time, 1.8-litre DOHC chain driven 16-valve J18A engine with 135 PS (133 hp; 99 kW) appeared, the lineup was also extended with the wagon body style, called Cultus Crescent Wagon GT. This was Suzuki's first station wagon (excluding kei cars ), also with

2209-469: Was undertaken by several companies through the 1960s and 1970s. Rover built a prototype 2.5 L four-cylinder turbo-diesel in 1963, and Mercedes-Benz used a five-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel engine in the 1976 Mercedes-Benz C111-IID experimental vehicle. The first turbo-diesel production car was the Mercedes-Benz 300SD (W116) saloon, which was sold in the United States from mid-1978 and powered by

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