Suzuki on 'Death Watch,' or, 'behold a new Suzuki'?

Suzuki has been in the news a bit this week, unfortunately, not for the best. National Public Radio did a bit on smaller Japanese automakers and how they're struggling in the U.S. The story mentioned not only Suzuki, but Mazda and Mitsubishi, too. The story even mentions the last automaker to pull out of the U.S., Isuzu, which left the U.S. passenger vehicle market in 2009.

Next up, The Truth About Cars said American Suzuki was on "Death Watch," what with it's lack of products and no marketing managers or PR director. The site also had a bit about being a Suzuki loyalist; both are good reads.

However, with the apparent doom and gloom, today Autoblog posted the image above of what might be a turbocharged SX4 replacement. Shot in what looks to be Europe (Note the long plate—Spain? Portugal?), it's definitely a Suzuki product, as you can see the "S" under black paint or tape. Be sure to check out Autoblog for several more pictures.

So will it be "death watch" or "new product" from Suzuki? Don't expect any info from the notoriously tight-lipped Suzuki, though. Not at least until the last minute.