2010 Suzuki Kizashi Owner's Manual - Page 323

INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE WARNING Never overload your vehicle. Overloading your vehicle can cause damage to your tires and lead to poor steering and braking which can result in an accident. The gross vehicle weight (sum of the weights of the loaded vehicle, driver and passengers) must never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) listed on the Safety Certification Label. In addition, never distribute a load so that the weight on either the front or rear axle exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed on the Safety Certification Label. WARNING • Always distribute cargo evenly. • To avoid personal injury or damage to your vehicle, always secure cargo to prevent it from shifting if the vehicle moves suddenly. • Place heavier objects on the floor and as far forward in the cargo area as possible. Never pile cargo higher than the top of the seatbacks. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1) Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs" on your vehicle's placard. 2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs. 4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs). 5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. Vehicle Loading Example As an example, suppose that the Tire and Loading Information label on your vehicle indicates that your vehicle's total load capacity is 950 lbs. If you were to drive your vehicle with one passenger, and the total combined weight of you and your passenger was 350 lbs, then the cargo and luggage capacity of your vehicle would be 600 lbs (950 - 350 = 600 lbs). If you later added 2 more passengers, having a combined weight of 325 lbs, the cargo and luggage capacity of your vehicle would be reduced from 600 lbs to 275 lbs (600 - 325 = 275 lbs). As you can see, as the number and combined weight of vehicle occupants increase, the vehicle's cargo and luggage capacity decreases. Suppose again, that you were to take a trip in your vehicle with the same three passengers described above, and you decided to tow a trailer having a trailer tongue weight of 75 lbs. The cargo and luggage capacity would be reduced again, to 200 lbs (275 - 75 = 200 lbs). 7-38