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Anyone who's ever watched a doctor drama is no doubt familiar with the famous defibrillator paddles, but there's another common treatment for cardiac arrest -- a drug called atropine -- that's also used to help speed up an unusually slow heart. With Suzuki's U.S. automotive operations in danger of flatlining (sales are off a whopping 55 percent so far this year versus 2008), the automaker is hoping its new 2010 Kizashi midsize sedan will be the shot of atropine it needs to get its sales rate back to normal. Otherwise, the paddles are likely coming next.

The Kizashi isn’t the only midsize sedan to offer a decidedly sporty character. The Mazda6, for instance, offers sharp cornering for a family car. A Ford Fusion Sport might make it into the conversation as well -- and offers more usable backseat space. But the Kizashi, in the end, is the only one of those cars designed for enthusiasts.