Suzuki has refuted reports coming out of Japan that it had canceled plans for production of a sedan based on the Kizashi 3 concept, Suzuki's first foray into the mid-sized segment.

The Nikkei, a Japanese daily business paper, had earlier reported that Suzuki had killed plans to produce the car.

Jeff Holland, a spokesperson for American Suzuki Motor Corp., is quoted in the Automotive News story saying, "The production version will debut at this year's New York auto show in April." Holland went on to say that Suzuki will announce a launch date for the 2010 sedan model at the show in New York too. The Kizashi 3 concept was unveiled last March at the same New York auto show.

Suzuki has already built a plant in Sagara, Japan to produce the "Kizashi", which means "prelude" in Japanese. The Japanese automaker has not said if it will call the sedan Kizashi or whether another model name is planned.