Suzuki Marine is hitting the water with a new look and a new attitude this season, backed up by the same strong performance and utterly epic reliability we’ve come to know and love from their outboards. Five models from 115 hp to 250 hp are now available in Suzuki’s Stealth Line, called “Shinobi” in Japanese, featuring a matte black look with vivid black graphics that gives these engines a bold yet decidedly understated look. Until you nail the throttle, that is — then bold takes over.
Shortly after its introduction the Stealth line was recognized by the editors at the leading industry trade journal, Boating Industry Magazine, as the winner of a 2024 Top Products Award. “We’re honored to receive this award from Boating Industry Magazine on behalf of everybody at Suzuki,” said Brandon Cerka, General Manager Sales and Marketing for Suzuki Marine USA. “This recognition was especially gratifying to us, as the Stealth Line was the first product specifically designed by Suzuki Marine USA and brought to fruition by Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan. It’s already been a huge hit with our boatbuilding partners, dealers, and customers across America, and now this industry recognition is icing on the cake.”
The Stealth lineup will be of interest to a wide swath of boaters as well as to those editors, ranging from bass anglers hitting the lake to saltwater fishermen prowling blue water. The four-cylinder DF115B is the smallest in the lineup, and this engine has proved to be an incredibly popular option for small center consoles, deck boats, and skiffs. The DF150 and 200 bring more power to the table with additional displacement and will prove ideal for larger boats used on bigger lakes and bays across the nation. The DF250 and DF250A are both V6 motors, with the DF250 designed for powering big deep-V offshore angling machines and the DF250A providing the fast hole shot and strong acceleration demanded by professional-level bass anglers and shallow water fishing aficionados running angling machines like flats, bay, and hybrid bay boats.
Under the cowl these engines feature the high-tech traits and tweaks that have taken Suzuki outboards to the top tiers of the outboard market in recent years. Their Lean Burn System, multipoint sequential EFI, Suzuki Precision Control (SPC) and Anti-Corrosion Finish are all in the mix. Controls are offered with a healthy dose of tech, too, including such perks as fly-by-wire throttle and shift, digital displays, and Auto-Trim. And from the upswept cowl delivering cool air to the tuned multi-stage induction module of the DF115B Stealth, to the variable valve timing of the DF250 Stealth, all the systems and parts in these engines are designed to maximize performance, boost longevity, and increase efficiency.
Speaking of increased efficiency: part of Suzuki’s new attitude includes an added emphasis on sustainability in boating. The company has always shown a concern for the environment and their Clean Ocean Project, committed to reducing plastic packaging, collecting micro-plastic waste, and addressing marine plastic waste issues, was launched well over a decade ago. Suzuki stepped it up a notch in 2020 when they announced the development of a micro-plastic filter that could be integrated with their engine’s cooling systems.
This year Suzuki takes another step in the battle for sustainability with their “4-4-2” program. The concept is to get the old, less efficient two-stroke outboards off the water and onto the scrap heap where they belong. When a boater trades in an old two-stroke, Suzuki dealers receive a discount that can be passed along as long as the engine gets recycled or scrapped. Even better, the money received from scrapping gets donated to an environmental organization of the dealer’s choice. Any two-stroke counts no matter how old it is or what condition it’s in, and the incentives apply to new Suzuki outboards from 2.5 hp all the way up to 350 hp. The pilot program performed last summer in Minnesota raised $4,000 for MN-Fish — which Suzuki then matched to double the impact, get the 4-4-2 program off the ground, and head full-throttle into a future of sustainable boating.
