Suzuki's out from under GM, and it might mean big news for Japanese small cars
04-25-2006, 05:16 PM
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Suzuki's out from under GM, and it might mean big news for Japanese small cars
In Japan, nobody churns out small cars faster and with more fanatical low-cost efficiency than Suzuki, which leads Japan's unique high-volume 660-cc minicar market by a mile.
Suzuki has just unveiled the four-wheel-drive crossover SX4 as a U.S. 2007 model, marking the start of a more interesting era for small Suzukis. Meanwhile, back in Japan, Suzuki's future is suddenly the subject of intense speculation.
Now that General Motors has sold off its shares in Suzuki, analysts and media wonder whether Suzuki is now in play and could team up with another manufacturer — Nissan, for instance.
It could happen. And if it does, Suzuki's global strategy for small cars could change and lead to a shakeout of Japan's small-car players.
This week, Suzuki chief Toshihiro Suzuki commented, "Now we will build our strategy for compact vehicles such as Swift for the U.S. and European markets." With a cool design and a great chassis, the new Swift is a major hit for Suzuki, and the long-secretive company is now an attractive target for quite a few in the industry.
Suzuki could hold the key to the next round of restructuring in the Japanese auto industry — and beyond.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=110146
I'm not sure what exactly this means for Suzuki's current lineup of a bunch of Daewoos sourced through GM and the new XL-7 which is built on the same platform as the Saturn Vue/Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent. The SX4 looks like it might be kinda neat for the old-school Subaru fanatics who have no use for the current crop of high-performance turbocharged Subarus. The Swift is pretty cool at least from what I've seen online, but I'm not sure about the rest of Suzuki's linenup. Without the rebadged Daewoos to fill out its lineup I'm not sure if Suzuki is viable in the USA, but hey maybe they'll figure out how to make a normal car or two and phase out the Daewoos.
Suzuki has just unveiled the four-wheel-drive crossover SX4 as a U.S. 2007 model, marking the start of a more interesting era for small Suzukis. Meanwhile, back in Japan, Suzuki's future is suddenly the subject of intense speculation.
Now that General Motors has sold off its shares in Suzuki, analysts and media wonder whether Suzuki is now in play and could team up with another manufacturer — Nissan, for instance.
It could happen. And if it does, Suzuki's global strategy for small cars could change and lead to a shakeout of Japan's small-car players.
This week, Suzuki chief Toshihiro Suzuki commented, "Now we will build our strategy for compact vehicles such as Swift for the U.S. and European markets." With a cool design and a great chassis, the new Swift is a major hit for Suzuki, and the long-secretive company is now an attractive target for quite a few in the industry.
Suzuki could hold the key to the next round of restructuring in the Japanese auto industry — and beyond.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=110146
I'm not sure what exactly this means for Suzuki's current lineup of a bunch of Daewoos sourced through GM and the new XL-7 which is built on the same platform as the Saturn Vue/Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent. The SX4 looks like it might be kinda neat for the old-school Subaru fanatics who have no use for the current crop of high-performance turbocharged Subarus. The Swift is pretty cool at least from what I've seen online, but I'm not sure about the rest of Suzuki's linenup. Without the rebadged Daewoos to fill out its lineup I'm not sure if Suzuki is viable in the USA, but hey maybe they'll figure out how to make a normal car or two and phase out the Daewoos.
04-26-2006, 07:33 AM
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Originally Posted by redgoober4life
I love the new Swift.
04-26-2006, 12:22 PM
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Bringing the Swift to the US should be a no-brainer for Suzuki. They would sell these things by the boat-load (especially if gas prices continue to sky rocket) and it would go a long way of building the brand in the States. I think it was a smart move to bring the SX4 - if its priced right I could see it introducing a lot of new buyers to the Suzuki family. From what I've seen and read in the foreign press, it looks like its a pretty good vehicle that should do well.