A European version of the Suzuki Kizashi saloon is currently being showcased at the Geneva Motor Show. Suzuki says however that this model is for the Swiss market only and there are no plans to sell it in the UK.

The Japanese manufacturer intends to compete actively with the Ford Mondeo and to launch the Kizashi on a market-by-market basis. For now, the Kizashi is only available with a 2.4-liter petrol engine. According to a Suzuki source, marketing this powerplant in the UK would present a challenge. The source added that an engine producing CO2 emissions of around 180g/km would be difficult to sell. Suzuki said that when the market conditions are right, it would bring the car to the UK but for now, it would have to compete only in the small car sector. Currently, the Kizashi is available in Japan. Very soon, sales in the US, Australia and Switzerland would start. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2010 geneva motor show, 2010 kizashi, 2010 suzuki kizashi, car news, Geneva Motor Show, Suzuki
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A possible fuel leak is what prompted Maruti Suzuki India to announce the recall of 100,000 of its most popular model, the A-Star hatchbacks. Maruti Suzuki India, India’s top carmaker, is 54% owned by Japan’s Suzuki Motor.

The hatchbacks, which are exported to Europe as the Alto, had started last November and the company has fixed about half of the total number of cars involved. The carmaker revealed that the recall costs less than 100 million rupees ($2.2 million). According to a source, the recall includes cars sold in Europe though a tie-up with Japan’s Nissan Motor Corp. under Nissan’s Pixo name. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, maruti suzuki recall, nissan pixo fuel leak recall, Suzuki, suzuki alto fuel leak recall
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The mid-sized sedan segment is a highly competitive one and for Suzuki to get ahead, it will allocate half of the new Kizashi sedan’s $30 million marketing budget in 2010 to US dealers, according to Kevin Saito, president of American Suzuki Motor Corp.

Suzuki didn’t have the budget for a national launch and after listening to the dealer advisory board, it decided to redistribute the marketing funds, said Scott Pitman, president of Suzuki of Wichita in Kansas. Last year, its sales dropped by 54% in the US, more than double the industry’s decline. The new Kizashi sedan has started arriving in showrooms. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, suzuki kizashi, suzuki kizashi marketing budget
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As these Japanese carmakers are experiencing higher demand and have been successful at cutting costs, Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. both raised their annual profit forecasts.

Automakers all around the globe have cut fixed costs and boosted production efficiencies to cope with the global economic slowdown. Government incentives also boosted the sales of fuel-efficient cars. Suzuki, owned 19.9% by Volkswagen AG due to a deal made in December, has profited from strong sales in India’s fast-growing market, where it is the top player through subsidiary Maruti Suzuki. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Mazda, mazda annual profit forecasts, Suzuki, suzuki annual profit forecasts
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As sales climbed in its main Indian market, Suzuki Motor Corp. was able to triple its quarterly operating profit. Suzuki, which is 19.9% owned by Volkswagen AG and is Japan’s fourth-biggest carmaker, raised its annual forecasts closer to market expectations.

The global shift in consumer preference toward minicars and subcompacts has benefited Suzuki and Hyundai Motor Co. The shift to small cars is partly due to government incentives on purchases of environment-friendly cars. Subsidiary Maruti Suzuki, India’s top carmaker, said in January that its third-quarter net profit had more than tripled. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, suzuki quarterly profit
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Suzuki will serve us a treat at the Geneva Motor Show in March as it reveals its European version of the Kizashi saloon. For now, the car will be limited to the Swiss market as there are still no plans to release it in the UK.

In the meantime, Suzuki will launch its Mondeo rival on a market-by-market basis. Suzuki UK is expecting to take the model when market conditions are right. Because the Kizashi is only available with a 2.4-liter petrol engine, this powerplant would be difficult to market in the UK. A Suzuki source informed Autocar that engine with CO2 emissions of around 180g/km not make a huge impact in the sector. The source added that corporate sales would “have a challenge” with that engine. For now, Suzuki will be competing in the small car sector. The Kizashi is of course, currently available only in Japan, but it won’t be long before sales in US and Australia and Swiss sales would start. A review is ongoing to determine Suzuki’s plans to sell the European model outside Switzerland.

Tags:car news, Geneva Motor Show, Suzuki, suzuki kizashi geneva motor show
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When an agreement was entered earlier this month for Volkswagen AG to become Suzuki Motor Corp.’s biggest shareholder and for Suzuki to take a stake as well, questions were raised on whether VW will eventually take a controlling or majority stake in the Japanese manufacturer.

At a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Suzuki Motor Corp. CEO Osamu Suzuki stated that he would refuse an offer for VW to take a bigger stake. He explained that it’s likely that if Suzuki grows and becomes more successful, VW will want a bigger stake. He asserted however, that when that happens, Suzuki will probably reply with, “Let’s continue as we are.” When the deal between the two carmakers was reached, many industry watchers fully expected VW to try to get a controlling or majority stake in Suzuki as it aims to overtake Toyota Motor Corp. to become the world’s biggest carmaker by 2018. Mr. Suzuki disclosed that he wouldn’t want the brand to be known as the 12th Volkswagen brand. He said that he considers the comprehensive equity alliance completed this month to be one between “equal partners.”

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, Volkswagen, vw, vw suzuki stake
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As part of an operational review following Suzuki’s alliance with Volkswagen AG, Suzuki will end joint development projects with General Motors Co. for hybrid and fuel-cell technologies.

Last month, a comprehensive tie-up was entered between Suzuki and Volkswagen wherein VW became Suzuki’s biggest shareholder with a 19.9% stake. Cross-shareholding between the two companies is part of the pact. As a result, Suzuki’s projects with GM will end in February. Suzuki had counted on General Motors, once its top shareholder, for assistance in developing hybrid and fuel-cell technologies. At the briefing in Hamamatsu, central Japan, Osamu Suzuki, chairman and chief executive, said that Suzuki is in a comprehensive alliance with Volkswagen. He stated that Suzuki will either jointly work with VW or learn from the European company in “every field including hybrid, diesel and electric cars.”

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, suzuki gm, suzuki gm partnership end
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After deciding to end development projects with General Motors Co. for hybrid and fuel-cell technologies in February, Suzuki Motor Corp. said that it would reconsider ties with PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault SA.

Suzuki had recently entered an alliance with Volkswagen AG and following that event, it is carrying out an operational review. In line with the comprehensive tie-up, VW became Suzuki’s biggest shareholder with a 19.9%. Cross-shareholding between the two companies is part of the pact. General Motors had once been Suzuki’s top shareholder. Suzuki had relied on GM heavily for help in developing hybrid and fuel-cell technologies. Osamu Suzuki, chairman and chief executive, said at the briefing in Hamamatsu, central Japan, that the alliance with VW means that in every aspect that relates to hybrid, diesel and electric cars, Suzuki would either be taught their technology or carry out a joint effort.

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, suzuki renault partnership
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Suzuki Motor Corp. is eager to take a stake in Volkswagen AG soon but since its floating shares are limited, the European automaker looks for shareholders willing to sell to Suzuki, according to Osamu Suzuki, the chairman and CEO of the Japanese carmaker.

Last month, Suzuki and VW announced a comprehensive tie-up, giving VW a 19.9% stake. This means that VW is now Suzuki’s biggest shareholder. Cross-shareholding between the two companies is part of the pact. Suzuki said that VW is now looking for potential sellers. He said Suzuki plans to procure diesel engines from VW, and the maker of Swift and Alto hatchback cars will review its ties with PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA and Renault SA, which currently supply diesel engines to Suzuki. Because of the challenges that are facing the car industry today, the automakers are joining forces to save billions that each would need to develop state-of-the-art powertrains.

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Tags:car news, Suzuki, suzuki vw stake
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