Suzuki News

Suzuki’s exhibit at the 2006 Paris Motor Show [September 28 to October 15] will include the following:

Swift Sport [European Specification]

The flagship model of the new Swift range, the European specification Swift Sport based on the 3-door Swift, will have its launch at the Show. It is produced at Magyar Suzuki Corporation in Hungary and sales will start in the autumn.

Sales of the Japanese specification Swift Sport started late last year [2005] and its performance and dynamic design have been well accepted there since its launch.

Reference car: project Splash

Suzuki will also exhibit project ‘Splash’ which is a ‘clinic model’ for another all-new vehicle which will follow the Swift, Grand Vitara, and SX4 onto the market.

Based on the concept of a car that will appeal to many different markets and market sectors Splash is a multipurpose vehicle intended to deliver satisfaction to a very wide spectrum of customers regardless of their lifestyle, age, and gender and with diverse requirements for their personal transportation. It offers:

· Excellent driveability

With its platform shared with the new Swift, Splash combines excellent performance and driveability around town and over long distances.

· Comfortable cabin

A relatively tall body provides ample occupant comfort and space.

· Contemporary interior design

The cabin combines a contemporary design with equipment that maximises user-friendliness.

Splash specifications

Dimensions: 3,780mm (Length) × 1,780mm (Width) × 1,650mm (Height)

Wheelbase: 2,360mm

Engine: All new 1.2L, 16-valve, four-cylinder petrol

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Seating capacity: Five persons

Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced that it will aim to achieve consolidated net sales of 3 trillion Yen [approximately Euro 20 billion] in the current financial year ending March, 2007, following favourable financial results in the first quarter and steadily growing demand for Suzuki’s compact vehicles in export markets.

In addition Suzuki has also announced that it will add a new manufacturing plant – with a capacity of 240,000 compact vehicles – to its Sagara facility at Makinohara-City, Shizuoka, Japan .

These latest developments come as a result of exceptionally strong sales of Swift, Grand Vitara and SX4 in Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania which – because all Suzuki group manufacturing plants are now operating at full capacity – have caused significant back orders and thus constant requests for increased capacity from Suzuki distributors worldwide.

Construction of the new plant at Sagara will commence this autumn and the plant will commence operation in late 2008. Total investment will be in the region of 60 billion Yen [Euro 425 million].

These latest expansion plans are in addition to plans for increases in production capacities which total 530,000 units at three other key Suzuki plants outside Japan announced earlier in 2006 as follows: