Entries Tagged 'suzuki' ↓

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., India’s largest car maker by sales, Wednesday said its recall of up to 106,000 A-Star small cars includes about 30,000 hatchbacks supplied to Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Maruti, the local unit of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp., produces the A-Star at its factories in the northern state of Haryana. The same car is supplied to Nissan–which markets the vehicle in Europe as its Pixo model–under a contract manufacturing agreement.

“We have supplied a total of 50,000 A-Stars to Nissan till date,” R.C. Bhargava, Maruti’s chairman, told Dow Jones Newswires. “The Nissan part of it (the recall) should be somewhere around 30,000 units.”

Mr. Bhargava estimated the total cost of recalling the cars to replace a defective fuel tank part at between INR300 million and INR320 million.

“The costs are to be shared between Maruti and the vendor,” he said. “Of the total cost (of the recall), Maruti will have to spend 100 million rupees ($2.1 million) to 120 million rupees.”

Maruti said that there had been no customer complaints but an internal analysis had shown that when fuel was filled beyond a certain point, there was a possibility of leakage. About half of the faulty cars have been fixed. Vehicles affected were in a batch made up to 22 August last year. The company is replacing the fuel pump gasket and O ring on affected models.

Last year, the company exported about 100,000 A-Stars after first launching the line in India late in 2008. It sells 3,500 to 4,000 A-stars a month in India alone.

Maruti said in a statement: “At Maruti Suzuki, we constantly monitor quality of our products through feedback and internal analysis. In one such exercise in November 2009, we came across an anomaly reported in the fuel tank in some of the vehicles and by December 2009 we started contacting the customers by letter. These vehicles belonged to lot made until 22 August 2009 only.”

Maruti Suzuki’s new MPV (multi purpose vehicle) called Eeco is a five door vehicle. Eeco will be available in five seater and seven seater options. Eeco powered by an 1.2L engine complies the upcoming bharat IV emission norm and returns 15.1Km to a litre of petrol (as per ARAI). The 1196ccc engine generates 73bhp of raw power at 6000rpm and a high torque of 101Nm@3000rpm. The Eeco uses the 5 speed manual transmission system with the Diagonal Shift Assistance (DSA) technology which allows for a gear change without any break in continuity of the action, thereby improving the gear shift feeling.

The Eeco will be launched on Jan 7 and will be available in six exciting colours – Metallic Glistening grey, metallic silky silver,Metallic Midnight Black,Metallic Blue Blaze,Bright Red and Superior White. With prices starting from Rs 4 lakh, Maruti intends to sell 40,000 units of the Eeco a year. The name aptly fits the van too – It complies with Bharat stage 4 norms and it can be recycled as an End of Life Vehicles, a norm in developed countries especially Japan (Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Chromium are used in permissible limits).

source : This web

All-New Alto Concept

The all-new Alto Concept points to the future of the minivehicle by combining newly honed performance with minivehicle economy and user-friendliness. Styling that appeals to people regardless of age and gender makes the Alto Concept an outstanding proposition for motorists who want minivehicle economy and convenience. A big, simple, highly legible speedometer, an easy-to-use floor-mounted shifter, and user-friendly switches and storage spaces realize convenience for people of all ages. And low weight reflects a concerted effort to realize fuel economy and environmentally sensitive low-emission performance at levels that will be demanded in the years ahead.

India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India is looking to introduce a green car in the Indian market. Speaking to ET, Maruti Suzuki MD and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said: “We stand a chance to have the eco-car in the Indian market.”

“It fits well into our product mix and we could utilise the Indo-Thai trade pact to bring in components at low taxes, thus making the car price-competitive for Indian customers,” he added. The huge potential for the fuel-efficient green model in the domestic market has prompted Maruti to bring the eco-car it’s parent company, Suzuki Motor (SMC), has developed for Thailand to India, he said.

SMC has been vying to produce a small car with a Euro IV engines of up to 1,300 cc under the Thai government’s special eco-car programme, delivering efficiency of 20 km per litre of fuel and under 120 grams of CO2 emissions per km. Such cars would attract huge excise benefits and concessional tax sops.

The company had earlier planned to set up capacity to manufacture 1.38 lakh eco cars (Cervo and other models) per year in Thailand, with $280 million investment.

The global slowdown put brakes on that plan. Under the Thai government’s plan, majority of these green cars were meant for exports and SMC had earlier planned to sell 10-15% of its total production in Thailand and export the rest to ASEAN and Australia.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

As the UK car market experiences it first growth since April 2008, Suzuki GB is pleased to announce that worldwide sales of Suzuki cars have recently passed 40 million units. This milestone was made up of 19,666,000 units sold in Japan and 20,334,000 sold worldwide.

This achievement is particularly important as 2009 also sees Suzuki celebrate its centenary. Suzuki began trading in October 1909 as the Suzuki Loom Company in Hamamatsu and extended into automobiles in October 1955 with the Suzulight mini-vehicle.

Since then, Suzuki has remained at the forefront of Japan’s expanding mini-vehicle market by reflecting customer’s priorities in models such as the Alto, Wagon R and SJ Jimny compact 4×4. Larger Suzuki vehicles joined the Japanese domestic market in 1965 with the popular Fronte, Cervo and Escudo which led to the development and global introduction of the highly successful Swift, SX4, Grand Vitara and Splash.

Suzuki has three production bases in Japan and launched its first production base further afield in Pakistan in 1975. Having continually expanded overseas production bases since then the company now builds automobiles at 15 plants in 14 other countries including Indonesia, Hungary and India – where Suzuki dominates the passenger car market with sales of more than 7.5 million cars.

Commenting on this latest milestone, David Seward, sales and Marketing Director, Suzuki GB commented; “Suzuki has a rich history in producing high quality, reliable cars. Looking to the future, Suzuki hopes to continue the success of this remarkable achievement and plans to concentrate on the further development of our vehicles; lowering emissions and providing cars that our customers will continue to enjoy driving.”

Maruti Suzuki India said on Thursday it is targeting to export 100,000 units of its small car A-Star . The company is aiming a total of 1,20,000 units to sell in the overseas market this financial year.

“Out of the total exports, A-Star alone will comprise one lakh units while the rest would be other models,” Maruti Suzuki India executive officer (marketing) Mayank Pareek told reporters in New Delhi

The auto maker also expects double-digit growth in April-October period this fiscal. “So far, our sales have been good and we will attain double-digit growth till October in this fiscal,” he added.

In July, the sales in the top cities have turned around despite the fear of weak monsoon, he said, adding that 44 per cent of its total sales has come from major cities.

“As of now, there is no impact of a weak monsoon on sales as we are selling not only to farmers but to other people also in the rural areas. But in the long term, it will definitely have an impact,” Pareek said.

The company currently has an inventory level of three weeks and is producing more to meet the upcoming festive demands. On the company’s diesel-engine plans, Pareek said it will expand the production capacity to 300,000 units per annum by 2010-11 from the existing 2,40,000 units.

The New Estilo

Maruti has dropped the Zen from the Estilo, powered it with its next-gen K-series petrol engine, introduced a new cable-type transmission and advanced gear-shifting technology, and redone the exterior for a sportier look.

The new Estilo complies with Bharat IV emission norms. The car’s revamp, excluding the engine, cost Rs 120 crore, according to Mr I. V. Rao, Managing Executive Officer, Engineering, Maruti Suzuki.

The car’s sale had averaged 3,000 unit a month last year.

The car would be considered for export to Indonesia, where its earlier version had done well. For now, however, the Estilo is not headed to Europe.
CNG cars

With Bharat Gas IV emission norms coming into effect in 13 cities, Maruti is working to upgrade its car portfolio.

Mr Pareek said that encouraged by the gas finds in the KG basin, Maruti is betting big on the popularity of CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles and its R&D team is working on CNG models.

Maruti is to also raising its diesel engine plant output to three lakh units by FY2011 from 2.4 lakh units now.

Mr Pareek also dismissed concerns that the deficient monsoons would affect sales in small towns. While a bad monsoon did affect the economy at large, till the impact on sales had not been significant, he said.

The rural consumer isn’t just the farmer but also the primary health worker, the teacher and the shopkeeper. “In July, we actually saw a turnaround in the top cities, despite the deficient monsoon,” he said. Top cities account for 44 per cent of Maruti’s car sales.

source : rediff.com & thehindubusinessline.com

* Kizashi concept series culminates with world introduction of all-new Suzuki sport sedan.
* Chic Kizashi production model to deliver Japanese quality and European flair.
* North American Car of the Year contender to serve as halo vehicle for maturing Suzuki lineup.
* Kizashi’s exhilarating performance and driving experience reflect Suzuki’s exuberant brand spirit, backed by the confidence of America’s #1 Warranty.

American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) takes a bold step forward today. Known primarily as a maker of small vehicles and high-performance motorcycles, today marks the global debut of the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi (pronounced “Kee-Zah-Shee”), the company’s first entry into the all-wheel-drive sport sedan segment. Benchmarked against some of the leading cars in the world, the all-new 2010 Kizashi becomes an instant car-of-the-year contender in its own right. With the launch of the Kizashi, Suzuki delivers a unique blend of dynamic performance attributes with premium design aesthetics and craftsmanship yet to be experienced in this category. Scheduled to arrive in North American showrooms this winter, the Kizashi will serve as the company’s flagship vehicle, further expanding and strengthening its current product line of high-quality small cars, trucks and SUVs.

“In developing and naming our newest automotive introduction, the Japanese word ‘Kizashi,’ which tells that something great is coming, seemed appropriate for the vehicle,” said Kevin Saito, president, American Suzuki. “Now that the production model Kizashi has arrived, we expect the name and the product itself to clearly demonstrate the bold statement this company knew it would be making with the debut of this vehicle — while also simultaneously suggesting what will emerge in the Suzuki lineup as we look ahead to the future.”

The Kizashi sport sedan, which originates from the Concept Kizashi series introduced over the last two years, follows a similar design theme and appreciation for performance previously illustrated by the three eye-catching and immaculately designed concept vehicles. The production Kizashi redefines the traditional performance sedan and moves the Suzuki brand upscale. Furthermore, its active and energetic identity, a core component of the Suzuki brand DNA, is tempered by the vehicle’s overall mission to provide a strong, refined urban performance.
Powertrain

Built at Suzuki’s brand-new manufacturing facility in Sagara, Japan, the 2010 Kizashi is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine offering a more potent standard engine than many competitive best-sellers. The engine employs both an aluminum block and cylinder heads, providing a lightweight installation; aluminum pistons with low tensile force rings deliver improved power and efficiency. Dropped-forged connecting rods, rotating on a forged steel crankshaft, contribute to the inline four’s durability, and a balancer shaft delivers improved engine balance and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

The responsive inline four is connected to a six-speed manual transmission, for heightened performance in the low gears, along with relaxed — and economical — cruising capability in the higher gears. Customers may opt for an available Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that delivers both the driving experience and fuel efficiency today’s consumers demand, while not compromising the character preferred by driving enthusiasts. That character is enhanced with paddle shifters, optimizing driver control regardless of speed or driving environment. With either transmission choice, the Kizashi is engineered to return competitive fuel economy numbers for fuel-conscious consumers.

Continue reading →