Suzuki Celebrates 100 years
Upbeat Suzuki celebrates centenary
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
While many motor manufacturers recorded severe sales losses during 2008, and continue to suffer the effects of reduced demand, SMC upped its sales of so-called non-mini vehicles in Japan for the ninth consecutive year in 2008.
The brand, previously considered a mini car specialist, has grown its offering of non-mini models such as the Swift and the SX4 significantly over the past few years, and continues to seek further inroads into this mainstream market with the likes of the Suzuki Alto, and an as yet unnamed D-segment sedan.
Suzuki also shone in Australia, after recording its sixth successive annual sales increase. Total Suzuki vehicle sales Down Under amounted to 22 523 units, representing a 4,4 percent improvement on 2007 levels.
In South Africa, Suzuki ended 2008 commanding a passenger car share of more than 2,0 percent, only seven months after entering the local market. Backed by a R140-million investment, Suzuki Auto SA has 20 dealers offering the full range of Suzuki passenger cars and SUVs.
A close focus on service and back-up quality, as well as a significant investment in parts supply infrastructure, has allowed Suzuki to keep its customers satisfied.
Meanwhile, Suzuki’s products have already received wide acclaim on local shores, with two models – the Swift and the SX4 – selected as 2009 Car of the Year finalists.
In addition, the overwhelmingly positive media coverage the brand has received since its arrival in SA has just been augmented by the coveted Car Magazine Motor Company of the Year Award.
In its annual Top 12 Awards issue, the authoritative local motoring monthly lauded Suzuki Auto SA for “shaking up the establishment by introducing quality products, high specification levels and impressive value for money”.
The citation singles out the Swift and SX4 as models that have made an impact in their respective market segment top seller lists, and acknowledges that Suzuki is serious about its SA presence. “It has managed to force the SA buying public to sit up and take notice.”
There is more positive news at a global level. According to Suzuki Auto SA managing director Kazuyuki Yamashita, parent company SMC is expecting to celebrate its centenary with substantial profits during 2009, despite the global financial crisis, and the deficits many auto makers are showing as a result.
“There is no doubt that Suzuki is well positioned to face up to the adversity currently being experienced by the motor industry worldwide,” says Yamashita. “Our compact, frugal and advanced products are the perfect alternative to the large and ostentatious offerings consumers no longer want, or can afford.”
He adds that the Suzuki brand will grow stronger against the current negative backdrop, both globally and in the South African context. “A crisis such as this occurs only once a century. Those who manage to overcome its challenges can expect a prosperous 100 years ahead,” he added.
For Suzuki, 2009 marks exactly 100 years since the company was founded by Michio Suzuki in 1909. Then known as the Suzuki Loom Company, and situated in the seaside village of Hamamatsu, it would grow to become a leading mobility solutions provider in the post-World War II years.
Today, Suzuki is a global automotive manufacturer with an annual global production that reached more than 2,6-million in 2008, and a declared strategy of expanding its presence into developing markets.
“We believe we are providing the right product for the times – high-quality, highly advanced compact cars and SUVs that deliver performance and longevity. And we hope to do so for a very long time to come,” Yamashita concludes.
