Suzuki Kizashi to Hit Indian Markets by 2010-End

Official reports have confirmed that the Japanese automobiles manufacturer Suzuki is all set to launch its first ever luxury sports model, which has been specifically designed for the rugged Indian roads, the Suzuki Kizashi.

The company's official website describes the new offering as "One of the most exciting cars of 2010".

Although the official release date of the car has not been revealed by the company yet, word is that it will fall somewhere towards the end of 2010.

The Kizashi intends to give head-on competition to Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta and Skoda Octavia.

Expected to be priced at about 10-13 lakhs, the mid-sized sedan will see an Australian launch in the month of May, and it was already released for the American market in December of 2009.

The new vehicle has been equipped with a Euro IV 2.4 liter engine, six speed manual transmission and CVT.

Tata to Launch U.S. Nano

Tata Motors, the people's car of India, could, in just a matter of years, drive into the U.S. auto scene.

At the opening day of India's 10th Auto Expo in New Delhi on Tuesday, Tata Motors'chairman announced that the company will bring the small, affordable car to the U.S. in three years, albeit with modifications to make it more appealing to the U.S. market -- mainly the inclusion of larger engines, which would require additional crash tests.

"We recognize that there is a market for the Nano in developing countries," Ratan Tata said. "We also recognize there is a market for a low-priced car in the developed world." The Nano is currently priced at about $2,500, making it one of the cheapest cars in the world.

The introduction of the Nano to the U.S. could follow sales in Europe by the end of 2011, according to Reuters.

Alongside auto majors like Toyota, Honda and Suzuki, who showcased compact and "green" cars during the auto expo, Tata Motors unveiled four low-, mid- and high-end vehicles, according to the The Economic Times of India. Among them were a seven-seater multipurpose vehicle named Tata Aria, an 8-seater Tata Venture, the Magic IRIS and the Jaguar XJ sedan.

100 Years of Suzuki

Suzuki Motor Corporation has turned 100 this October. The car company is at present the world’s ninth largest car manufacturer.

The Japanese car giant began as Suzuki Loom Company in 1909 in Hamamatsu, Southern Japan. It was founded by Michio Suzuki who developed a unique loom capable of weaving patterned cloth from dyed yarn. His new innovation represented the start of an uncompromising focus on creating products that meet people’s needs and realize new lifestyle possibilities.

The car ventured in to the automobile sector in 1952 with the production motorcycles with the ‘Power Free’ using a 36cc two stroke engine. Three years after the motorcycles, Suzuki kicked off its car production with the Suzulight. It was compact car with a 360cc two-stroke engine and was one of the first cars to feature front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and rack and pinion steering.

Suzuki’s off-road vehicle heritage began in 1970 with the launch of the LJ series lightweight 4×4. The first marine outboard motor was introduced in 1965, then pre-fabricated houses in 1974, general-purpose engines in 1980 and its first All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) in 1982.

One of the essential elements to Suzuki’s growth has been its commitment to continuing research and technology, to meet its customers changing needs. What was once a small group of dedicated engineers, designing the world’s finest weaving machinery, has today grown into a worldwide company of almost 50,000 people, who create and distribute products in more than 190 nations.

As it enters its 100th year, Suzuki will continue its tradition of technological trailblazing and appealing to customers who demand unique design, value, reliability and superior engineering.

Through its 100-year history, Suzuki Motor Corporation has earned the distinction of manufacturing automobile and motorcycle products that offer excellent value for money as well as exceptional reliability.

Top 10 Car Makers of the World in 2009

We know you are a car lover. You dream of the speedy Ferraris, exotic Jaguars, and luxurious Maybachs. Have you ever thought about the car makers, in terms production and revenue? Here we bring you the list of the world's top ten car makers of 2009. The list is compiled by the Automotive News Data Center as per the global units' sales in the first half of 2009.

World's 10 Largest Car Manufacturers

Toyota
Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation is the world's largest car manufacturer. It has sold 3,564,105 units in the first half of 2009 compared to 4,815,442 units in the first half of 2008. Though Toyota reported an annual net loss of US$4.4 billion on May 8, 2009, it could still emerge as the world's largest car maker. The Japanese giant has been severely affected by the 2007-2009 financial crises. Toyota ventured into the automobile industry in 1934 with its first product Type A engine. It manufactured in its first passenger car the Toyota AA in 1936. Toyota Motor Corporation was established as an independent and separate company in 1937.

General Motors
General Motors was established in 1908 by William C. Durant. It is world's second-largest car maker. General Motors was world's number one car company for consecutive 77 years from 1931 to 2007. Because of the economic conditions, the beleaguered car giant went bankrupt on June 1, 2009. On 10th July 2009, the company emerged from" Chapter 11 bankruptcy" reorganization. In spite of all these, General Motors could sell 3,552,722 units compared to last year's 4,541,125 units.

Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Group is the world's third largest car maker. It sold 3,100.300 units this year compared to 3,265,200 units of previous years. The Volkswagen Group constitutes the car brands like Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd., Automobiles Bugatti SA, Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A., SEAT, Skoda Auto and heavy goods vehicle manufacturer Scania AB. Recently, Porsche has united with the Volkswagen Group. The German luxury car company was founded on May 28, 1937 under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler wanted a "people's car". Volkswagen literally means 'people's car' in German.

Hyundai-Kia
Hyundai-Kia has emerged as the world's fourth largest car manufacturer. This year Hyundai-Kia jumped up a rank above. The Korean car maker showed global sales for the first half of 2009 at 2,153,000 units. The Indian subsidiary of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the Hyundai Motors India, is the country's second largest car manufacturer. The Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967. It became the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group when Hyundai Motor Company purchased 51% of South Korea's second-largest car company, Kia Motors in 1998.

Ford
Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Presently, it is world's fifth largest car maker with 2,145,000 units of global sales. This year, Hyundai-Kia edged out the mighty Ford of the fourth position. In 2007, Ford fell from second to third-ranked car maker for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen
The French car company sold 1,586,900 units in 2009. Last year it showed a sale of 1,844,700 units. The company was formed in 1976 and sells under the Peugeot and Citroen brand names. PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe.

Honda
The Honda Motor Company secures the seventh place with sales units of 1,586,000 compared to last year's 2,022,00 units. Honda became Japan's second largest car maker in 2001 by superseding Nissan. Moreover, Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines. The company was founded by Soichiro Honda on 24th September 1948. Soichiro Honda dreamed to provide a personal mobility to everyone. The first production car from Honda was the S500 sports car.

Nissan
Nissan Motors was founded in 1932. It is among the top three Asian car companies. Nissan is in the eight position with 1,545,976 units. Last year it sold 2,013,611 units in the first half. Nissan faced severe financial difficulties in 1999 and entered an alliance with Renault S.A. of France. The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have featured among Ward's 10 Best Engines for 14 straight years, since the award's inception.

Suzuki
Suzuki Motor Corporation is the ninth largest car manufacturer in the world. The company began as Suzuki Loom Works in 1909 under Michio Suzuki. Suzuki started producing cars in 1955. Maruti Suzuki, the Indian arm of the Japanese car honcho is India's largest car manufacturer. The car company sold 1.152,000 units this year compared to 2008's 1,283,000 units.

Renault
Renault is the world's tenth largest car maker with 1.106.989 units this year. Last year, it sold 1.326,164 units. Renault S.A. is a French carmaker producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks since 1899. The company was formed by Louis Renault, his brothers Marcel and Fernand, and his friends Thomas Evert and Julian Wyer. Renault has joined hands with Nissan on March 27, 1999. The Nissan-Renault Alliance is world's fourth largest car maker if their individual units were taken together. Nissan-Renault Alliance sold 2,652,965 units this year.

Suzuki Saudia opens new service center

Suzuki Saudia, the sole distributor of Suzuki vehicles in Saudi Arabia, has recently opened a fully-equipped service center in Philistine Street, Jeddah, in line with its strategy to maximize customer satisfaction through after-sales services and in conjunction with the introduction into the Kingdom of the five-door Celerio sedan.

A presentation on the company’s vision and enhanced customer-care services was held at the center on Wednesday, in which company officials revealed that it will be the first of a series of Suzuki service centers that will be opened across Saudi Arabia, with similar centers coming up in Dammam, Riyadh, Madina and Makkah, in addition to branches in Jubail, Qassim, Tabuk, Taif, Jizan, Khamis Mushayt and Hofuf.

The service center, which has a team of highly experienced professional staff, offers top quality maintenance and after-sales services for the entire line of Suzuki vehicles.

“This service center is the first-of-its-kind among all Suzuki Saudia service centers, and we have invested in building a spacious and well-equipped center that will enable us to effectively implement our plans that revolve around optimizing customer satisfaction,” said Maher Al- Nabawy, deputy general manager, Suzuki Saudia, a part of the Bamarouf Group. “This center, with its well-trained staff, is equipped to handle around 40 cars at a time,” he added.

“We currently employ a total of 300 technicians at our Suzuki-dedicated service centers in Saudi Arabia, all trained at the company’s training center in accordance to the highest standards that have been stipulated by the parent company Suzuki,” he noted. “The underlying objective is to provide a comprehensive range of services that are distinguished by the skill and efficiency of the workforce, and that too at highly competitive prices to satisfy diverse consumer segments,” he stressed.

“We believe that our service network is unparalleled in terms of the geographical distribution, the range of spare parts stocked, and the professionalism and skill of our trained technicians and engineers.” Al Nabawi added that “we make it a point to constantly sharpen the skills and technical knowledge of our technicians to ensure that they are familiar with the latest technologies and are well-prepared to service new models as soon as they are launched in the market.”

In line with the launch of Celerio, Suzuki Saudia has recently hosted special technical training sessions for Suzuki’s Middle Eastern after-sales group recently.
The three-day training exposed participants from the Middle East mostly from Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Emirates and Yemen dealerships to theoretical and practical details on the three-cylinder Celerio that comes with either a 5-shift manual transmission or 4-shift automatic gear.

The Celerio is a full-option hatchback which includes a radio, CD and MP3 player; double airbags; an anti-lock breaking system; fog lamps; alloy wheels; remote control and power steering. Manufactured by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., it features a stylish design targeted toward younger drivers. The highly fuel-efficient Celerio is powered by a state-of-the-art and lightweight K10B engine. Aside from its intended youthful base, the vehicle is expected to attract buyers searching for high performance, attractive design, and fuel economy.

Masafumi Harano, group leader of Suzuki for Middle East and Africa Automobile Marketing Group, said the “eye-catching, stylish, fuel efficient and environmental-friendly city car” is built in conformity with the highest performance and safety standards.

Company officials said the Celerio targets the youths and expatriates alike with its retail tag price of SR26,000.

Suzuki plans shifting research, development to India

The country’s largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India, Tuesday said its Japanese parent Suzuki Motor Corp.

Suzuki wants to shift the bulk of its research and development work on cars with engine capacity of 1200cc or lower to India.“Now 60-70 percent of it is being developed in Japan. Suzuki wants to develop 90 percent in India,” company chairman R.C. Bhargava told a shareholder’s meeting here.

He, however, did not give any time frame.

The company also sees a greater focus on fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids, electric and multi-fuel cars, but has no plans to launch an ultra-cheap small car.

Tata Motors is scheduled to roll out the world’s cheapest car, Nano, for Rs.100,000 - or $2,500 - next month.

Maruti Suzuki said due to higher input costs, it sold 59,908 units in August compared to 65,968 units in the same month last year, a fall of 9.2 percent in sales - reflecting the single-largest decline in the past 30 months.

Toyota to launch hybrid sedan Prius in India

Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce its hybrid sedan Prius in India as an answer to soaring fuel prices and growing concerns over emissions, a top official at its Indian joint venture said.

"We are preparing to bring Prius into the Indian market though we have not set any timeline yet," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd vice-chairman Vikram Kirloskar told IANS in an interview.

"In the run-up, we have to develop skills to service it and make spare parts available across the country," he added.

The 2008 version of Prius has been adjudged the most fuel-efficient midsize carUS. Sold in over 40 countries across regions, the hybrid variant has also been rated as the third least carbon dioxide emitting vehicle in Britain. in the

Kirloskar described Prius as a "great car" but admitted it was "expensive upfront".

"In the long-run, it is economical, with higher mileage and lower maintenance cost. We are confident of its acceptability in the Indian market as it runs both on electricity and fuel."

Positioned between Toyota's Corolla and Camry in the luxury segment, Prius uses an all-electric compressor for cooling. Classified as a super ultra low emission vehicle, the eco-friendly car can be propelled by either petrol and electric power.

"We are aware that Honda is launching its hybrid variant in the Indian market soon despite high import tariff. We can also do it with due preparation. As I said earlier, we have to gear up to service such a premium car by training our personnel and stocking enough spare parts with the dealer network," Kirloskar said.

As the first commercially mass-produced gas-electric hybrid, one million Prius vehicles were sold by April worldwide, including 592,000 units in the US and 315,000 units in Japan.

In India, Toyota Kirloskar already markets Corolla and Camry in the premium segment, besides Innova in the multi-utility and Prado in the sports utility segments.

Corolla and Innova are manufactured at its Bidadi plant, about 40km from India's technology hub of Bangalore, while Camry and Prado are shipped from Toyota's production facilities in Japan in completely knocked down form and assembled here.

"Though we entered the Indian market over a decade ago, we chose to be in niche and premium segments. As a marketing strategy, we first introduced Qualis, which was a run-away success in the multi-utility segment," Kirloskar said.

"We launched Innova by discontinuing Qualis and yet maintained market leadership in the segment. In the second-hand or used car market, Toyota brands commands highest price even today because of their value and durability," he said.

Denying that Toyota "missed the bus" or lost market space to global rivals such as Honda, Hyundai, Suzuki, Ford and General Motors by not being present across segments in India, especially in the dominant compact segment, Kirloskar said there was enough room to grow in a developing country where the automobile industry was maturing.

In the passenger car segment, the combined installed capacity of Indian automobile sector is about two million as against Toyota's annual worldwide capacity of 10 million units.

"With the Indian economy poised to grow over eight-nine percent, we see immense potential to grow, thanks to increasing purchasing power, higher aspirations among the generation next, better road connectivity and migrant-driven urbanization," Kirloskar said.

Toyota Kirloskar is setting up a second plant with an upfront investment of Rs.14 billion ($329 million) at Bidadi to manufacture a range of models, including its long-awaited compact car to take on dominant players like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors.

With an installed capacity of 100,000 units per annum, the new modular multi-platform plant is set to commence production in 2010.

The small car will be different from Toyota's existing models in the same segment, as it is being designed exclusively for the Indian market, Kirloskar said.