10 aspects of Suzuki that you (probably) did not know

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Karam el Shenawy
April 24, 2023

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Beneath a discreet guise, Suzuki is one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, with plants on several continents and more than 3 million cars built a year. This, and many other facts and data, are what we discover in this report.

In 2020, nothing less than a century of the birth of Suzuki was fulfilled, a firm that, in addition to cars, also has a very important weight in the world of motorcycles, whether for the street or for competition, a world in which he has excelled in almost all areas. In these more than 100 years, Suzuki works to provide high-value products that promote better living conditions and meet the needs of people. Suzuki applies this philosophy in the manufacture of all of its products throughout the world. Being aware of the needs of customers at all times, the Japanese firm has challenged creativity and applied the development of new technologies to manufacture its products adapted to its customers.

It may interest you: The 10 most important Suzuki models for its centenary

Now it is immersed in a profound electrical change with a range that offers 98% of its models electrified (whether with an ECO or ZERO label) and with our sights set on a zero emissions future, which will end up arriving but in a more calm and thoughtful way than the rest. Until then, we thought you might want to know 10 surprising things you probably didn’t know about Suzuki. Here we present them to you.

1. A century-old brand

We have already advanced this to you but we will explain it to you. Suzuki celebrated its one hundredth anniversary in 2020, since Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Works in 1909, the forerunner of the 1920 Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company. Named Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. since 1954, the brand launched its first car (the Suzulight) and its first motorcycle (the Colleda 125) in 1955. Three years earlier he had made his first foray into motorsports, launching the Power Free 36cc 2-stroke auxiliary engine for bicycles. The company name was changed to “Suzuki Motor Corporation” in 1990 to facilitate its business expansion and globalization.

2. More than 3 million cars per year

Suzuki is a cindustrial oil that produced more than three million cars (3,172,192 units) in 2022. Suzuki is in the top 15 of the sales ranking among automobile manufacturers.

3. A global manufacturer with production in Europe

10 photos In 2022 it sold more than 3 million units.

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inside the cars of the 3,172,192 total units produced, only 919,891 were made in Japan and 2,252,301 outside of Japan (1,916,040 in India and 336,261 in other countries). Suzuki builds the Vitara and S-Cross for Europe at its plant in Hungary, which produces more than 100,000 cars each year. This plant exceeded 3.5 million cars produced in 2020. Suzuki is also a protagonist in Indonesia, where it produces cars and motorcycles, and has recently reached the milestone of 3 million vehicles manufactured in that country.

4. Leader in India, the third world market

India has surpassed Japan as the third world car market in 2022 (4.25 million units)after China and the United States. Suzuki leads this market, with 1,613,625 units sold in 2022, representing 50% of total car sales in India. Suzuki has more than 3,500 points of sale in India, where it has already sold more than 25 million cars since the creation of the subsidiary Maruti Suzuki in 1982. Currently, 17 models are produced and sold in India, and Maruti Suzuki is reinforcing its range of SUV models and popularizing hybrid and CNG models, which already total 2.1 million units. Suzuki also produces motorcycles in India, reaching the milestone of five million units manufactured in that country in 2020.

5. A giant in R&D

10 photos +D centers are especially representative.

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Suzuki will invest 14.2 billion euros in R&D until 2030 in sustainable mobility (electrification, carbon neutrality and biofuels). To this figure must be added another 17,730 million euros to modernize plants and build new battery factories and renewable energy facilities.

6. Robots, flying cars, cargo drones…

Suzuki is signing collaboration agreements and participating in numerous startups to share technological developments and create new generations of vehicles. Suzuki Motor Corporation has invested in SkyDrive Inc, with the aim of implementing a new mobility based on “flying cars”. It has also signed an agreement with Applied Electric Vehicles Ltd for the development of a platform for autonomous electric vehicles; and with LOMB, for the joint development of autonomous delivery robots. In addition, it works together with PowerX Inc for the development of batteries and charging systems.

7. More than 50 years researching in new energies

Suzuki has been researching all propulsion technologies for more than half a century, since it created the Suzuki Carry Van Electric in 1970. Electric, hydrogen, fuel cell and hybrid cars have pioneered these technologies. and they are the best proof of the brand’s historic commitment to sustainable mobility. In 1979 he again demonstrated his pioneering spirit with the hydrogen-powered Suzuki LH2. In the search for new, more sustainable forms of mobility, the fuel cell Suzuki MR Wagon-FCV (2001-2004) and SX4 FCV (2008) were created. In 2022 it launched the Twin, the world’s first hybrid Kei Car. And in 2006 the brand was also ahead of its time with the Suzuki Baleno SHVS (2016), the first modern light hybrid (MHEV).

8. A long list of millionaire models

Suzuki has created many successful models, with a long commercial history and millions of units sold. the Suzuki Swift and Wagon R have exceeded five million unitsthe Vitara and the Jimny are on their way to 4 million and the Baleno has already exceeded a million, while the S-Cross has reached half a million in Europe alone.

9. Innovative and pioneering spirit

Suzuki has contributed to the automobile and motorcycle industry a good number of models ahead of their time and that have created new segments. This innovative spirit is reflected from the first car that created the brand, the Suzulight, the first mass-produced kei car, and Japan’s first front-wheel drive motorized car. With the Suzuki Jimny he created the first ultra-compact SUV in 1971; and in 1988 he launched the first modern SUV, the Suzuki Vitara. The S-Cross is another pioneer, as a compact crossover has never been created before. Within motorcycles, Suzuki’s most illustrious pioneers are the 1980 Katana (the first modern naked), the 1983 RG 250 Gamma (the first street bike built as an almost exact replica of a competition bike), the Suzuki GSX-R750 from 1985 (the first ‘hyper sport’) or the Burgman 400 from 1988 (the first maxiscooter in history).

10. A brilliant plan for the future

10 photos This is the electric future of Suzuki and is called, for now, eVX.

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Suzuki intends to achieve carbon neutrality in Japan and Europe in 2050, and in India by 2070. As part of the brand’s growth strategy for 2030, a plan of llaunch of electric cars in Japan, Europe and India between 2023 and 2030. Suzuki will not only offer battery EVs, but also carbon-neutral internal combustion engine vehicles that use CNG, biogas and ethanol-blended fuels. on motorcycles, the first battery electric model will arrive in 2024. Suzuki plans to launch 8 models by 2030 with a 25% battery electric ratio. For large displacement motorcycles intended for leisure, the adoption of carbon neutral fuels is considered.

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