Suzuki Tops 50m Milestone As Motorists Favour Small Vehicles

Press Release No: PRESS/AM13/08
Scheduled Release: 11 April 2013

Suzuki Tops 50 Million Milestone As Motorists Favour Small Vehicles

Suzuki has sold more than 50 million automobiles world-wide on the back of accelerating sales during the last decade.

The milestone was reached in March and revealed the international appeal of the brand with well over half the sales being made outside Japan.

In New Zealand Suzuki has made solid gains in recent years, ranking fifth in new car registrations in 2012 with a market share of 6.9 per cent.

Last month Suzuki was the fourth best new car brand in New Zealand with 7.3 per cent of an expanding new car market. Once again the popular Suzuki Swift was the country’s second bestselling new car and number one to private car buyers.

Suzuki is the second fastest growing mainstream car make in Britain, and its first quarter 2013 sales represented a 29 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

The brand said there was clear evidence in the UK of new customers migrating to its small, inexpensive to own and fun to drive cars. Both the Swift and Alto models were proving strong sellers in Britain and are the top two models in India.

Suzuki diversified from its motorcycle manufacture with the launching of its first automobile, the Suzulight mini vehicle, in October 1955. Today Suzuki is the second largest manufacturer of small cars and trucks in Japan.

Suzuki cars and light commercial vehicles were introduced to the New Zealand market in the early 1970s.

Of the 50 million world sales, 28.05 million were outside Japan, with 21.95 million in the company’s home market. India was the second largest single market with 23 per cent, followed by Europe (11 per cent), Asia (8 per cent) and China (6 per cent).

In 1959 the first exports of Suzuki cars were made, and the ten million milestone was reached in June 1989. The last ten million sales were achieved in less than four years, the fastest rate since the brand began selling cars.

Suzuki has actively promoted overseas production bases and currently has 12 automobile production plants in 11 countries. The marque is sold in 179 countries, with models like the Splash, SX4, Grand Vitara, Jimny and Carry van proving popular.

New Zealand’s line-up of nine Suzuki models extends from the thrifty $17,250 one litre Alto hatchback to the luxuriously equipped 2.4 litre four wheel drive Kizashi Sport sedan at $48,500.

ENDS

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