Suzuki plans to launch six new models – revising almost its entire car range – between now and 2017 to underpin a unique sales charge it began three years ago.
The company, which recently showed its Celerio city car and is in the throes of launching an all-new Suzuki Vitara SUV into the fast-expanding B-segment, has already lifted annual UK sales from 20,000 to 37,500 since 2012.
The company believes it can achieve two per cent of the market, or around 50,000 cars a year, when the new models reach customers.
"We'll launch two new cars a year for the next three years," says Dale Wyatt, Suzuki GB's head of sales and marketing, "and we'll concentrate on the big sales sectors. By 2017 we want to have two A-segment saloons, two B-segment saloons and two small SUVs in our range – all of them new models."
The plan, says Wyatt, is to have one "very rational" model and one more stylish, youth-image car in each of the three classes.
First of the six to hit showrooms will be the Celerio next February, billed as an 80mpg car with one model capable of delivering a class-leading 84g/km of CO2.
The new Vitara will be in showrooms from April, as a partner for the highly rational S-Cross. Next year's offerings will be a new B-segment hatchback to join the existing, successful Swift, plus another, cheekier A-segment offering, probably with 4x4 capability.
The Suzuki Swift itself, then six years old, is likely to be replaced in 2016, and Suzuki is also believed to be planning an extra-hot version – quicker and more powerful than the existing Swift Sport – for the following year.
A renewed Jimny baby 4x4 – which Suzuki has been making since 1970 – is also planned for 2017. The model is likely to ditch its old-school, driver-selected all-wheel drive system in favour of Vitara-style electronics, but it will keep the lightweight, straight sides and compact dimensions that have always been the basis of its success.
Read our full review on the Suzuki Vitara
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Darren Moss wrote:"We'll
Saloon sectors are NOT where the growth/size is, unless you have a premium badge on the bonnet. Don't really understand this comment at all! And whose segment lingo are we using, isn't the norm for A segment to be city cars and B the class above?
Model plans
suzuki
Take a look a the new Suzuki YRA hatchback bigger than the swift on motoroctane.com.
Suzuki taking over the world.