"We generally understand what we want from each other, through information exchange up to now," the CEO told reporters at the launch of the new Alto minicar in Tokyo. "Actual, detailed execution -- with our people going there and their people coming here - will be after January," he said.
Suzuki, together with Volkswagen, will build a small and cheap car in order to expand their sales in developing countries. According to the Indian newspaper Economic Times quoting a top Maruti Suzuki India official, VW and Suzuki’s small car will cost $4,300-$5,400. Suzuki said: "Suzuki Motor has authority over this, not (Indian subsidiary) Maruti."
Suzuki, which is the fourth largest automaker in Japan, has been building small 660cc vehicles for a long time, as these cars are only sold in their native country due to preferential taxes. What that means is that their experience with microcars should help develop a cheap and reliable car.
Suzuki’s first microcar was called Alto and was launched in 1979. The car cost 470,000 yen ($5,250) and was very appreciated, as from its launch 10 million units were sold.
"The Alto, for me, was the trigger for Suzuki to enter the auto-making industry," Suzuki said. "I think we will add another 10 million units at a faster pace."
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