18) SUZUKI CARS

by engr. AFAN BAHADUR KHAN




Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki Kabushiki-gaisha?) is a multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles, a full range of motorcycles, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines. Suzuki is the 12th largest automobile manufacturer in the world by production volume, employs over 45,000 people, has 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries.

"Suzuki" is pronounced in Japanese as "soo-zoo-kee" /suzuki/, with emphasis on a high "kee". It is almost always pronounced in English as "suh-ZOO-kee", with a stressed "zoo". This pronunciation is used by the English-speaking public and by the Suzuki company in marketing campaigns directed towards this demographic.



History



In 1909, Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Company in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built weaving looms for Japan's giant silk industry. In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. Suzuki filed as many as 120 patents and utility model rights. The company's first 30 years focused on the development and production of these exceptionally complex machines.

Despite the success of his looms, Suzuki realized his company had to diversify and he began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture. The project began in 1937, and within two years Suzuki had completed several compact prototype cars. These first Suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then-innovative, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. It featured a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox and generated 13 horsepower (9.7 kW) from a displacement of less than 800cc.

With the onset of World War II, production plans for Suzuki's new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a "non-essential commodity." At the conclusion of the war, Suzuki went back to producing looms. Loom production was given a boost when the U.S. government approved the shipping of cotton to Japan. Suzuki's fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. But the joy was short-lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951.



Faced with this colossal challenge, Suzuki's thoughts went back to motor vehicles. After the war, the Japanese had a great need for affordable, reliable personal transportation. A number of firms began offering "clip-on" gas-powered engines that could be attached to the typical bicycle. Suzuki's first two-wheel ingenuity came in the form of a motorized bicycle called, the "Power Free." Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the 1952 Power Free featured a 36 cc two-stroke engine. An unprecedented feature was the double-sprocket gear system, enabling the rider to either pedal with the engine assisting, pedal without engine assist, or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone. The system was so ingenious that the patent office of the new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering, and so was born Suzuki Motor Corporation.


Maruti Suzuki



Based in Gurgaon, India, Maruti Suzuki India Limited is Suzuki's largest and most valuable subsidiary with an annual production of 626,071 units in 2006.Suzuki has a 54.2% stake in the Indian auto giant and the rest is owned by the various Indian public and financial institutions. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. In 2005-2006, the company had a 54% market share of the passenger car market in India. Nearly 75,000 people are employed directly by Maruti and its partners.




Maruti Suzuki was born as a Government of India company, with Suzuki as a minor partner, to make a people’s car for middle class India. Over the years, the product range has widened, ownership has changed hands and the customer has evolved.

Maruti Suzuki offers 14 models, ranging from India's one-time best selling car, Maruti 800, for less than INR 200,000 (US$ 5000) to the premium sedan Maruti Suzuki SX4 and luxury SUV, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Maruti 800 was the first model launched by the company in 1983 followed by mini-van Maruti Omni in 1984. Both models were huge success in their respective categories because of the use of high-end technology and good fuel efficiency. Maruti Gypsy, launched in 1985, came into widespread use with the Indian Army and Indian Police Service becoming its primary customers. The short-lived Maruti 1000 too achieved moderate success until it was replaced by Maruti Esteem in 1994, to counter increasing competition in the medium-sedan category.

Maruti Zen, launched in 1993, was the company's second compact car model and also became extremely popular in India because of its high performance. The company went on to launch another compact car Maruti Wagon-R followed by Maruti Baleno in 1999. However, with increasing competition from Tata, Hyundai, Honda and Daewoo Motors, Maruti was not able to achieve the same success with Wagon-R and Baleno as it had with its earlier models.So it Replaced Maruti Suzuki Baleno with the Suzuki SX4 and is going to replace Wagon-R with Suzuki Splash.Currently SX4 is the largest selling car in its segment.

In 2000, Maruti Alto was launched. The launch of Tata Indica and Hyundai Santro had affected Maruti's sales but Alto helped secure the company's position as the auto leader in India. It is currently the largest selling car in India. The Maruti models include Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, launched in 2003, Maruti Versa, launched in 2004, Maruti Suzuki Swift, launched in 2005, Maruti Zen Estilo and Maruti Suzuki SX4, launched in 2007. The Alto, Swift and SX4 are leaders in their respective segments in the Indian Market.

On 14 February, Maruti Suzuki India, a Suzuki subsidiary in India, announced that it achieved one million total accumulated production volume of the Alto. The Alto has reached the million units mark in just seven years and five months since its launch on September 2000. The last half of the million has come in a record 25 months. The Alto has been India's largest volume-selling car, every month, for the past 37 consecutive months. Its popularity has continued to grow since its launch, with customers attracted to its combination of fuel efficiency, contemporary design and looks and features including Electronic Power Steering and air-conditioning. With this the Alto became the third car in the Maruti Suzuki stable to cross the million units mark. Previously, the Maruti 800 and the Omni had exceeded the million units mark. Besides its success in India, over 152,000 Altos made at Maruti Suzuki were delivered internationally, enjoying good outcomes in Algeria and Chile.

Maruti Exports Limited is the subsidiary of Maruti Udyog Limited with its major focus on exports and it does not operate in the domestic Indian market. The first commercial consignment of 480 cars were sent to Hungary. By sending a consignment of 571 cars to the same country, Maruti crossed the benchmark of 3,000,000 cars. Since its inception export was one of the aspects the government has been keen to encourage. Every political party expected Maruti to earn foreign exchange.

Angola, Benin, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Europe, Kenya, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador are some of the markets served by Maruti Exports.




American Suzuki Motor Corp. history



American Suzuki headquarters is located in Brea, California. Through an agreement with General Motors, Suzuki began selling a version of their Suzuki Cultus in United States as the Chevrolet Sprint in 1985. This model was initially sold as a 3-door hatchback and would be Chevrolet's smallest model.



2004 Suzuki XL-7



The Samurai was also introduced in 1985 for the 1986 model year and was the first car introduced to the United States by the newly created American Suzuki Corp. No other Japanese company sold more cars in the United States in its first year than Suzuki. The Samurai was available as a convertible or hardtop and the company slogan was Never a Dull Moment. The Samurai was successful until Consumer Reports alleged the Samurai of being susceptible to roll over in a 1988 test.

In 1989, American Suzuki introduced the Swift which was the 2nd generation Suzuki Cultus. The Swift was available as a GTi and GLX hatchback with a 4-door sedan following in 1990. A new small SUV called the Sidekick was also introduced in 1989. 1991 saw the introduction of the 4-door Suzuki Sidekick, the first 4-door mini-SUV in North America. The Swift and Sidekick were cousins to GM's Geo Metro and Geo Tracker and were mostly produced in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada by Suzuki and GM's joint venture, CAMI. The Swift GT/GTi and 4-door models were imported from Japan. Negative evaluations from Consumer Reports of the Suzuki Samurai led to some temporary setbacks at American Suzuki as annual sales in the following years dropped to below 20,000 units.

In 1995, American Suzuki introduced the Esteem and redesigned the Swift. The Swift GT was dropped and this version Swift was specific only to North America where it was built at CAMI. These models were the first Suzuki vehicles to be marketed in North America with dual front airbags. A stationwagon version of the Esteem was introduced in 1996. Worldwide Suzuki production reached more than 975,000 cars this year.

Also in 1996, American Suzuki released the 2-door SUV X-90 and a revised Sidekick Sport model with dual airbags, a 120hp 1.8-liter engine, 16" wheels and two-tone paint. The Sidekick was replaced by the Vitara and the Grand Vitara for 1999. The Grand Vitara would be Suzuki's first model with a V6-cylinder engine and available 4-wheel ABS brakes.

The Grand Vitara XL-7 was introduced in 2001 as a stretched version of the Grand Vitara. The Grand Vitara XL-7 had a larger 2.7 liter V6-cylinder engine and 3-row seating. This would be Suzuki's largest vehicle to date and the first compact SUV to offer 3-row seating.

The Swift was dropped from the model lineup in 2001 and the Esteem was replaced in 2002 by the new Aerio. The Aerio was offered as a 4-door sedan and 5-door crossover with 4-wheel-drive as an option.

In 2004, General Motors and Suzuki jointly purchased the bankrupt Daewoo Motors renaming the venture GMDAT. American Suzuki rebadged the compact Daewoo Nubira/Daewoo Lacetti as the Forenza and the mid-size Daewoo Magnus as the Verona. The Forenza gained stationwagon and hatchback body style in 2005, with the hatchback sold under the Reno name.

2006 was the first year American Suzuki sold more than 100,000 vehicles in the United States. Suzuki redesigned the Grand Vitara in 2006 as well as introduced the all-new Suzuki SX4 and Suzuki XL7 in 2007. The Suzuki SX4 is produced as a joint venture with Fiat S.p.A. and the Suzuki XL7 (notice the shortening of the name from Grand Vitara XL-7) is produced as a joint venture with GM at CAMI Automotive Inc. in Ingersoll.

Despite a difficult domestic US automarket, Suzuki has been keeping pace with its 2007 sales numbers including recording their best May ever in May 2008.



Pakistani Suzuki Motor Company Limited



Following the terms of the Joint Venture Agreement between Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan (SMC) and Pakistan Automobile Corporation (PACO), Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMCL) was incorporated as a public limited company in August 1983. [7]

The new company assumed the assets, including production facilities ,of Awami Autos Limited. PSMCL started commercial operations in January 1984 with the primary objective of passenger cars, pick ups, vans and 4x4 vehicles.

The groundbreaking ceremony of the company’s green field automobile plant at Bin Qasim was performed by the then prime Minister of Pakistan in early 1989.

On completion of first phase of this plant in early 1990, in-house assembly Suzuki engines started. The new plant was completed in 1992, and Suzuki production was transferred to new plant — and three box 1300 cc Margalla car was also added to its range of production.

In September 1992 the company was privatized and placed directly under the Japanese Management. At the time of privatization SMC increased its equity from 25% to 40% Subsequently, SMC progressively increased its equity to 73.09% by December 31,2001.

The Bin Qasim Plant further expanded its production capacity to 50,000 vehicles per year in July 1994 and 300,000 vehicles had been manufactured at this plant by December 2003.

Today Paksuzuki has one of the most modern automobile manufacturing plants in South Asia and currently exports its cars to countries like Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria & Maldives



Suzuki Aerio



The Suzuki Aerio (called the Liana (Life In A New Age) in Europe, South Asia and Australia) is a compact car that was built by Suzuki Motor Corporation. It was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the Suzuki Esteem/Baleno, with a tall 5-door hatchback (for maximum inner room efficiency) and a 4-door sedan body. It featured two different 16-valve gasoline straight-4 engines, with 1.5 L and 1.8 L, this one capable of 125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp) JIS.





Models in North America got a bigger and more powerful 2.0 L engine with 145 hp (108 kW). A 5-speed manual transmission was standard with a 4-speed automatic optional. All-wheel-drive was available, but only with the automatic. American Aerios came in two trim levels: the S and GS (2002-2004), S and LX (2005), and Base and Premium (2006-2007). Key changes over the years included an upgrade to a new 2.3-liter 155 hp (116 kW; 157 PS) engine in 2004, a major styling and interior refresh in 2005 (replacing the strange digital instruments with conventional analog ones), and the standardization of antilock brakes in 2006. Only the Aerio sedan remained for 2007, as the hatchback had been shelved to make room for the new 2007 SX4 hatchback. Likewise, the Aerio sedan bowed out at year's end, making way for the 2008 SX4 Sport sedan. Throughout its run, the Aerio was distinct for being the most affordable car in America to offer all-wheel-drive.

In Europe, where the car is called Liana (an acronym for "Life In A New Age"), it's seen as a more affordable alternative to small family cars or to mini MPVs, introducing a new generation of Suzuki M engines, with 1.3 L and 1.6 L I4 engine. All wheel drive is available on the bigger engine. In 2004 the car was restyled with a look that closer resembled the Japanese version, and also received a Diesel engine, with a 16-valve version of the 1.4 L HDi engine supplied by PSA Peugeot Citroën, capable of 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) thanks to common rail direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger.

The Liana is best known[citation needed] for its appearances in the BBC's Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment, as the sedan model was used from its first show until the model's replacement by a Chevrolet Lacetti in the show's spring 2006 season.


Suzuki Alto




The Suzuki Alto is a very small car (kei car) designed by Suzuki. Its selling points include low price and good fuel economy. The model was introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide.



Suzuki Alto Lapin





The Suzuki Alto Lapin is a retro-styled Kei car with a 5-door hatchback body, manufactured since 2002 by Suzuki for the Japanese market only, and also marketed in Japan by Mazda as Mazda Spiano under an OEM agreement. It is based on Suzuki's popular Alto kei car.

The Lapin has a very distinctive, boxy shape, that apparently proved popular with female buyers. The name "Lapin" stems from the French word for "rabbit", and the car sports rabbit-head badges. The Mazda version has differs concerning some styling details, including a different front end.

The car is powered by the Suzuki's K6A kei car engine, in either naturally-aspirated (40 kW / 54 hp) or turbocharged (44 kW / 60 hp) versions, available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The default transmission is a 4-speed automatic with column shift, with a 5-speed manual available in turbo versions.



Suzuki APV




Suzuki APV (All Purpose Vehicle) is Suzuki's budget MPV designed in Japan and assembled in Indonesia by PT. Indomobil Suzuki International (a subsidiary of Suzuki).

At November 2007, Suzuki released the improved APV named APV Arena (APV Type II in some countries). It offers more luxurious features with the SGX type as the flagships (captain seat version). Not just doing some facelift in exterior but also the interior is changed as well an improvement in engine performance.

They are exported to countries like Australia, Algeria, Aruba, Chile, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Pakistan.



Suzuki Cappuccino




The Suzuki Cappuccino is a small 2-door, 2-seater hard top roadster produced by Suzuki Motor Corporation. The vehicle was designed to meet Kei car specifications for lower tax and insurance in Japan. Weighing just 700 kg (1543 lb), the Cappuccino is powered by a three-cylinder, all-alloy 657 cc DOHC engine (just under the 660 cc maximum displacement allowed for a Kei car). Its dimensions also conformed to Kei car regulations on length and width, being 3295 mm (129.7 in) long and 1395 mm (54.9 in) wide.

Front-rear weight distribution is claimed to be 50/50% when both seats are occupied. Layout is front mid-engined and rear-wheel drive.

Three removable roof panels mean that the car can be used as a closed coupé; T-top; targa; or, on retraction of the rear window and roll bar, a full convertible. Roof panels stow in the trunk, and the rear window/rollcage assembly retracts into the body behind the seats.

It was originally equipped with the F6A engine: later models were fitted with a K6A engine which was lighter and had chain-driven, rather than belt-driven, camshafts and more torque. Both are DOHC 12-valve, inline 3-cylinder engines that were turbocharged and intercooled. Power output was a claimed 63 hp (47 kW) for Kei car purposes.



Suzuki Carry




The Suzuki Carry is a kei truck produced by the Japanese automaker Suzuki. The microvan version is sold as Suzuki Every. In Japan, the Carry and Every are Kei cars but Suzuki Every Landy, the bigger version of Every had a longer hood for safety purposes and a larger 1.3-liter 82 hp (61 kW) 4-cylinder engine. They are given different names and sold in several countries.

The Carry was constructed with a ladder frame architecture. The van version was a five-door, with dual sliding rear side doors; available as rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

Early models (1960-1970s) had a 360 or 450(export model) cc 2-cylinder, 2-stroke engine mounted horizontally underneath the load area. The starter and generator were combined and mounted directly on the front of the crankshaft. Later models had an 550, 660 and 800(export model) cc 3-cylinder, 4-stroke engines unconventionally mounted beneath the cab.

In 1976 the ST20K was released.The "K" referred to the "trucklike" nature of the vehicle in that it had 3 drop sides as opposed to the utility version which had only a tailgate and formed sides.It had a 3 cylinder 539 cc water cooled 2 stroke engine and a carrying capacity of 350 kg (772 lb).

Interestingly, early Suzuki Carry's are popularly called "Half Loafs" in South Africa, reffering to "half a loaf of bread" (still a staple of many South Africans). In Cape Town and Durban, many of these little vans are seen painted in bright yellow with green artwork....and a chopped of open rear end! These are part of large fleets of privately owned public transport vehicles which fit between normal taxis and city buses. You'd litterally hop in at the back, pass the driver (always within arm's length!) a Rand or two, and simply jump of at you required destination. Unsurprisingly, these vehicles are known as "Half Loaf Taxis".




Suzuki Cervo




The Suzuki SC100 was a car manufactured by Suzuki and launched in 1979[citation needed] in the UK and Holland. It was the first passenger car sold in the UK by the newly set up Heron Suzuki four wheel division[citation needed]. Clever marketing and advertising led to the car being given the name "Whizzkid". It was not, however, the first four-wheeled vehicle sold by the new network of four-wheel dealers. They were already selling LJ80 4x4 off road vehicles and ST80 vans and pick-ups. Only one trim level of the SC100 was ever sold (GX). Price when new in 1979 was £2,400. An enthusiastic owner was the long time CAR magazine columnist the late LJK Setright.

From its launch demand outstripped supply due to the car’s sporty looks, design, and value for money. However, in 1982 the Cervo in Japan was discontinued in favor of the new front engined front wheel drive Cervo (sold in the UK as the Alto). So in 1982, after just 4696 cars had been imported and sold in the United Kingdom, the SC100 ceased production. There was only one spec change during this period, which was to slightly modify the dashboard and column switches in January 1980. Early cars are now extremely rare.

Suzuki was the first company to offer a Kei car in 1955. One interesting departure from other Kei cars was the Cervo of 1972. It was a 2+2 coupé based on the rear-engine Suzuki Fronte, measuring just 126 in (320 cm) long. It used a 539 cc two-stroke engine developing 28 hp (21 kW) and had a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h).

For export, Suzuki transformed the Cervo into the SC100 GX, which was known in England by its nickname, Whizzkid. The 2-cylinder engine was replaced by a rear-mounted 970 cc 4-cylinder Suzuki Alto engine developing 47 hp (35 kW).

It sold for a bargain price, too, and at this level no European maker had ever offered the SC100's lavish list of equipment: tachometer, reclining front seats, cigar lighter, front disc brakes and all-round independent suspension. Suzuki's British importers sold all the cars they could from 1979 to 1982, and now it has minor classic status.



Suzuki Cultus




The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini first presented at the 25th Tokyo Motor Show, formally introduced to the Japanese domestic market in 1983 and ultimately manufactured in seven countries across three generations and marketed worldwide under more than a dozen nameplates — prominently as the Suzuki Swift, in Canada as the Pontiac Firefly, and the Chevrolet sub-model Geo Metro.

Offered across its lifespan in four body-style variations with engines from the Suzuki G engine family, the Cultus remains in production both in China and Pakistan.

The name Cultus derives from the Latin cultus, meaning "care" or "adoration."




Suzuki Escudo




The Suzuki Escudo (known as Sidekick in North America, and Vitara in Europe, the Philippines and Australia, as well as North America after 1999) was a small off-road vehicle produced from 1989-2004. The North American version was produced as a joint venture between Suzuki and General Motors known as CAMI. The vehicle was a follow-up to the popular SJ413 and Samurai. Also, this vehicle, while sold in North America, was designed to slot above the Samurai. A larger version is also made, known as the Suzuki Grand Escudo (known as Grand Vitara XL-7 in other markets).



Suzuki Equator




The Suzuki Equator is a mid-size pickup truck based on the Nissan Frontier and assembled by Nissan. The Suzuki Equator is first sold in the US for the 2009 model year with MSRP prices starting at $17,220, and was first shown at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.

The Equator is offered in Extended Cab and Crew Cab styles, the former offering space for four and the latter for five passengers.

Power on base Extended Cab models comes from a 4-cylinder engine. A V6 is optional on Extended Cab models and standard with the Crew Cab. Both engines are supplied by Nissan.

The base 2.5 L Inline-4 produces 152 hp @ 5,200 rpm and 171 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm, and sends its power to the rear wheels only. Except for base trim, which gets a five-speed manual transmission, the 4-cylinder is mated to a five-speed automatic.

The 4.0 L V6 engine develops 261 hp @ 5,600 rpm and 281 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm. It comes standard with a five-speed automatic and is available with all-wheel-drive.

The Equator recently triumphed over the new Dodge Ram 1500, 2009 Ford F150, Hummer H3 Alpha and H3T Adventure, Kia Borrego EX V8, and Toyota Sequoia Platinum in Peterson's 4Wheel & Off-Road's 2009 4x4 of the Year.



Suzuki Esteem




The Suzuki Esteem is an export nameplate for the Suzuki Cultus Crescent -- also marketed in Europe and many Asian countries as the Suzuki Baleno — manufactured by Suzuki Motor Corporation. In India, it was manufactured by Maruti Suzuki and sold as the Maruti Baleno.

The Esteem was introduced in the global market in 1995 as Suzuki's first attempt in the compact segment, at the time dominated by European cars such as the Volkswagen Bora/Jetta and Opel Astra, and Japanese models such as the Nissan Sunny/Sentra and Toyota Corolla. As a North American replacement for the Suzuki Swift sedan (the 3-door hatchback remained after it was redesigned in 1995), it was built on a slightly stretched Suzuki Cultus platform for improved cabin room, but otherwise sharing most of internal components with the smaller model — and marketed as a distinct model.

The Esteem/Baleno was initially available as a 3-door hatchback and 4-door sedan, with 1.3 L (hatch only) and 1.6 L engines, with power ranging between 85 PS (63 kW) and 99 PS (73 kW/97 hp). In 1996, the lineup was extended with the Esteem Wagon (Baleno Break in most European markets and Baleno Altura in India), Suzuki's first station wagon, also with the same 1.6 L, which also received optional 4WD in the two larger body variants.

Suzuki restyled the Esteem/Baleno in 1999. The car was given a new frontend, with a rounder grille and new headlights, and the engine lineup was expanded. Mazda supplied the 1.8 L BP engine, that was fitted to the sedan and wagon. In North America, the Esteem 1.8 Station Wagon completely replaced the Esteem 1.6, but in most markets the 1.8 sedan became the sports model. In some European markets, the 1.8 L I4 was installed in the hatchback and sold as the limited edition Baleno GTi. Europe also gained a Diesel version, with a 75 PS (55 kW) XUD engine supplied by Peugeot.

The Esteem/Baleno was replaced in most markets by the new Aerio/Liana. It was pulled from the market in Europe and North American in 2002, after one year of overlapping. The car remained available in many developing countries, including India and Southeast Asia, where it was sold until 2007, when production stopped at the Maruti factory, with the assembly line giving way to the SX4 Sedan.



Suzuki Fronte




The Suzuki Fronte 360 2-door sedan was introduced in March 1967. The wheelbase was 196 centimetres (77.2 in), the suspension independent with coil springs and the engine a 356 cc 3-cylinder air-cooled 2-cycle, placed transversely. Its overall shape had a roundish profile, nicknamed 'Daruma', a Japanese roly-poly doll, and this is the smallest (and only Kei car) car which used the cola-bottle shape, that became popular in the United States for the 1965 model year. In November, 1968 came the Suzuki Fronte SS 360 with 36 hp (27 kW), with the Suzuki Fronte SSS to follow in April, 1970. In the export there was also a Suzuki Fronte 500 with the engine enlarged to 475 cc since January, 1969.

1969 saw as a successor to the Suzulight Van arrived the Suzuki Fronte Van 2-door wagon with a conventional drivetrain lay-out (engine in front, rear wheel drive), with a rear rigid axle with leaf springs and a wheelbase of 199.5 centimetres (78.5 in). The engine was the air-cooled 3-cylinder 2-cycle 356 cc. By July, 1969 a less commercial version arrived as Suzuki Fronte Estate possibly to give the car buyer a model with more luggage room without having to buy a commercial version. In June, 1970 this model was succeeded by the Suzuki Fronte Custom with the same wagon body style but without a rear hatch, there was a trunk lid only, possibly to please the customer (who found too few luggage room in the rear-engined Fronte) in disguising the fact that actually a wagon (not popular in those days) was involved. This might be the only wagon ever without a bottom to top back opening; this model was deleted in 1971 (after the addition of a more luxury version, called the Fronte Hi-Custom). By the 1973 model year the engine in the Suzuki Fronte Van became a 2-cylinder 2-cycle water-cooled 359 cc.

In 1970, the second generation Suzuki Fronte 71 2-door sedan with a wheelbase of 201 cm was introduced. The suspension remained the same and there was also a water-cooled version of the engine. Again there were SS, SSS and SSSR versions with the 36 hp (27 kW) engine. By November 1971, the cars were called Suzuki Fronte 72. In September 1971, the Giugiaro-designed Suzuki Fronte Coupe 2-door was introduced. This car would be deleted in 1976 and was resurrected in revised form in October 1977 (also known as Suzuki Cervo). As an export, there was the Suzuki Fronte 500 with 475 cc engine, also known as Suzuki LC50. The coupe was named Suzuki LC10 in some export markets.

In April 1973, a successor to the Suzuki Fronte Van was introduced. The Fronte name would disappear from the vehicle by February 1975. Export vehicles were known as Suzuki LS30 and by 1976 Suzuki LS20 had a rear side window panels. In July, 1976 the length was extended to 319 centimetres (125.6 in) and the wheelbase to 210 centimetres (82.7 in) with the front end after the axle being enlarged by using the grown 539 cc engine with an extra third cylinder. This vehicle was named Suzuki Fronte Hatch 55 and would be succeeded in 1979 by the Suzuki Alto.

In 1979 the fronte was replaced by the Alto.



Suzuki Swift




The Suzuki Swift is nameplate marketed by Suzuki carried by vehicles of three distinct derivations:

Generations I, II, III:

a supermini that began as an export nameplate of the Japanese domestic market Suzuki Cultus. See: Suzuki Cultus


Generation IV:

the current JDM, Europe, Asia and Oceania generation, a significant departure from the previous models, marketed solely under the nameplate "Swift". (this article)
Japanese Swift SE-Z: the enlarged and restyled version of the Suzuki Ignis was sold in Japan as "Swift SE-Z" from 2004 to 2006. See: Suzuki Ignis
Canadian Swift+: the current Canada-only generation marketed under the Swift+ nameplate — a sibling of the Daewoo Kalos family. See: Daewoo Kalos