Suzuki to Introduce A-Segment World Concept in New Delhi

14 December 2007

The Concept A-Star.

Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) will unveil some of the design themes for its fifth world strategic model under development—the Concept A-Star—at the upcoming Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi. The company introduced its fourth world model—the Splash (earlier post)—at the 2007 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

The forthcoming production model is an A-segment five-door hatchback featuring a newly developed Euro 5-compliant 1.0-liter aluminium gasoline engine with CO₂ emissions lower than those of European competitors (target: lower than 109g/km).

The new 1.0-liter aluminium engine will be produced by Maruti Suzuki India, and a manual transmission for it will be manufactured by Suzuki Powertrain India, an SMC subsidiary that’s based beside Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar plant.

The production model that inherits some of the design themes of the Concept A-Star will be manufactured at Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar plant, to be marketed mainly in Europe and other countries including India. The start of production is scheduled in October 2008. “Substantial” production for Europe is targeted to start in December 2008, followed by expansion to other markets around the world.

Suzuki plans to invest ¥200 billion (US$1.8 billion) for plants in India from 2007 to 2009. (This investment includes capital expenditure for production of the new world strategic model.) It also plans to expand Maruti Suzuki India’s production capacity to 960,000 units per year by March 2010 in line with growing demand in India and a vision of exporting the new world strategic model from India to markets around the globe.