Nissan and Suzuki mulling more partnerships
Apparently the partnership between Suzuki and Nissan is one that both sides like. So much so that they are already discussing additional future collaborations. We have already reported about the Suzuki-built, Nissan-badged Moco minicar, the Nissan-built, Suzuki-badged Jimny from Thailand, and then the sharing of another minicar for Europe in exchange for Suzuki getting a Nissan minivan to fill capacity at its Indian factory.According to this new Forbes item, Nissan Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp are now considering joint production to expand their ties in emerging markets. Russia and Brazil, in particular, were reported production sites.
Back in June the two firms decided to jointly build vehicles for the domestic market, while Suzuki would produce small vehicles in India for Nissan starting in 2008. The newest proposition has Nissan Co. producing Suzuki-badged vehicles at a new Nissan plant in St Petersburg, Russia. That plant won't start up until 2009, but with its annual capacity of 50,000 units, it could handle at least three midsize models.
Suzuki already sends SUVs from Japan and builds small cars at its plant in Hungary for export to Russia. They pulled out of the Brazilian market in 2003, however. Nissan, on the other hand, has been assembling vehicles in Brazil since 2001, including pickup trucks and SUVs.
[Source: Forbes]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tom 9:31AM (10/24/2006)
They are now discussing the idea of Nissan Co. producing Suzuki-brand vehicles at a new 200 mln usd Nissan plant in St Petersburg.
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Avinash Machado 9:37AM (10/24/2006)
So perhaps Suzuki will replace its Daewoo based cars Verona and Forenza with Nissan models instead.
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Glenn 10:10AM (10/24/2006)
Nissan-Renault are looking to expand, why not a 50% purchase of Suzuki, much as Hyundai purchased part of Kia, and how years ago, Toyota bought chunks of both Hino (which once made rear-engine cars in the 1960's but now concentrates on trucks) and Daihatsu?
While they are at it, why not roll Mitsubishi and Suzuki into one company, all the better to compete with Toyota?
Mitsubishi Bank own a portion of Suzuki now, as well as part of Mitsubishi Motors (a relationship rekindled after DCX abandoned Mitsubishi Motors out in the freezing rain without any clothes on about 2 years ago).
A Nissan-Renault group owning say 50% of Suzuki-Mitsubishi conglomerate would also own part of Samsung-Renault in South Korea, and a part of a part of GMDaewoo in South Korea. Suzuki has already sold off some portion of it's partial ownership of GMDaewoo, and could sell off the rest (to SAIC-China? another partner in GMDaewoo).
This would indeed mean either Nissan based or Mitsubishi based cars available to Suzuki. Suzuki could in fact take advantage of Samsung-Renault's South Korean plants and cars and sell some very nice looking Nissan tech cars in the USA. See for yourselves. The SM5 and SM7 would make very nice replacements for Suzuki's rather mundane GMDaewoo supplied cars (especially since the Verona has just been discontinued, leaving Suzuki out of the mid-sized market).
http://www.renaultsamsungm.com/
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Jake 10:18AM (10/24/2006)
The Nissan Moco? Doesn't that mean The Nissan "Booger" in spanish. Nice research Nissan.
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JD 10:27AM (10/24/2006)
I would like to see what the Suzuki truck is going to look like for the US market. I hope it isn't just a badge job. It needs to have a front clip change to give it Suzuki looks.
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JD 4:41PM (10/24/2006)
It is not sold in Spain.
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KurumaZ 10:33AM (10/24/2006)
BUILD THE SUZUKI SWIFT!!!
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Spaceweasel 11:01AM (10/24/2006)
Anybody know where can I pick up a new Nissan GSX-R 750?
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Stphane Dumas 11:55AM (10/24/2006)
"A Nissan-Renault group owning say 50% of Suzuki-Mitsubishi conglomerate would also own part of Samsung-Renault in South Korea, and a part of a part of GMDaewoo in South Korea. Suzuki has already sold off some portion of it's partial ownership of GMDaewoo, and could sell off the rest (to SAIC-China? another partner in GMDaewoo)."
Maybe Suzuki don't want to sell off the rest yet, it may be part of another strategy. If Carlos still wants to cut some costs again and/or to keep the current costs low as possible, he might be even tempted to use Daewoo pieces or components. Then "Captain Kirk" Kerkorian still plan his reveanche in a remote location.
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Mark 3:16PM (10/24/2006)
Don't forget that Nissan will also be building Frontier pick-ups to be rebadged and sold at Suzuki dealers in the US.
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