According to the Nikkei in Japan and the Financial Times in the UK (via TTAC, which kindly assembled all the info in one place), Suzuki looks ripe for a takeover. Though the automaker is a serious player in its home market of Japan and in the burgeoning Indian market, its 2.36 million cars per year isn’t enough to compete with larger competitors on a global scale.
As we’ve heard many times in the past, Volkswagen is thought to have a serious interest in acquiring Suzuki to gain access to its low-cost small car platforms and emerging market presence. Interestingly, though, Renault-Nissan is also rumored to be a possible suitor.
The Nikkei suggests that Suzuki is in dire need of hybrid and EV technology, something that either VW or Renault-Nissan could help provide. Currently, Suzuki borrows a good bit of technology from longtime partner General Motors, with its first hybrid scheduled for release in 2011.
[Source: TTAC]