Suzuki 2009 Annual Report Download - page 8

SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION 7
In 2008, Suzuki completed a full season of
participation in the World Rally Championship
(WRC) with the SX4 WRC car. In Rally Japan,
Suzuki highlighted the SX4’s great potential by
setting the fastest stage time despite being a
newcomer. Suzuki is not competing in the WRC
in the 2009 season, but its WRC experience and
its ongoing participation in the Junior World Rally
Championship (JWRC) with the Swift Super 1600
continue to enhance its active, sporty brand
identity and help it to make even better products.
In line with a goal of offering products that make
daily life more exciting, Suzuki uses its “Way of
Life!” slogan to communicate its overseas brand
philosophy. In fiscal 2009 and beyond, Suzuki
will continue to put its best efforts into meeting
contemporary needs with products that reflect
the “Way of Life!” message.
Iwata Plant
Sport utility vehicle and commercial vehicle assembling plant
Kosai Plant
Passenger car assembling plant
Year in Review
Overseas Markets
Owing to the economic slowdown and market con-
traction caused by the global financial crisis,
Suzuki’s overseas automobile sales volume in fis-
cal 2008 fell year-on-year to 1,641 thousand units
(95% of the previous year’s figure). Overseas pro-
duction volume fell to 1,355 thousand units (96%
of the previous year’s figure) despite an increase
in Europe to 260 thousand units (103% of the pre-
vious year’s figure).
In the United States, the credit crunch and general
economic weakness dragged sales volume down
to 73 thousand units (73% y-o-y). In Europe, the
recession pulled sales volume down to 301 thou-
sand units (88% y-o-y). However, sales volume
was up in Central and South America (113% y-o-
y), Southeast Asia (102% y-o-y), the Middle East
(119% y-o-y), and Africa (126% y-o-y). Indian sub-
sidiary Maruti Suzuki India’s production volume
was approximately flat on the year at 774 thousand
units, and its sales volume in India rose to 722
thousand units (101% y-o-y). Maruti Suzuki India’s
sales amount was the highest in its quarter-century
history. As a production base, the company has an
increasingly important position in Suzuki’s world
strategy.
Reflecting Suzuki’s goal of further developing its
markets, the company established a distributor in
Brazil—the only BRICs nation in which it did not
previously have one. The Brazilian distributor
began selling automobiles in October 2008.
The Swift, which Suzuki launched in September
2004 as its first world strategic model and has
become its best-known offering, is in production
in countries including Japan, Hungary, India, and
China. Cumulative worldwide production of the
Swift reached one million units in May 2008. Also,
Suzuki’s fourth world strategic model, the Splash,
which was developed with a focus on user-
friendliness, low CO2 emissions, and low fuel
consumption and is produced in Hungary,
became the first Suzuki model to be imported
and sold by Suzuki in Japan. In October 2008,
Suzuki launched its fifth world strategic model,
the Alto, which reflects a top priority on eco-
friendliness. A combination of environmental
performance and economy makes the Alto an
outstanding response to today’s needs and has
earned it high praise from customers.