1988 Red Suzuki Samari 4x4 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Suzuki Jimny images leaked — first new generation in 20 years

The new-generation Suzuki Jimny is ready for a reveal. Photos of a production version shown at a preview event leaked online via Instagram, and they show a front shot and a front three-quarter shot of the completely redesigned small SUV. The lines and side sheetmetal pressings of the no-nonsense, go-anywhere Jimny are a clear nod to classic '70s and '80s models. The Australian website CarAdvice notes that the lime green Jimny seen here is clearly a home market version without any wheel arch extensions, as the vehicle needs to be as narrow as possible to comply with Japanese width regulations — it is alsos likely that the Jimny here is powered with a 660cc engine from the tiny kei car class. Outside of Japan, the hips might be wider, and a recent spy shot depicting finished vehicles at the factory shows slightly wider wheel arches. Every millimeter counts, it seems — just when you want to avoid scraping a rock on an off-road trail. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Export market Jimnys should have a one-liter turbo or a naturally aspirated 1.2-liter unit. Inside, the Jimny will feature a hard-wearing interior with a chunky dashboard, a render of which was also leaked online a short while ago. Everything about that dash appears to be designed with functionality as the top requirement, with just a large central touchscreen serving as a reminder that we're getting closer to 2020, not 1980. The 2019 model year Jimny is expected to hit Suzuki-selling markets by late 2018. Jimny updates are few and far between, as the current generation was first introduced a solid 20 years ago. Related Video: Image Credit: Suzukinfluencer/Instagram Spy Photos Suzuki SUV suzuki jimny

Regulators consider adding more carmakers to Takata recall

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal has been getting a lot of press recently, but the Takata airbag inflator affair could be grabbing headlines again soon. According to Bloomberg, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is contemplating an expansion to the campaign that could add seven automakers to the 12 already affected. They are Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Spartan Motors, Suzuki, Tesla, Volvo Trucks, and VW Group. To be clear, there's no recall for any of these automakers, yet. The government is simply asking for a full list of vehicles that each of them have with Takata-supplied inflators containing ammonium nitrate propellant. The agency is concerned this substance could play a roll in the ruptures. "NHTSA is considering not only whether to issue an administrative order that would coordinate the remedy programs associated with the current Takata recalls, but also whether such an order should include expansion of the current recalls," the letters say. All seven can be viewed, here. From a report supplied by Takata, the government already knows that the company supplied 887,055 inflators with ammonium-nitrate propellant to VW and 184,926 of them to Tesla. In an incident during the summer, a side airbag allegedly burst in a 2015 VW Tiguan. In early September, NHTSA put out a revised report that there were 23.4 million inflators to be replaced in 19.2 million vehicles in the US. An earlier accounting from the agency had about 34 million of the parts in 30 million cars. High humidity is still believed to be among the biggest risk factors for the ruptures. Although, if ammonium nitrate also gets the blame, some already recalled models might need to be repaired again. Related Video:

Toyota, Suzuki partner on hybrids, EVs, building cars for each other

NAGOYA, Japan — Toyota and Suzuki on Wednesday said they planned to produce electric vehicles and compact cars for each other to better compete with fast-changing technologies in the global auto industry. The agreement follows an initial R&D tie-up announced by Japan's No. 1 and No. 4 automakers in 2017, and will see more vehicles produced by Suzuki for Toyota, one of the world's biggest carmakers. Although Suzuki is far smaller, it is a dominant force in the fast-growing Indian market. The two automakers have been pooling their strengths. Toyota is a leader in hybrid technology and is investing heavily in automated driving, while Suzuki specializes in affordable compact cars — as many automakers struggle to keep pace with ballooning investment in EVs and self-driving cars. Under the latest agreement, Suzuki will source gasoline hybrid systems for cars it sells worldwide from Toyota, which pioneered hybrid vehicles with the Prius more than 20 years ago, the companies said in a joint statement. In return, Suzuki will produce two compact models for Toyota in India based on its Ciaz and Ertiga models. Further cooperation with Suzuki will help Toyota expand its presence in India, the world's fifth-largest passenger car market where it has struggled to grow sales due to lean demand for its lower-cost models. The deepening partnership between the two automakers will enable cost-conscious Suzuki to tap into Toyota's R&D firepower to develop lower-emission vehicles and self-driving cars — areas which Suzuki has admitted it is struggling to keep up. "We believe that the expansion of our business partnership with Suzuki ... will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation," Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. The two automakers will deepen their cooperation in India, where Suzuki's hybrid vehicles will be made using engines and batteries locally produced by Toyota. They will also join forces in Europe, where Toyota will produce electric vehicles based on its RAV4 SUV crossover and Corolla wagon for Suzuki, while Suzuki will supply Toyota with gasoline engines for compact vehicle models sold in the region. Suzuki will also produce its Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ciaz, and Ertiga models for Toyota which will be rebranded and renamed as Toyota models for the African market.