1986 Suzuki Samurai Pick It Up Here In San Francisco on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen drops "GTi" lawsuit against Suzuki

Way back in 2004, Volkswagen took umbrage with Suzuki being granted permission to use the nameplate "SWIFT GTi" for a performance variant of its small-car offering (2012 equivalent seen here). Now, eight years and surely some very steep legal bills later, VW has finally dropped its claim against Suzuki.
The General Court of the European Union stated, back in March of this year, that Suzuki's GTi registration could not be confused with VW's "Golf GTI." Volkswagen had appealed that ruling, though has now reportedly called off the dogs. In fact, Germany's Die Welt reports that the appeal has been dead for several weeks now.
This news comes amongst continued arbitration acrimony between the two automakers, all revolving around VW's forced divestiture of nearly 20-percent stake it purchased in Suzuki some two years ago.

Suzuki could disappear from new car market quickly thanks to low inventory

Yesterday's announcement that American Suzuki has filed for bankruptcy is all but a death blow for the Japanese automaker's 246 US dealers, but if there's any good news coming out of the situation, it could be the fact that the whole process will likely be quick and painless rather than drawn out. WardsAuto is reporting that with the current inventory and average sales numbers so far this year, there figures to be about three months left for Suzuki's new-car business in the US given current sales rates.
In October, Suzuki sold 2,023 units - a five percent increase over last year - but with just 5,549 left in inventory, it shouldn't take too long to wind down operations. Sales for the brand peaked 2007 with more than 100,000 units sold, but this year, Suzuki is barely on pace to reach a quarter of that amount, with just 21,188 units sold so far in 2012. In addition to poor sales, WardsAuto also notes that Suzuki faced problems due to its reliance on customers with subprime credit.
Suzuki will continue to sell motorcycles, ATVs and marine engines in the US, while the brand's cars will still be on sale in other countries including Canada and Mexico.

Suzuki brings slew of car and bike concepts to Tokyo

As an automaker, Suzuki may be long gone from American shores, but it's still a force to be reckoned with in its home country of Japan. At this week's Tokyo Motor Show, the brand known as much for its two-wheeled fare as its four displayed a slew concept vehicles for both drivers and riders.
The first is the Crosshiker concept (above), which Suzuki says is a followup to the Regina concept that debuted two years ago at the Tokyo show. Based on the same platform but elevated to the stance of a crossover, the Crosshiker is motivated by a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine, keeping it eco-chic while appealing to adventurous types with its fun styling.
Next up is the X-Lander Concept (above, left) that Suzuki says was made for use in the city and "sometimes go out to play in the field." Based on the Japanese-market production Jimny, the X-Lander features four-wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain with a 1.3-liter engine.