Suzuki Samurai "showroom Quality" on 2040-cars

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Suzuki and Daihatsu join Toyota electric vehicle venture

TOKYO — Suzuki Motor Corp and Daihatsu are joining a commercial electric vehicle coalition led by Toyota Motor Corp, the carmakers announced on Wednesday, helping the Japanese alliance expand its focus from trucks to smaller cars. The two automakers will each acquire a 10% stake in the joint venture, on par with Isuzu Motors and Hino Motors, while Toyota will hold a 60% stake, they said. "With Suzuki and Daihatsu joining the project and working together, we'll be able to expand our circle of cooperation to not only cover commercial vehicles but also mini vehicles," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda. "With this expansion, I believe that we'll be able to take one step closer to a better mobility society," Toyoda said. The move comes as Japanese automakers face growing competition from tech giants and other rivals making electric and driverless cars. Toyota, Isuzu and Hino launched the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation in April to bolster their competitive edge in connected, commercial vehicles. Daihatsu's president Soichiro Okudaira said joining the pact and introducing connected, mini-commercial vehicles would allow data sharing, a major benefit for companies to provide better services to customers and improve logistics efficiency. (Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu; Writing by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by Louise Heavens) Related Video: Green Suzuki Toyota Daihatsu Electric Akio Toyoda

Suzuki Swift gets a motorcycle-inspired wide body for Tokyo Auto Salon

Tokyo Auto Salon is just around the corner, and companies such as Daihatsu and Mitsubishi have announced a slew of impressive custom cars. Suzuki has also announced its custom lineup, which is a bit humble this year at just three. They range from the wild Suzuki Swift Sport Katana to the mild Hustler Street Base. The Swift is the most impressive of Suzuki's show cars. Its name, and supposedly its looks, are based on the Katana sports bike. We're not sure they have that much in common beyond the silver and red paint job, but that's all right because this Swift still looks excellent. It features aggressive fender flares and a reworked front fascia. Bigger, wider wheels fit underneath those flares, and it has side-exit exhaust to cap off the extreme design. Next up is the Suzuki Jimny Sierra Marine Edition. Suzuki started with the wider Jimny Sierra model and fitted it with equipment for a day in and around the water. It has storage for fishing rods on either side and an interior covered in wetsuit material. The roof has been raised for extra interior space. The exterior also gets a garnish of visual upgrades such as custom wheels, chrome trim, paint scheme, auxiliary lights and tow rings. The third and final custom vehicle is the Hustler Street Base. It's fairly basic with a matte gray paint scheme, a few decals, and an upgraded audio system inside with some flashy lighting. Apparently it's designed for hip young people who live in the city and might be interested in extreme sports and an active lifestyle. Related Video:    

Japan could consolidate to three automakers by 2020

Sergio Marchionne might see his dream of big mergers in the auto industry become a reality, and an analyst thinks Japan is a likely place for consolidation to happen. Takaki Nakanishi from Jefferies Group LLC tells Bloomberg the country's car market could combine to just three or fewer major players by 2020, from seven today. "To have one or two carmakers in a country is not only natural, but also helpful to their competitiveness," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "Japan has just too many and the resources have been too spread out. It's a natural trend to consolidate and reduce some of the wasted resources." Nakanishi's argument echoes Marchionne's reasons to push for a merger between FCA and General Motors. Automakers spend billions on research and development, but their competitors also invest money to create the same solutions. Consolidating could conceivably put that R&D money into new avenues. "In today's global marketplace, it is increasingly difficult for automakers to compete in lower volume segments like sports cars, hydrogen fuel cells, or electrified vehicles on their own," Ed Kim, vice president of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific, told Autoblog. Even without mergers, these are the areas where Japanese automakers already have partners for development. Kim cited examples like Toyota and Subaru's work on the BRZ and FR-S and its collaboration with BMW on a forthcoming sports car. Honda and GM have also reportedly deepened their cooperation on green car tech. After Toyota's recent buyout of previous partner Daihatsu, Nakanishi agrees with rumors that the automotive giant could next pursue Suzuki. He sees them like a courting couple. "For Suzuki, it's like they're just starting to exchange diaries and have yet to hold hands. When Toyota's starts to hold 5 percent of Suzuki's shares, this will be like finally touching fingertips," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "I absolutely do believe that we are not finished seeing consolidation in Japan," Kim told Autoblog. Rising development costs to meet tougher emissions regulations make it hard for minor players in the market to remain competitive. "The smaller automakers like Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are challenged to make it on their own in the global marketplace. Consolidation for them may be inevitable." Related Video: