Through a combination of avoiding direct competition and sticking to what they do best, Suzuki has put themselves into a position where rapid growth seems a certainty. The Japanese automaker is tiny by comparison to many rivals, but their lean structure and knack for efficiently building small cars and SUV's has gained them plenty.
A recent article in Business Week pegs their market capitalization near that of Ford's- though Suzuki has less than a fifth of the sales volume. This means that investors value the small, $30-billion dollar Japanese company at the same level as the super-sized $160-billion dollar American carmaker. Ford's stock is rated at a bargain level, while Suzuki's is growing faster than Toyota's. It all relates to their strategy- efficiently building efficient vehicles.
Apparently, part of that strategy is going to be a North American push which will nearly double the carmakers sales here by 2010. New and updated models are vital, and there's an updated XL7 coming, along with the new version of the Swift coming to our shores.
Some say that Suzuki's new models are intended to go head to head with Toyota and Honda, though details are sparse. Even Suzuki's Gene Brown, who heads up marketing in North America, says "Our lineup is really going to expand and get more sporty".
One thing's for sure- they're going to be a company to watch closely.
photo:Suzuki
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| Suzuki Swift |
A recent article in Business Week pegs their market capitalization near that of Ford's- though Suzuki has less than a fifth of the sales volume. This means that investors value the small, $30-billion dollar Japanese company at the same level as the super-sized $160-billion dollar American carmaker. Ford's stock is rated at a bargain level, while Suzuki's is growing faster than Toyota's. It all relates to their strategy- efficiently building efficient vehicles.
Apparently, part of that strategy is going to be a North American push which will nearly double the carmakers sales here by 2010. New and updated models are vital, and there's an updated XL7 coming, along with the new version of the Swift coming to our shores.
Some say that Suzuki's new models are intended to go head to head with Toyota and Honda, though details are sparse. Even Suzuki's Gene Brown, who heads up marketing in North America, says "Our lineup is really going to expand and get more sporty".
One thing's for sure- they're going to be a company to watch closely.
photo:Suzuki