News Release

One Million Milestone for Record-Breaking Suzuki Swift

30 June 2008
The Suzuki Swift, New Zealand’s best selling small car, has achieved another international milestone.

Production of the most successful car ever produced by Suzuki recently topped the one million barrier and continues to increase.

The Swift is the first product of Suzuki’s radical innovation programme to strengthen its position as a leading compact car manufacturer as well as one of the world’s foremost motorcycle brands.

A truly world car, the compact hatchback is built not only in Japan, but also in Hungary, China, India and more recently Indonesia and Malaysia.

Swift production for the New Zealand market is sourced from Japan where 361,676 of the first million units were produced.

New Zealand car buyers were quick to appreciate the qualities and highly competitive pricing of the Swift, quickly moving the model to number one in the small car class.

The Swift is third best selling new car overall in year to date sales, well ahead of the nearest rival.

Year to date sales of new Swifts in New Zealand are up a solid 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2007.

Swift has been a major factor in Suzuki realising record sales in New Zealand, and the model is on target to exceed 3,000 units in 2008.

“As fuel prices continue to rise, so does demand for the Swift,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand Limited. “Exceeding the one million mark is another feather in the cap for Suzuki.”

The Swift surpassed the one million level three years and eight months after the first unit rolled off the line in Japan.

Inspired by European design and driving manners, the Swift has been a hit in every market where it is sold.

Soon after the launching in Japan home market sales figures for the model were twice original forecasts.

More than 306,000 of the current generation Swift have been built at the Suzuki plant in Hungary which supplies most of the European markets. More than 37,000 Swifts have been sold in the United Kingdom and demand for the model has boomed in India where local production has topped 241,000 and the car has been a best seller.

In Denmark the Swift has consistently been in the top three models.

Based on the Suzuki Concept S show car, the latest fourth generation Swift went on sale in 2005 and was soon rated one of the best compact cars to grace Japanese roads in years.

Aimed at the style-conscious driver, the Swift is a blend of eye-catching good looks, Japanese quality and European-inspired driving dynamics.

The beefy wheel arches, wrap-over head and tail-lights and wide stance have proved a winning design with New Zealand buyers.

Hard on the heels of the Swift milestone, Suzuki announced a 6.7 per cent year-on-year global production increase for the 12 months ending May 2008.

Suzuki is regarded as Japan’s quiet achiever and the company’s record world output in May was the 37th consecutive monthly rise in output.