TOKYO (AP) _ Suzuki Motor Corp. said Friday it will build a car assembly plant near St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.
The automaker will invest 14 billion yen (US$115.7 million; for the plant that is expected to start operations in late 2009 with about 500 employees, the company said in a statement.
The plant will be used for assembling Grand Vitara and SX4 passenger cars, it said.
Suzuki is the third Japanese automaker to set up a plant in Russia after Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., Kyodo News agency said. Toyota will begin production in December, and Nissan’s plant is to be completed in 2009, the agency said.
Nissan, Suzuki expanding business co operation to provide cars to each other
TOKYO (AP) _ Nissan will supply pickup trucks for Suzuki to sell in North America in an expansion of the Japanese automakers’ business co-operation, both sides said Friday.
Nissan Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp. already have a partnership, in which Suzuki provides Nissan mini-cars, mainly for the Japanese market, to be sold under the Nissan brand.
Under the latest deal, Suzuki will supply small cars for Nissan to sell in Europe, the companies said. Nissan will also provide vehicles for Suzuki to sell under the Suzuki brand, they said.
Nissan does not make its own mini-vehicles, which have engines of up to 0.66 litres and get tax breaks in Japan. Minicar sales have been booming lately in Japan while the overall auto market here has remained flat.
Land Rover: Celebrating 60 Years and Going Strong
60 years ago today, a motoring icon made its public debut, when the original Land Rover was shown at a motor show in Amsterdam, on April 30, 1948. The current Defender is clearly descended from that first vehicle, known as a Series 1. Extraordinarily, they even share a couple of original parts, an oil filler plug and a cleat for tying down the canvas roof. But the rest of the vehicle technology has moved on considerably.
Today, Land Rover goes from strength-to-strength, with a five-model line-up headed by the Range Rover, and record global sales of over 226,000 vehicles in 2007.
The company recently received an early birthday present, in the form of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. The first, for ‘International Trade’, was given in recognition of export sales of nearly £4 billion per annum to 147 countries, with markets such as China and Russia driving major growth. The second, for ‘Innovation’, was awarded for Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response™ system. At the twist of a knob, this sets up the vehicle’s engine response and traction systems to maximize performance on all terrains – the electronic equivalent of having an expert instructor alongside the driver.
Around the world, Land Rover will be celebrating its 60th anniversary year throughout the summer with a series of special activities and events.
Success Story
Land Rover is an outstanding British engineering and manufacturing success story. Its manufacturing plants at Solihull (near Birmingham) and Halewood (near Liverpool) and its Research and Development facilities in the English Midlands, employ a workforce of 8,500 – and the company helps support an estimated further 40,000 jobs through automotive suppliers.
Since the first Series I model rolled off the production line at Solihull, the vehicles created by Land Rover have defined the SUV market. In 1970, the company introduced what’s been called the most significant SUV ever, the Range Rover – the first SUV to be equally capable on-road as off-road. Now, alongside the Range Rover and Defender*, sit the LR3, LR2 and Range Rover Sport.
Land Rover’s spirit of adventure has been evident from the earliest days. Adventurers, farmers, scientists, naturalists, and outdoor sport enthusiasts have all used Land Rovers’ capability to access some of the world’s most inhospitable regions. For 60 years, the company’s vehicles have also worked for a multitude of humanitarian and conservation organizations, represented today by Land Rover’s formal ties with the Born Free Foundation, Biosphere, Earthwatch, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and the China Exploration and Research Society. If you are looking for vw aufkleber, check out here.
Phil Popham, Land Rover’s Managing Director, commented, “Land Rover’s history is a long and illustrious one – and the future is just as exciting. We are committed to maintaining our relevance and meeting the needs of our customers in a changing global environment. Earlier this year, we unveiled a glimpse into our possible future – the diesel hybrid LRX cross-coupe concept. This signals that Land Rover will continue to evolve, with capability, premium values and sustainable motoring at the top of the agenda.”