ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Equator Pick-up 2009 - 2013 => Topic started by: ebewley on June 02, 2006, 09:32:04 AM
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Nissan, Suzuki to expand cooperation
Reuters / June 2, 2006 - 10:00 am
TOKYO -- Japan's Nissan Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp. said on Friday they would broaden their business ties to include the use of each other's manufacturing facilities in emerging markets such as India.
Nissan, Japan's second-biggest automaker, and Suzuki, a top maker of compact cars, said the agreement would also see an increased exchange of vehicles supplied under each other's badges in a move aimed at boosting sales and economies of scale.
Automakers around the world have been relying more and more on strategic tie-ups to share development costs and jointly operate manufacturing facilities to survive tougher competition.
The latest deal also heightens speculation that Nissan could eventually aim to take a sizable equity stake in Suzuki after General Motors sold off all but 3 percent of its 20 percent holding of Suzuki shares in March.
Many analysts have since said that Nissan could benefit from Suzuki's reach in emerging markets such as India, and its expertise in building small cars.
Suzuki President Hiroshi Tsuda, however, strongly denied the possibility of a capital tie-up, while Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said a capital alliance was not discussed during the talks that led to Friday's agreement.
"I want to make it very clear: We are not thinking about a capital tie-up at all," Tsuda said. He repeated that Suzuki would continue only operational cooperation with GM.
From the end of this year, Nissan will supply a minivan to Suzuki on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis, while Suzuki will build another minivehicle for its partner. Both products are aimed at the Japanese market.
Elsewhere, Nissan will supply a compact pickup truck to Suzuki, mainly for sale in North America from 2008. Suzuki, in return, will provide a new "A" segment vehicle for Nissan, mainly for sale in Europe.
The two companies also said they would aim to utilise each other's manufacturing facilities in emerging markets to help achieve deeper cost reductions through bigger volumes.
INDIA PRODUCTION
They declined to provide a time line or other specifics, but said they would start with production of Nissan brand cars by Suzuki at the latter's facilities in India.
The head of Maruti Udyog Ltd., Suzuki's Indian unit, said the deal meant further expansion would be required to meet Nissan's needs and also that local automobile component manufacturers would benefit from a ramp up in production.
"Certainly, further expansion will have to take place," Maruti's Managing Director Jagdish Khattar told reporters in New Delhi.
"Once we work out the details, yes investments will be required for further expansion. We have to work out where and how to get those investments."
New Delhi-based Maruti is India's top car maker and is 54.2 percent-owned by Suzuki. Over 70 percent of its output is compact cars.
"This expansion is part of Nissan's continuing drive into new market segments and further global expansion, as set out in the Nissan Value-Up business plan," Shiga told a news conference in Tokyo.
Suzuki's Tsuda also said the expansion of the alliance would boost production volume and strengthen the company's global competitiveness.
Nissan, held 44 percent by France's Renault SA, has given production of the 660cc Moco minicar to Suzuki, which sells the model as the MR Wagon under its own badge.
Nissan in turn builds a small number of Suzuki's Jimny cars in Thailand.
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Elsewhere, Nissan will supply a compact pickup truck to Suzuki, mainly for sale in North America from 2008. Suzuki, in return, will provide a new "A" segment vehicle for Nissan, mainly for sale in Europe.
Finally, a pickup available in the US?
-Eric
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Body on frame I hope...
None of this unibody crap that's passing for pick-up's these days...*cough!, Honda, cough!*...
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If it tows alot I will buy one.
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Hondas truck isnt a truck. It is a front wheel/all wheel drive Yuppie and city slicker transport vehicle. It for the most part is a car(based suv) with a small open compartment in the back that is made of plastic(like the bumpers) that is referred to as a truck bed so that the yuppies that buy them can feel like they have a real truck(with a 6 ft long bed that cant hold anything of use) when in reality they have a honda pilot with an uber ugly front end and a wanna be poser "bed" ;D ;D ;D. What happened to metal beds, they were much better because they had hick appeal ;) ;D.
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This is what we get in OZ from Nissan http://www.nissan.com.au/navaradual/
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If they bring a Nissan based pickup to North America I'd bet money it'd be based on the Frontier. It's made here, sold here, and a proven package. If I could afford one I'd get one. :P
Hey cj, does the Navara have coil springs up front or torsion bars?
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hard to speculate what it would look like. i hope it's a mid to mini sized pickup, with the cab, and box on a frame, a 2spd transfer case, and solid rear axle. i could use a mini pickup 4x4.
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Hey cj, does the Navara have coil springs up front or torsion bars?
Double wishbones and coils up front and a solid axle with leaf springs at the rear. It is based on the Pathfinder chassis and we get the option of a 4l V6 (198kW|removethispart|@5600rpm & 385Nm|removethispart|@4000rpm) or a 2.5l turbo diesel (128kW|removethispart|@4000rpm & 403Nm|removethispart|@2000rpm) and a 5spd auto or a 6spd manual. low range is 2.625:1.
The Navara we get is a slightly different version of the Frontier from the Spanish factory
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Ooooh...nice....coil IFS, solid rear, turbodiesel...
where's the damn drooling icon? :P
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The Nissan Navara sold in Aussie markets is just the previous generation Frontier pick-up that was sold in the U.S. since 2000. so that won't be it at all. And if it is a Suzuki version of the N.A. Frontier...ihope they do more to it to make it look like a Suzuki and not just a Nissan Frontier with Suzuki badges.
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The Nissan Navara sold in Aussie markets is just the previous generation Frontier pick-up that was sold in the U.S. since 2000. so that won't be it at all. And if it is a Suzuki version of the N.A. Frontier...ihope they do more to it to make it look like a Suzuki and not just a Nissan Frontier with Suzuki badges.
I don't think so. You may be thinking of the old Navara.
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I've been into Mopars muscle cars and trucks my whole life and it was a sad day when Cry-co switched to wrong wheel drive. I've just started geting into Suzukis now that the big block stuff has become insanely exspensive, both to own and drive.
It took 25-30 years for that to happen, so it's safe to say that people won't be asking stupidy high prices for Samurai or Tracker trucks/parts until 2015-2020, if ever.
Feels like deja-vu all over again with the end of real off-road Suzukis.
Let's face it, most people don't want an SUV for off-roading or real work, but for the feeling of status and safety from its size. Suzuki is just following the money, it's hard to fault them for that.
BOT: I hate the new X
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8) Visions of a bob-tailed Suzuki 4x4 PU on 33's towing the Kick across country 8) Or the Dune concept Vitara with a Frontier style shorrt bed on the back instead of a hatch :o
Zig
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8) Visions of a bob-tailed Suzuki 4x4 PU on 33's towing the Kick across country 8)
Zig
Make it a quadcab diesel and I'd buy it. Especially if it was based on the Frontier!
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8) Visions of a bob-tailed Suzuki 4x4 PU on 33's towing the Kick across country 8)
Zig
Make it a quadcab diesel and I'd buy it. Especially if it was based on the Frontier!
Here's another good thread idea. "What accessories would make you purchase?" New thread coming up!
-Eric
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the nissan navara tows 3000kg, 6000+LBS if they make a suzuki i doubt it will tow less?
unless they make it the size of a kick ;)
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if it's 100% nissan with suzuki badges I'm a little dissapointed. I would think it would be cool if suzuiki actually made a truck. it would make up for the lack of wicked little 4 X4 they have in the states just about and start a new thing.
I don't think a frontier is anything special and would buy a tacoma over one any day. unless suzuki actually gets involved with it and makes it something unique and special I don't really care unless it has a diesel like someone mentioned
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Look at what Suzuki's selling as far as 4x4's now in the States. Do you really think based on the sorta-unibody IFS and IRS GV that they'll make a pickup truck that's purely theirs? I'd prefer a Suzuki badged copy of the Frontier to that.
Have you read the specs on the Frontier? The new Frontier is closer to the last generation of the Tacoma than the new Tacoma is. Hell, go to Toyota's website. Under the "build a Tacoma" part of it you can't even get the TRD package with a manual transmission. WTF? If I was buying new I'd go for a Nissan Frontier NISMO over a Tacoma TRD any day right now. They've yuppiefied the Tacoma too much for me now. Put an S on the grill and I'd get it.
That said I'm a cheap bastard so if I were in the market for something like it I'd probably end up with a previous generation Tacoma TRD. Depreciation sucks and these things ain't cheap! :P
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Look at what Suzuki's selling as far as 4x4's now in the States. Do you really think based on the sorta-unibody IFS and IRS GV that they'll make a pickup truck that's purely theirs? I'd prefer a Suzuki badged copy of the Frontier to that.
Have you read the specs on the Frontier? The new Frontier is closer to the last generation of the Tacoma than the new Tacoma is. Hell, go to Toyota's website. Under the "build a Tacoma" part of it you can't even get the TRD package with a manual transmission. WTF? If I was buying new I'd go for a Nissan Frontier NISMO over a Tacoma TRD any day right now. They've yuppiefied the Tacoma too much for me now. Put an S on the grill and I'd get it.
That said I'm a cheap bastard so if I were in the market for something like it I'd probably end up with a previous generation Tacoma TRD. Depreciation sucks and these things ain't cheap! :P
good point. that's gay that you can't get a manual with the TRD package. I think I'd get a used tacoma if I were in the market for a truck like that as well. I'd get a frontier with a suzuki badge over one with a nissan badge any day because I have a slight grudge with nissan and just can't own something that is purely nissan... if it had some suzuki I would possibly buy a used one
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Hey, could be worse. They could sell a rebadged version of the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon... :-X
Ewww...torsion bars...
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ahh, chevy colorado seems uber crappy.. if it's anything like the S 10 I say forget that!
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Different engine, same crappy suspension. Trans and t-case aren't bad though. I kinda like the quadcabs but I wouldn't take one over a Frontier, Tacoma, or Ranger any day.
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yea, for a compact truck I'd go with a danger ranger or tacoma. some older rangers have pretty bad motors. a friend of mine had one with a 3.3 I think (forgot the engine) and it was a leaky, oil burning pile. needless to say he got rid of it asap and got a nice 4 litre manual 5 speed XJ
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Probably just had an old 3.0L. Good engines but like any, if you don't take care of them they turn into a POS. My 4.0L V6 has 172,000+ miles on it and just keeps going.
My first choice was a Tacoma but I simply couldn't (and really still can't) afford one. Toyotas have excellent resale value. I was looking at 3-4 year older Toyotas than the Rangers I was looking at just to keep them in my price range. That's a lot of road salt in those extra winters.
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yea, I think it was a 3.0 maybe. the person who had it before him was a complete idiot judging by stupid things like a broken air box and all the things I forgot.
I have heard some strories of rangers being completely bulletproof. great vehicles. I bet your ranger is pretty sweet
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Eh, it's one of my toys:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/364830
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that is a nice danger ranger! I tried to add you to my friends on car domain but it was being a pile. my car domain name is badass55. took most of the pics of the GV off but I'll probably put more on there soon. do you still have your tracker?
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Yep, it and the GV have pages, just click on my name on the upper left corner.
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sweet
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The Nissan Navara sold in Aussie markets is just the previous generation Frontier pick-up that was sold in the U.S. since 2000. so that won't be it at all. And if it is a Suzuki version of the N.A. Frontier...ihope they do more to it to make it look like a Suzuki and not just a Nissan Frontier with Suzuki badges.
I don't think so. You may be thinking of the old Navara.
well, that's possible. But the Navara in the provided link above is the last generation Frontier pick-up sold in America. Not sure if that's the current or old Navara in Oz. But it's a discontinued model here.