Suzuki to End Vehicle Production in China

August 24, 2018

Tokyo- Suzuki Motor Corp. is considering ending vehicle production in China to focus on India, informed sources said Thursday.

The Japanese automaker is considering dissolving its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., its last remaining automaking partnership in China, the sources said.

The move comes as sales of compact cars made by the joint venture, formed in 1993, have been weak due to a shift in demand in China toward larger vehicles.

In June, Suzuki ended its partnership with Jiangxi Changhe Automobile Co. by selling its entire stake in their joint venture to the Chinese company.

Suzuki saw its vehicle sales in China fall 28.8 pct to 105,000 units in the year ended in March from the previous year, while its sales in India rose 14.5 pct to 1,654,000 units.

The Japanese automaker aims to focus more on India, its key market where demand is expected to continue to grow. But it also intends to continue selling its vehicles in China, the world's largest market. Jiji Press