2008 Suzuki Sx4 on 2040-cars

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Toyota and Suzuki partner up on autonomy with capital alliance

TOKYO — Toyota and Suzuki will take small equity stakes in each other, the Japanese car makers said on Wednesday, as they seek to develop newer technologies and meet sweeping changes upending the global auto industry. The tie-up is the latest example of automakers chasing scale to manage costs and boost development. Automakers — especially smaller ones like Suzuki — are struggling to meet the breakneck growth of an industry transformed by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), ride-hailing and autonomous driving. Toyota will pay around 96 billion yen ($908 million) for a 4.94% stake in Suzuki, while Suzuki will acquire in the market around 48 billion yen ($454 million) worth of shares in Toyota. That is equivalent to 0.2% of Toyota's shares as of Wednesday's closing price, before the announcement. The companies said in a joint statement they intended to overcome challenges facing the industry by "building and deepening cooperative relationships in new fields while continuing to be competitors". They said they would strengthen technologies and products in which each of them specialize in. The firms had said in 2016 they were exploring a partnership, citing technological challenges and the need to keep up with industry consolidation. Earlier this year they said they would produce EVs and compact cars for each other. Automakers around the globe have been joining forces to slash development and manufacturing costs of new technology. Ford and Volkswagen have said they will spend billions of dollars to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles. Shares of Toyota and Suzuki closed little changed before the announcement. TOYOTA'S ORBIT The deal brings Suzuki firmly into Toyota' orbit, alongside Daihatsu, Hino Motors, Subaru, Mazda and Yamaha. Rival Nissan has an alliance with France's Renault, although that has been shaken following the ouster of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, and with Mitsubishi Motors. Honda has a tie-up with General Motors. Toyota has been looking to expand scale in next-generation technology and said this year it would offer free access to patents for EV motors and power control units. It believes that move would help it cut by as much as half the outlays for expanded electric and hybrid vehicle components in the United States, China and Japan. Supplying rivals would greatly expand the scale of production for hardware.

Suzuki recalls nearly 61k SX4s and Kizashis for shifting out of Park

Suzuki has discovered an issue with the gearshift lever on some of its vehicles, and has issued a recall in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address the problem. The issue affects the the 2010-2013 SX4 and Kizashi models fitted with automatic transmissions manufactured between specific dates in 2009 to 2012. In the affected vehicles, the shifter could slide out of the Park position without the brake pedal being depressed, which needless to say could lead to the vehicle unexpectedly rolling away. All told, the recall affects an estimated 60,823 vehicles, the owners of which can expect to head from the manufacturer to bring their Suzukis in to their local dealership to have the shift selector assembly replaced entirely, starting January 19. Since Suzuki no longer sells new cars in the US, owners looking for dealers and authorized service points are advised to check out the company's service provider website tool here. RECALL Subject : Shift Selector Moved From Park Report Receipt Date: DEC 22, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V811000 Component(s): POWER TRAIN Potential Number of Units Affected: 60,823 Manufacturer: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 SX4 vehicles manufactured July 16, 2009, to November 1, 2012, and 2010-2013 Kizashi vehicles manufactured October 13, 2009, to October 31, 2012. The shift selector can be moved out of the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal. CONSEQUENCE: If the shift selector is moved out of the "Park" position while the brake pedal is not depressed, the vehicle may unexpectedly roll, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. REMEDY: Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift selector assembly, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 19, 2015. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-714-996-7040. Suzuki's number for this recall is VL. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Featured Gallery 2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport View 20 Photos News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationImage Credit: Suzuki Recalls Suzuki Safety Crossover Hatchback Sedan suzuki sx4 suzuki kizashi

Suzuki Jimny Black Bison is real, looks ready to stomp on other off-roaders

The internet darling Suzuki Jimny strikes again, except this time it's considerably less cute in the Wald Black Bison getup. We drove the little SUV late last year and found it to be good, rollicking fun, but this modified version looks like the little ute's foil. Mechanically, the Jimny Black Bison is similar to the normal Jimny. This means it has a 1.5-liter four-cylinder that makes all of 99 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque. Yep, that probably wouldn't fly in the U.S. The G-Wagen appearance absolutely would, though. A lift and side-exit exhaust appear to be the most obvious modifications we can see from the photos. The exhaust looks like a page straight out of AMG's playbook for the G-Wagen. Wald has added more than a few extra body parts to make this off-roader look unique. It starts with the aggressive tire and wheel setup, which in turn requires the huge fenders. This gives the Jimny its super aggressive stance you see here. A new front and rear bumper, plus grille, ensure it doesn't look disjointed as a whole. If you like lights, you have plenty of them to choose from here. Additional LEDs are mounted in the lower bumper area, and a couple banks of roof lights are equipped to light the trail ahead. The hood has two massive nostrils that surely aren't necessary for the little engine underneath, but we recognize the commitment to the theme. Finally, there's a roof spoiler that extends higher than any roof spoiler needs to from a car with a top speed of 90 mph. We imagine all the extra bits lower the top speed even further on the Black Bison. No word yet on availability of the Suzuki Jimny Black Bison edition. This vehicle was revealed at the Osaka Auto Messe by Wald, so it's not an official Suzuki vehicle by any means. It would be neat to see the full conversion kit offered to Suzuki owners, but individual sale of the parts is the most likely scenario. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.