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Osamu Suzuki announces retirement at age 91

TOKYO — Suzuki's 91-year-old chairman, Osamu Suzuki, announced he will retire in June, stepping aside for a new leader to navigate the shift to electric cars and fight off competition from tech firms such as Tesla and Apple. The chairman, after heading for more than four decades the company that his wife's grandfather founded, is leaving his son Toshihiro Suzuki, already president and CEO, to hold the reins of the company. Osamu told reporters on Wednesday he decided to retire after the company welcomed its 100th anniversary last year and its new management plan won approval. But he said he will "remain active" as an adviser. "I will neither run away nor hide," the patriarch said, who has repeatedly declared in the past he will be a "lifelong non-retiree." The company also announced on Wednesday it will invest one trillion yen ($9.45 billion), mostly on electrification technology, over five years. The younger Suzuki said the company needed to respond to a global push towards lower emissions. "Carbon neutral is the focus now. Suzuki must not fall behind this global trend," he said. The announcement by Japan's fourth-biggest automaker comes less than a week after rival Honda appointed a new CEO, who said he would consider alliances to make bold decisions. Carmakers, particularly smaller players such as Suzuki, are seen at a disadvantage due to the huge cost of developing EVs and technologies such as autonomous driving. Suzuki, alongside other automakers such as Mazda and Subaru, tied up with Toyota in 2019 to slash development and manufacturing costs. Osamu Suzuki, who joined Suzuki Motor in 1958, became president in 1978 and doubled as chairman in 2000. During his tenure, the company solidified its presence as the top maker of compact cars. He spearheaded the company's decision to enter its key Indian market in 1983. Maruti Suzuki, which the carmaker owns a majority stake in, is India's top carmaker, selling every second car in the country. In 2016, Suzuki stepped down as CEO to take responsibility for the firm's use of incorrect testing methods to calculate vehicle mileage, but he remained chairman. Osamu, who waved and said "bye-bye" at the end of Wednesday's news conference, will be appointed as senior adviser upon retirement.

Come see all the cool cars in Geneva that we don't get in America

The Geneva Motor Show is usually the highlight of auto show season. There are always a ton of interesting debuts. This year alone, we saw new models from McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG and more. That doesn't count the ridiculous and tasteless stuff that comes out of Brabus or Mansory. Personally, one of the biggest reasons I enjoy going is to see all the cool stuff that we won't get in America. Watch the video for a brief walkaround of the show floor. Even the city streets offer unusual sights for Americans. Geneva is so close to France that there are Citroens, Peugeots and Renaults everywhere. Then there are cars like the Volkswagen Polo and Up! or a multitude of wagon variants of cars like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 and A6. Even the exotics come out in droves. There was a Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer parked along a side street. There were two Lamborghini Aventadors parked outside our hotel. Just Geneva things. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Isuzu Suzuki Citroen Peugeot Renault SEAT Skoda Truck Coupe Hatchback Wagon Performance Videos renault megane renault clio peugeot 508

2019 Suzuki Jimny images leaked — first new generation in 20 years

The new-generation Suzuki Jimny is ready for a reveal. Photos of a production version shown at a preview event leaked online via Instagram, and they show a front shot and a front three-quarter shot of the completely redesigned small SUV. The lines and side sheetmetal pressings of the no-nonsense, go-anywhere Jimny are a clear nod to classic '70s and '80s models. The Australian website CarAdvice notes that the lime green Jimny seen here is clearly a home market version without any wheel arch extensions, as the vehicle needs to be as narrow as possible to comply with Japanese width regulations — it is alsos likely that the Jimny here is powered with a 660cc engine from the tiny kei car class. Outside of Japan, the hips might be wider, and a recent spy shot depicting finished vehicles at the factory shows slightly wider wheel arches. Every millimeter counts, it seems — just when you want to avoid scraping a rock on an off-road trail. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Export market Jimnys should have a one-liter turbo or a naturally aspirated 1.2-liter unit. Inside, the Jimny will feature a hard-wearing interior with a chunky dashboard, a render of which was also leaked online a short while ago. Everything about that dash appears to be designed with functionality as the top requirement, with just a large central touchscreen serving as a reminder that we're getting closer to 2020, not 1980. The 2019 model year Jimny is expected to hit Suzuki-selling markets by late 2018. Jimny updates are few and far between, as the current generation was first introduced a solid 20 years ago. Related Video: Image Credit: Suzukinfluencer/Instagram Spy Photos Suzuki SUV suzuki jimny