The country’s largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), today said it was developing a diesel engine for mid-size sedans.
“Currently, work is going on for developing a diesel engine for mid-sized sedans. Our engineers are developing it internally and we are hopeful of getting it ready by mid (of) next year,” MSI Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Shinzo Nakanishi told reporters here. The company was likely to utilise the new engine for launching a diesel version of its premium sedan SX4, he said.
MSI currently sources diesel engines from Fiat for its three models — Swift, DZiRE and Ritz.
Talking about the company’s upcoming second and third production units at its Manesar facility, Nakanishi said, “Opening of the second plant will be preponed by about six months to the end of 2011. We are also trying to advance operations at the third plant, which is scheduled to start in 2013.”
India to be export hub
Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) today said it planned to make India an export hub for its small cars, mainly for the European and African markets.
Speaking at the Nikkei Business Summit, SMC Chairman Osamu Suzuki said: “For Europe, Africa and West Asia, we are looking at India as an export hub.”
The country's infrastructure needs to be developed for this, he added. “As we want to use India as an export hub, ports are very important. We would like to request the government to improve them.”
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Maruti Suzuki India, subsidiary of SMC, exported 147,000 units in 2009-10. And, 87,508 vehicles between April and October this year, an increase of nine per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year.
When asked about SMC's deal with German auto maker Volkswagen, Suzuki said, “Suzuki Japan and Volkswagen Germany are in talks. Maruti Suzuki has nothing to do with those talks.”
Last year, Volkswagen had taken 19.9 per cent stake in SMC for $2.5 billion (Rs 11,450 crore). Since then, the two companies have been discussing plans for joint production, engine development and a small car project for India.