Suzuki Concept-G Basis for New Low-Cost Car Strategy

JAKARTA – Suzuki’s new concept car, which premiered at the recent Indonesian International Motor Show here, offers a first glimpse at the auto maker’s upcoming low-cost-car strategy.

The show car, dubbed the Concept-G, utilizes the architecture and body of the auto maker’s Japanese market-specific Alto, which for the last three decades has traded on its affordability, fuel economy and compact dimensions.

Concept-G design aimed at distinct style without compromising vehicle’s low-cost aspirations.

The exterior of the concept car evolves Suzuki's traditional design language and includes a flowing roof line that sets the form for the styling. The Concept-G’s front end has a smooth, more integrated grille than the Alto, which Suzuki says aims "to create a friendly look that generates emotional attachment.”

While firmly positioned at the lower end of the market, Suzuki says it strives to design cars that appeal to their owners. That goal is made clear in the Concept-G’s round headlights fitted with orange light-emitting diodes and new curved grille – both aimed at a distinct style without compromising on the vehicle’s low-cost aspirations.

The designers aimed to "evoke a sprout emerging from a seed" in the reworked headlight design, which features green-shaded reflector plates, the auto maker says,

The Concept-G’s body color, as befits a show car burnishing its “eco” credentials, is green, or Breezy Pasture Green Pearl, as Suzuki calls it. No technical detail of the new car is revealed, other than it is equipped with the global Alto version’s highly regarded K-series engine.

The Concept-G foreshadows the low-cost car Suzuki plans to introduce next year as part of the Thai government-sponsored eco-car program.

The Japanese auto maker is somewhat late to the party, following Nissan and Honda into the small-car market with their eco-contenders, the March/Micra and Brio, respectively.

However, Mitsubishi plans to debut its entry, based on its New Global Small car concept, at about the same time as Suzuki and ahead of Toyota’s new Yaris.

Eco-cars are likely to be the future driver in Indonesia as well, as the country eyes Thailand's success in its own push to become a global auto-production hub and kick-start domestic mass car ownership.

Suzuki already is a big player here, as its traditional mix of smaller cars and commercial vehicles match up well with local market needs.

The auto maker has three plants in Indonesia: one for cars that dates to 1991, another for motorbikes and a third dedicated to powertrains. It also has more than 200 sales outlets and more than 5,000 employees here.

The Japanese car company is poised to invest up to $800 million to build a new plant to double capacity to about 250,000 units annually as it makes Indonesia a regional hub.

Suzuki is watching momentum for the Indonesian government to support an eco-car program of its own. But with its new, low-cost car set to hit Thailand’s roads next year, the auto maker believes it is positioned for the best possible outcome.