STEADY GROWTH FOR SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor Corporation’s motorcycle business registered reasonable progress in the nine months of its current fiscal year to 31 December, although surging sales at its wholly owned Indian subsidiary took much of the credit. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.
Total revenue over the period rose by 11% to £1.565bn, while a still modest operating profit was 11.6% up at £164.8m. Turnover from Asia was dominant, rising by 18.6% to £846.3m. Within that, India stacked on 24% to £569.6m. Revenue from developed markets wasn’t so impressive. Europe grew by 2.4% to £178m. But North America was 14.6% down to £155.3m and Suzuki’s Japanese domestic turnover fell by 8.6% to £73.7m.
Three-quarterly global Suzuki PTW production rose by 6.2% to 1.52 million units. India was responsible for 828,000 of them, a 15.1% increase. Elsewhere in Asia, production declined by 4.9%, mainly reflecting reduced output in China. Japanese domestic production also shrank, 16.5% down to 66,000.
Worldwide sales over the nine months in question were 7.1% up to 1.548 million units. Again, this highlighted Indian success, where numbers sold climbed by 18.7% to 779,000. Other Asian emerging markets taken together did less well, falling by 10.7% to 491,000. In the developed world, European wholesale volume improved by 21.4% to 34,000 and North America rose by 4.3% to 24,000.
As Q4 dawned in January, Suzuki celebrated its booming Indian presence with new models launched at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, held in New Delhi. These were led by the e-Access, its first “global strategic” battery-electric scooter and a new version of the best-selling conventionally fuelled Access. They were joined by a Gixxer SF250 motorcycle capable of running on 85% bioethanol fuel approaching carbon neutrality.
Not everything went according to plan, though. The original full-year production forecast indicated growth from the previous year’s 1.914 million units to 2.003 million. But this was subsequently revised downwards by 11,000 units, owing to weakening demand in China. However, the full-year sales volume forecast has now been elevated to 2.035 million units, a 6.4% year-on-year advance. The key points should now see Asian sales, obviously led by India, reach 1.677 million. North American headcount should be 6.6% higher at 32,000 and Europe is rostered to hit 41,000.
Yen-sterling currency translation at forex rates applicable on 6 February