The small car specialist’s latest comment defuses an incendiary statement about its future here.

THE maker of the country’s favourite small car has pulled the handbrake on comment it could quit the market due to Government’s Clean Car measures. 

A media release lending clarity to Suzuki New Zealand’s intentions has circulated today. 

It cites “Suzuki New Zealand remains committed to the New Zealand market and staying leaders in efficient small car design.”

However, the statement has reiterated that the Clean Car Standard will ultimately cause the prices of its products to rise because even the cleanest petrol versions were still on the wrong side of the CO2 fine schedule.

The brand has offered that a version of their best-selling Swift hatch, which has been a national No.1 in recent years, could incur $6000 penalties by 2027. 

The Whanganui-based company’s comment appears to have been stirred by published assessment of a submission it presented to a recent Government hearing.

This gave the industry a chance to air its thoughts about the emissions legislation, whose roll-out starts on April 1 though it will not fully impact until next year.

A synopsis by the web site for a national car magazine earlier this week said the small car expert was considering leaving the market if the emissions stipulations remain in place.  

It highlighted two comments attributed to Suzuki NZ’s local boss, Tom Peck, whose was mis-named as Ian Peck.

These were that the company believed that if the clean car standard progressed in current form, “it may become difficult for us to sustain our business in New Zealand and this has potential repercussions for both owners of our vehicles and our dealer networks.”

The second comment made reference to Suzuki in Japan having to make electric vehicles simply to comply with the requirements of the Bill as it stood “just for the New Zealand Market by 2025 – that’s literally impossible, a word we hate to use.”

Today’s comment from Suzuki NZ seems intent of dampening down conjecture that it was prepared to up sticks.

The statement said the operation, established by Wanganui identities the Coleman brothers in 1962 and owned by Suzuki Japan since 1984, was “looking to continue its nearly 60 year history in New Zealand of providing affordable vehicle options for everyday New Zealanders” and reminded that it was among of the country’s leading sellers to private customers.

It said NZ’s proposed emission targets for 2026 and 2027 as outlined by the Standard will be the most challenging in the world – even ahead of Europe, which has been the world leader in this area – and offered that targets, being weight-based, “effectively penalises typically more efficient light weight cars by needing to achieve lower targets than some larger vehicles.”

Peck said today that Suzuki understood the role the automotive industry had in reducing global warming and it supported an emissions standard.

“Our concern is that any targets need to be fair and well planned to prevent any unforeseen ramifications. We are a brand that sells to ‘real kiwis’ and we believe it is important that these customers will continue to have access to affordable new vehicle options”.

Suzuki’s boss has contended that an implications of the timing of the Standard’s targets is that the selling price of the most affordable vehicle options will need to increase significantly.

He offered, as an example the Swift in its GL automatic presentation. It has a recommended retail of $23,500, plus on-road costs. 

“Developed on a light weight platform with new engine technologies the new model improved emissions by 25.2 percent compared to the previous generation Swift. 

“To sell the same new Swift in 2027 under the Clean Car Standard would incur over $6000 of government penalties.”

Peck says although Suzuki remains committed to the New Zealand market it was concerned not all its customers could afford EV technologies and that prices of its current vehicles could become unaffordable. Because of this, it believed there is potential “many customers will simply retain their current vehicle which will make the New Zealand fleet older. 

“This will not assist the country to reduce emissions and it will deny customers access to the latest safety technologies of new cars.”