Suzuki aims to boost production at its plant in Esztergom, Hungary, from 111,000 last year to 221,000 largely by adding the new Swift. The Japanese carmaker plans to build 80,000 Swifts in Hungary this year. Production of the small-segment car started in February. The Swift went on sale in western Europe in March.
Magyar Suzuki, the carmaker’s Hungarian subsidiary, invested 60 billion Hungarian forints (about E240 million) to increase the factory’s annual capacity. Suzuki also builds the Ignis in Hungary and will start assembling the Grand Vitara in the plant next year.
Using seat mechanisms from Faurecia, Hungarian partsmaker Raba Automotive Components supplies the Swift’s complete seats. Raba expects the contract to be worth about 3 billion Hungarian forints a year. Each seat set costs Suzuki about E160. By comparison, seat sets for a similar sized car in western Europe and North America would cost up to E400.
– Alex Graham
