Suzuki Reports Strong September Sales
5 October 1998
American Suzuki Motor Corporation Reports Strong September Sales; Momentum is Strong to Finish 1998 With Best Year-to-date Sales in 10 Years
BREA, Calif.--(AutomotiveWire)--Oct. 2, 1998--American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) Friday reported U.S. sales of 3,128 for the month of September, a 41.2 percent increase in its monthly sales compared with 2,215 in 1997.
Sales for the first three quarters, calendar-year-to-date (CYTD), totaled 28,861 representing an increase of 29.6 percent compared with the same period last year.
"We're extremely pleased with the Grand Vitara's first month numbers and we anticipate sales to grow substantially into 1999," said Gary Anderson, vice president sales and marketing, ASMC.
The company's new "Engineered to fit your life" advertising campaign that hit Sept. 21, was initiated with the 1999 Grand Vitara launch and signals a high level of confidence for ASMC. Exceeding initial sales projections, the all-new Grand Vitara represents significant potential to be ASMC's best-selling product ever, and the company's best opportunity since 1988 to increase its sales volume and ultimately raise Suzuki's consumer brand awareness.
Other model line increases include the Esteem line, up 115.6 percent over September last year representing a 107.8 percent increase CYTD; and the entry-level Swift hatchback with a 2.8 percent increase in September sales over last year and 5.7 percent CYTD.
The Automotive Division of American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC), Brea, was founded in 1985 by Suzuki Motor Corp. (SMC). ASMC markets automobiles in the United States through a network of 300 automotive dealerships in 49 states.
ASMC's parent company, Suzuki Motor Corp. based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1920, SMC has 134 distributors in 175 countries.
American Suzuki Motor Corp.
Month End Reporting
September CYTD
1998 1997 1998 1997
Sidekick(a): 396 842 4,869 4,368
Sidekick IMP: 26 64 301 494
Sport: 566 824 8,494 8,722
Grand Vitara: 1,330 0 1,557 0
Swift: 118 31 1,596 1,014
Esteem: 661 318 11,492 5,329
X-90: 31 136 552 2,335
Total: 3,128 2,215 28,861 22,262
Truck
Domestic Truck: 396 841 4,869 4,365
Import Truck: 1,953 1,025 10,904 11,554
Total Truck: 2,349 1,866 15,773 15,919
Car
Domestic Car: 118 31 1,596 1,013
Import Car: 661 318 11,492 5,330
Total Car: 779 349 13,088 6,343
Total Domestic: 514 872 6,465 5,378
Total Import: 2,614 1,343 22,396 16,884
Grand Total: 3,128 2,215 28,861 22,262
(a) Includes Samurai Data.