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Suzuki Plans Hybrids for India, SE Asia

Suzuki Motor Corp. aims to develop its own hybrid powertrain and introduce it in compact vehicles sold in India and southeast Asia about five years from now.
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Suzuki Motor Corp. aims to develop its own hybrid powertrain and introduce it in compact vehicles sold in India and southeast Asia about five years from now.

Chairman Osamu Suzuki tells The Nikkei the hybrids will incorporate unspecified technology from the company's minicars.

India is Suzuki's biggest market outside Japan. The chairman says the company plans to add combined annual capacity in Indonesia and Thailand for 250,000 vehicles, with much of the output intended for export to markets such as Myanmar and Vietnam.

Suzuki had planned to gain access to hybrid and other "green" technologies from Volkswagen AG through an equity alliance the companies launched in 2009.

But cultural clashes prompted Suzuki to demand a "divorce" from the partnership two years later. The company sold its 1.5% stake in VW, but the German carmaker refused to give up its 19.9% stake in Suzuki. The dispute remains unresolved before an international tribunal.

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