Suzuki Philippines (SPH) is celebrating their 50th year here in the country and they are definitely doing it big. Last January, they held the “One Big Ride” kick-off event where their automotive, motorcycle, and maritime division got together to flaunt their current respective offerings. This past weekend, Suzuki was front and center in SM Mall of Asia to celebrate their 50th anniversary with the Suzuki Matsuri Village.
The festivities started on Friday, June 13 with the One Suzuki Dealer Conference held at the Conrad Hotel Manila. For the first time, Suzuki Philippines brought together their dealers and partners from all divisions – motorcycle, automobile, and marine. It featured business sessions, recognition ceremonies, and heartfelt tributes to the people who have been instrumental in Suzuki’s five-decade journey in the Philippines.
From L-R: Suzuki Philippines Incorporated’s Presidents, Koichiro Hirao (current), Hitoshi Ota (1995-2001), Satoshi Uchida (2008-2013) and Hiroshi Suzuki (2013-2019)
It also served as the launch of Suzuki’s new global tagline, “By Your Side,” strengthening their commitment to customer-focused mobility, reinforced by the strength of its dealer community.
The event was also graced by Suzuki Motors Corporation (SMC) President and Representative Director Toshihiro Suzuki.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of the Philippines, the government officials, dealers, suppliers, and customers who have supported Suzuki Philippines Inc. over the past 50 years. Demand for mobility in the Philippines is expected to continue to grow and is an important market for Suzuki. Suzuki aims for ‘an infrastructure mobility closely connected with people’s lives’, and is committed to providing attractive products in the Philippines,” Suzuki said.
Suzuki’s history in the country began in 1975 when Suzuki Motors of Japan got into a joint venture with Antonio Suzuki Corporation for the production and sales of motorcycles in the Philippines. A decade later, Antonio Suzuki Corporation became a wholly-owned subsidiary and became Suzuki Philippines. Cars were sold by another distributor, Pilipinas Transport Industries, Inc. They’re the one that brought in the Suzuki Samurai (a renamed Suzuki Jimny) and the Suzuki Super Carry in its van and single-cab pickup iterations in the late 80s. It wasn’t until the late 1999 when Suzuki Philippines also took over automobile distribution in the country that was responsible for bringing in the likes of the Alto, Celerio, and Vitara among others. In 2012, Suzuki Philippines also took over the distribution of outboard motors in the country making them the only integrated motorcycle, automobile, and outboard motor company in the Philippines.
From L-R: SPH Automobile Director and General Manager Norihide Takei, SMC Managing Officer, Executive General Manager for Automobile Marketing – Asia, Latin America and Oceania, Masafumi Harano, SPH Managing Director Norminio Mojica, SPH President Koichiro Hirao, SMC Managing Officer, Executive General Manager for Motorcycle Operations Takashi Ise, Managing Officer, Executive General Manager for Marine Operations, Shuichi Mishima.
On Saturday, Suzuki opened the Matsuri Village in SM Mall of Asia. ‘Matsuri’ is the Japanese word for ‘Festival’. The open and family friendly event welcomed thousands of visitors to see Suzuki’s history, products, and innovations up-close. They had the Jimny in 3-door and 5-door guise, along with other best-sellers like the XL7 and all-new Dzire. A variety of motorcycles were also on the floor like the V-STROM 1050DE, Raider R150 FI, GSX-8R, Gixxer SF 155, Burgman 400, and Skydrive Sport among others. Mixed with these are the outboard motors like the DF350 HP, Stealth 250, and a Polyboat with DF2.5 engine.
Apart from the Matsuri Village, Suzuki also put up pocket displays at different areas of the mall with each display featuring a different side of the brand – motorcycle, automobile, and maritime.
Apart from flaunting their current lineup, Suzuki also previewed an upcoming model during the first day of the Matsuri Village. Unveiled was the Suzuki Fronx subcompact crossover that will rival the likes of the Toyota Raize and Kia Sonet. There were no final specs and price mentioned but SPH said it will officially arrive within the year.
Suzuki also held another “One Big Ride” for the second day of Matsuri Village. This time, more than 1,300 riders from Suzuki Club Philippines joined the ride from 10th Avenue in Caloocan and traversed EDSA to the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. It consisted of motorcycles from Suzuki’s lineup including the big bikes like the GSX1000, VSTROM 800, and Burgman 400. Suzuki also raffled off one brand-new V-STROM 250 SX to a lucky rider.
Suzuki’s 50th Anniversary celebration spread across three days is a testament to their gratitude to the Filipinos who have trusted them over the years. It also empowers their mission of being a trusted companion whether it’s for daily ride in city streets, navigating the outdoors, or setting sail. As a brand “By Your Side,” Suzuki promises to continue empowering mobility, enhancing lifestyles, and driving progress with every Filipino for the next 50 years.
