Suzuki Canada Production History : 1989-2012

Suzuki came into US in 1985 and Canada in 1980. That could explain why sales in Canada were disproportionately high during the early 1990's as shown below. It probably also answers why the plant it set up was in Ontario, named CAMI. It started production in 1989, a reoccurring date for smaller Japanese makes setting up in North America. Like others, it also was too small to go it alone so GM was its partner (GM had taken a small stake in Suzuki in 1981).

The number of Suzuki brand cars coming out of the plant were small but those with GM logos were much higher. That remained so until CAMI started making GM products in 2004. During 2009, Suzuki vehicles ceased being made there and it became a GM exclusive plant. While GM had been gradually increasing its stake in Suzuki up until the year 2000, by the end of the decade, it had divested itself of any share.

Suzuki then started to sell Nissan pickup model in 2009 (the Equator), made in Smyrna, Tennessee but poor sales ended that arrangement in 2012. That year Suzuki also decided to terminate sales in North America altogether.

Summary: Suzuki did make cars in North America but they never made up a large proportion of sales there, as the chart below reveals. This was in contrast to other Japanese brands of a similar size that relied heavily on local manufacturing. US sales were poor too and while a push did come in the 2000's, that was hit by economic headwinds at the end of the decade. Meanwhile Canadian sales didn't seem to progress through the period at all. In the end, it wasn't viable to continue and the decision to pull the plug was made. It just never became big enough and it didn't commit enough to the region.

PS. Putting this article together required many sources for information, not all of which were in agreement. If anyone can add anything to or refine what I have presented, please let me know.

Year	Light Trucks			Cars	Annual	US Est	Can Est
Model	Equator	XL7	Vitara	Swift	Prod	Sales	Sales
1989	-	-	3,300	650	3,950	30,200	15,100
1990	-	-	3,600	850	4,450	20,500	14,400
1991	-	-	3,900	1,100	5,000	21,700	14,100
1992	-	-	6,200	1,100	7,300	24,900	12,800
1993	-	-	4,800	3,600	8,400	25,800	11,300
1994	-	-	9,800	3,900	13,700	33,700	9,000
1995	-	-	13,200	6,300	19,500	32,700	7,800
1996	-	-	9,100	4,200	13,300	32,800	7,800
1997	-	-	7,400	4,500	11,900	36,700	9,100
1998	-	-	3,900	2,500	6,400	29,300	9,300
1999	-	-	11,500	3,600	15,100	37,600	11,200
2000	-	-	15,100	4,900	20,000	49,900	10,600
2001	-	-	13,100	3,200	16,300	60,800	12,000
2002	-	-	12,600	-	12,600	64,700	11,600
2003	-	-	9,000	-	9,000	67,900	9,400
2004	-	-	-	-	0	58,400	9,900
2005	-	-	-	-	0	73,900	8,800
2006	-	13,100	-	-	13,100	82,100	11,200
2007	-	31,400	-	-	31,400	101,000	12,000
2008	300	12,400	-	-	12,700	101,900	13,400
2009	2,300	-	-	-	2,300	84,900	12,300
2010	1,700	-	-	-	1,700	38,700	9,100
2011	2,100	-	-	-	2,100	24,000	5,600
2012	1,700	-	-	-	1,700	26,600	5,500
Total	8,100	56,900	126,500	40,400	231,900	1,160,700	253,300
Average	2,025	18,967	8,433	3,108	9,663	48,363	10,554