Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) today announced the appointment of Toshihiro Suzuki as the company’s chief executive officer. Suzuki, who is the president and chief operating officer of SMC, takes over from his father and former CEO Osamu Suzuki. The changes in management come into effect from today following approval at the annual shareholders meeting.
Earlier this month, SMC announced that CEO and chairman Osamu Suzuki, who has led the company since 1978, would step down as CEO following the revelation that it used wrong mileage testing methodology for its cars. Osamu Suzuki, however, will stay on as chairman.
The Japanese carmaker admitted to fudging fuel-efficiency claims for some of its cars sold in Japan. Recently, 16 of the carmaker's models on sale in Japan came under scrutiny for improper fuel-efficiency claims, which include cars like the WagonR, S-cross, Swift and the Made-In-India Baleno. Suzuki stated that this impacts the cars sold in Japan only and not Suzuki’s overseas markets.
In April 2016, Mitsubishi had also confessed to tampering with fuel test figures of cars sold in Japan. The move affected around 6,25,000 Mitsubishi-made cars, including those produced for Nissan.
Toshihiro Suzuki, who now takes full charge of the company, will drive ‘Suzuki Next 100’, the company's mid-term five-year management plan which runs from 2015 to 2020. The plan is aimed at preparing the company to firmly establish itself in the global automotive arena in 2020, when it completes 100 years.
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