Cheerful, not cheap: Suzuki Australia says it won’t be targeting budget-friendly Chinese brands like BYD, MG and GWM when its first electric car launches in 2025
Suzuki Australia has announced that it is ready to launch its first-ever electric car Down Under but it says its first all-electric offering won’t be a sub-$40,000 hatchback.
Instead, the Japanese brand’s first EV to touchdown here is likely to be a production version of the Suzuki eVX concept that was unwrapped at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.
If so, expect a decent 500+km range from a 60kWh battery and a single e-motor. That means it won’t offer all-wheel drive although its upright looks and decent ground clearance suggest some off-road potential.
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“We start our EV journey in 2025”, confirmed Suzuki Australia’s general manager Michael Pachota.
Pachota didn’t confirm which Suzuki would be first to land here but said it offered the eVX he “would love that car” here.
Timed to arrive in the same year that Australia’s first new-vehicle emissions regulations (NVES) comes into effect, Pachota said that the first EV would be positioned in the $40,000 to $50,000 price bracket.
Even at that price, Pachota said he only had forecast modest sales for the eVX.
My expectation wouldn’t be for high sales,” said Pachota.
“We would introduce that vehicle and my expectation would be that sales would be very similar to established non-EV brands that have introduced an EV product to complement their range and it would do just that, complement the range.
“It won’t be a volume-seller.”
