Suzuki, which is becoming increasingly disillusioned by its partnership with Volkswagen, could deepen its cooperation with Fiat, according to media reports.
German industry magazine Automobilwoche recently reported a growing rift with VW and cited a “high-ranking” Suzuki executive as saying that the Japanese company’s cooperation with Fiat has been working well for years, adding that it was easy to imagine that deepening the partnership would be of benefit to both sides.
Relations between Suzuki and VW have soured and, last week, Suzuki executive vice president Yasuhito Harayama, asserting his company’s independence, said the two needed to go back to the drawing board on their partnership.
VW has sought to allay those concerns by saying it would not encroach on Suzuki’s autonomy.