Suzuki is ramping up its kei car game in Japan. After confirming earlier this year that all of its dinky vehicles will be equipped with hybrid power in the future, it has now announced that it will be rolling out connected-car services for its kei cars over the next few years.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Suzuki Motor Corporation is gearing up to make all of its kei models connected vehicles by 2025. It will start with the new Spacia miniwagon that will be launched this month and will continue to the other models in the carmaker’s lineup.
Suzuki’s connected services will include remote monitoring, which will allow dealerships to remotely check vehicles for malfunctions in the event of an accident or a breakdown. The system will automatically provide guidance to the nearest repair shop or service center as well.
The carmaker will use communication devices and other core systems that will be developed in-house, while some of the technology will come from Toyota. As for Suzuki’s other larger vehicles, those will be made into connected cars once the company is done with its mini cars.
Kei cars account for roughly 40% of the Japanese market, and the shift to connected-vehicle technology is starting to spread into the segment. Nikkei says Toyota-owned Daihatsu, one of the giants in this market, is now also considering doing the same.
