Magyar Suzuki celebrates 30th anniversary

After a 50-year hiatus, passenger car production in Hungary was revived in the spring of 1991, with the establishment of Suzuki's Esztergom plant. Some 3.6 million Suzuki cars have been produced in Hungary since the company was founded three decades ago. 

If we were to line up that many cars in a row, we could go from Suzuki's plant in Esztergom all the way to the Japanese parent company's plant in Hamamatsu, and even start the journey back, the press release claims.

After the regime change, the Esztergom plant was one of the first major greenfield foreign investments in Hungary, and in 2019 Magyar Suzuki became the seventh-largest company in the country in terms of turnover. As of 2021, the brand has been leading new car sales in Hungary for the fifth consecutive year. 

 "Our company has been a full-service manufacturer in Hungary from the very beginning, which is unique in the Hungarian automotive industry. This means that the pressing and welding of the steel plates, the painting of the bodywork, the assembly of the vehicles and the quality control of the finished cars are all carried out in Esztergom. So far, our most-produced model is the Vitara, followed by the SX4, and in third place is Suzuki's first domestically produced car, the first generation Swift," said Zsuzsanna Bonnár-Csonka, head of corporate communications at Magyar Suzuki.

In addition to producing vehicles for 123 countries, the company also sells imported Suzuki cars, motorcycles, and marine engines. Since April 2019, Magyar Suzuki has been the Japanese group's European-based spare parts and accessories center, making it a leading automotive center in Central Europe.

"Suzuki Motor Corporation's HUF 16.3 billion greenfield investment in Hungary during the regime change period had very serious economic policy risks. The establishment of Magyar Suzuki was a message to other foreign investors that the country was a safe and ideal investment destination. We believed in this country then, and we have continued to believe in it for 30 years. Even when times were difficult, we did not leave. It is a source of great joy and pride for me that, together with our partners, suppliers, and our 78 dealership network, approximately 10,000 people are involved in one of the greatest economic success stories of the last 30 years, Magyar Suzuki," said Abe Yoshinobu, CEO of Magyar Suzuki.

"Since our founding, we have sold some 3.6 million cars to the world, invested billions of forints in the country, and created tens of thousands of stable jobs for Hungarian families. In addition, we have several colleagues who have contributed to the production of all Suzuki cars in Esztergom, either on the production line or in the office. We thank our colleagues, our partners, the region, and the country for our joint achievements," he added.