Suzuki Looking to Expand Powersports Footprint

The nuts and bolts of the news that Suzuki has merged two parts of its ATV business are about as interesting as staring at drying paint. But the reason for the move could end up being pretty interesting. Suzuki says that by making Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corporation a 100 percent subsidiary of Suzuki Motor USA, the company will better be able to expand its powersports business.

SMAC opened in Rome, Georgia, in 2001, and has built every KingQuad ATV the company has sold in the US and overseas. The move basically unites the ATV production arm, SMAC, with the ATV sales arm, Suzuki Motor USA. The result, Suzuki says, will be a more nimble business that will be better able to respond to demand, and therefore better able to expand.

That’s great news for ATV enthusiasts, as the market has mostly stagnated or shrunk over the last few years. With a couple of exceptions, new ATVs are thin on the ground, and the sport market is effectively dead. The KingQuad is an excellent machine that got some meaningful updates this year, but it’s getting long in the tooth.

We still wouldn’t hold our breath for a Suzuki side-by-side, but new energy behind the ATV market is still pretty cool.

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