By Justin Lee

FROM the time Suzuki held up to 70 percent of the 1.0-litre car market with the original Swift in the mid-90s, the Japanese have had a knack for finding lucrative niches in the car market. This may happen again with its All Purpose Vehicle (APV), the eight-seater Multi-Purpose Vehicle that was displayed at the Suzuki stand.

In terms of specifications and equipment, the Hyundai Matrix-sized APV seems to have all the right stuff – it seats eight, is powered by a modern 16-valve 1.6-litre engine and comes with a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Unlike other contemporary MPVs however, it doesn’t have a monocoque chassis but instead makes use of a body-on-frame chassis, just like the Jimny and Grand Vitara. Also, to maximise space-efficiency, the APV has its engine mounted under the driver and front passenger. The other interesting thing about the APV is that it is built at Suzuki’s factory in Indonesia.

Aware that this aspect of the APV might prove to be controversial, local importer Champion Motors organised a one-week survey at its showroom just before
the Motorshow.

CarBuyer found out that object of the survey was to determine how the APV would be accepted, and more importantly, at what price such a vehicle would be acceptable.

Interest shown for the APV at the Motorshow will also play a part in determining its market potential and price. If everything goes well, Suzuki might have the most affordable MPV in Singapore in its line-up, although no indicative price has been disclosed yet.