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Suzuki signs with Household finance

American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC), Brea, Calif, has signed a five-year contract for retail services with subsidiaries of Household International, Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC).
Household’s retail services group will handle all consumer financing of motorcycle, ATV and marine outboard motor sales at the dealership level. Using the new credit program, Suzuki’s customers will receive special financing options on their Suzuki product, accessory and service purchases. The partnership between ASMC and Household is scheduled to begin Feb. 1, 2004, with the marine division, and with the motorcycle/ATV division April 1, 2004.
“Household is a leader in the finance industry and we’re very excited about this endeavor,” said ASMC Vice President of Motorcycle/ATV Division Mel Harris. “Our dealers are enthusiastic about this as well and will benefit enormously. We at Suzuki are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Household.”
Household International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. Through its businesses, Household is a leading provider of consumer loans, credit cards, auto finance and credit insurance products in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
In the United States, Household operates under the two oldest and most recognized names in consumer finance – HFC and Beneficial.
Additionally, Household is one of the nation’s largest issuers of private label and general-purpose credit cards, including The GM Card and the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus card. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.household.com.
CONCEPT RECUMBENT G-STRIDER
In other Suzuki news, the company is showing its concept recumbent (feet-forward) motorcycle: the G-Strider. Powered by a 916cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin engine, the G-Strider uses a center-hub steering system and front swingarm, and the same Suzuki Electronically-controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (SECVT) found on the Burgman 650 scooter.
A concept, the G-Strider isn’t to be built for consumers. While certain items may find a way into production motorcycles, Suzuki says the G-Strider serves largely as a study.
Features include an intelligent keyless ignition system and an intelligent cornering lamp system, which uses microprocessors to sense the motorcycle’s bank and handlebar angle to illuminate the road on the inside of the turn. Futuristic safety features on the Suzuki G-Strider include two rear-facing cameras mounted in the rear lighting system, which feed video images to the rear view monitors, replacing conventional mirrors. A tank-mounted console with trackball control operates the technology.

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