QOTD: Worst Automotive Alliance Ever? 

"ciscokidinsf" (ciscokidinsf) 09/01/2015 at 15:01 • Filed to: QOTD, Suzuki, VW, Worst Deal Ever

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So, what has been the worst Automotive Alliance ever? (Could be temporary, permanent, or perhaps resulted in a few vehicles) My nomination: Suzuki-VW. I was checking the article at TTAC about Suzuki finally getting out of their deal with VW. Such a disappointment.

This has to be, hands down, the worst automotive partnership ever – almost 20% of Suzuki exchanged hands onto VW and they could NOT produce one measly vehicle together. Not even an engine. Not a concept, Nothing! (Except millions in lawyer billings across two continents)

The reason Suzuki wanted VW was to get some better engine tech, specifically hybrid tech, because Suzuki has NONE yet out there and better car electronics. Suzuki makes pretty decent vehicles. I have a Kizashi, and it is outstanding – but it could use a better, newer engine, less thirsty and electronics are a very weak spot. Same for Hybrid technology, Suzuki has nothing yet, which is what they really wanted from VW. Their cars are the perfect size to be Hybrids.

Poor Suzuki, every partnership they try ends up like shit:

The GM-Suzuki partnership had very good days (Geo Metro and Tracker) but when GM forced Suzuki to sell Daewoo crap under its own name in the US, it was too much. You can even see the long term data on the cars Suzuki made (Good stuff) vs the Daewoo rebadges (utter crap. That’s why I don’t trust the Cruze just yet) so they left GM in shame

Now VW just left them hanging after the marriage. VW was being their usual germanic selves and Suzuki needed faster moves and had less time to spare. Suzuki is a bit like Honda (one-country hit wonder in India) and you can totally see that they needed VW a lot more than VW needed Suzuki.

The Kizashi and the Jetta are very similar in size and dimensions, I even remember the early discussions on the VW-Suzuki partnership on perhaps launching the Kizashi with the 2.5 5 cyl or V6 engines from VW. Not a damn thing happened.

Suzuki makes great small cars and small CUVs but they really have outdated engines and no tech. A Kizashi with some VW bits would have been awesome.

They are free from VW, good, but despite their sweet Indian spot as #1 car manufacturer, and dominating a few asian countries, there is relatively little out there for Suzuki. They will need to invest oodles of money to survive or merge with someone.

So, for you, what is/was the worst auto alliance ever? Did it even produce a car?

Wacko > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:05

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Cough, cough

Daimler-Chrysler

Cough, cough

Sam > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:05

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I’ve always loved the way the Kizashi looked.

I think Daimler-Chrysler is probably the worst. Daimler sucked Chrysler dry and dumped them right before they completely died.

not for canada - australian in disguise > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:06

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So many people are gonna say Daimler-Chrysler. But I’m gonna be different. Tata-Rover, it’s only real product was this absolute shitbox. And shortly after the joint venture flopped MG Rover went bust. Go figure.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:08

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They need a crazy car in the line to break the mold a bit, sort of like the first CTS-V did.

I suggest a Kizashi with 2 turbocharged Ninja engines. One in front for the front wheels, one in the back for the back wheels.

Wacko > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:08

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For the Suzuki-VW merger, I was hoping for a Tdi Sx4, but it wasn’t so....

I still miss my SX4.

ciscokidinsf > Wacko 09/01/2015 at 15:09

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Dunno, Chrysler with older MB bits and pieces is an improvement and the Dr. Z commercials were awesome, including cartoon Dr. Z. At least they divorced in good terms, minimal damage. Who could predict FIAT ownership would actually get them to grow share in US and increase sales?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > not for canada - australian in disguise 09/01/2015 at 15:10

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So much this. I like cheap little hatches, but this was a hateful little thing.

That said Rover deserved to die by the end regardless of this. Ever been in a Rover from around 03-05? The quality is shocking.

crowmolly > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:11

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Renault-AMC is a rough one, although I think it eventually became a partial takeover.

ciscokidinsf > crowmolly 09/01/2015 at 15:14

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Oh Shit!!! I should’ve mentioned that one. I actually endured a piece-of-shit 86 Alliance that was the worst of french engineering combined with the skills of a drunken workforce in Kenosha. Those cars were almost worse than having no car. This from the guy who went through 3 head gaskets in 1 year in this miserable piece of shit.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > crowmolly 09/01/2015 at 15:15

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A partial takeover of sorts that then got a divorce - I don’t really get why Chrysler wasn’t interested in maintaining any of the Renault connections. I guess it just didn’t work financially?

lone_liberal > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:20

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Packard and Studebaker. It was like two drowning people grabbing on to each other.

duurtlang > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:22

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Alfa Romeo + Nissan. The inspired design of Nissan with the mechanical durability of early 80s Alfa Romeo, all combined with rust proofing of legends. And yes, the Alfa Romeo Arna did make it to production.

I like the sea creature the Alfa seems to have caught on the hood though.

ciscokidinsf > duurtlang 09/01/2015 at 15:27

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They should’ve done the complete opposite, let Alfa design the exterior, Nissan the mechanicals - that would have been awesome.

crowmolly > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/01/2015 at 15:27

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I just write it off as that era Chrysler being a total dumpster fire.

duurtlang > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:30

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Not really. You’d have a great looking car that was shit to drive. They should’ve let Alfa design the whole thing and let Nissan do the quality control and the actual manufacturing.

wiffleballtony > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:33

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Nissan / Renault which brought us the Leaf.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > lone_liberal 09/01/2015 at 15:37

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...one of them who was drowning because he was weighed down, the other because he didn’t know how to swim...

fhrblig > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 15:51

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Fiat-GM, which cost GM a huge amount to free themselves from.

nrj > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 16:06

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Berang > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 16:08

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Packard-Studebaker only ended up killing both companies, and also produced a few hideous “Packards” before that company fell into a grave with a tombstone marked “R.I.E.” for Rest In Embarassment.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > ciscokidinsf 09/01/2015 at 18:12

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This. Nissan and Alfa, except Nissan designed it and Alfa built it.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > duurtlang 09/01/2015 at 18:14

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Just mentioned this, but I didn't see your response.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > not for canada - australian in disguise 09/02/2015 at 01:07

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MG Rover was already circling the drain and the bit with Tata wasn’t so much a joint venture as it was Rover’s last ditch effort to make a car as cheaply as possible and salvage a few quid. Tata has really only had their hands in anything Rover (or Jaguar) since ‘08, years after MG-Rover was done. Since ‘08 we’ve been getting some killer stuff from JLR, such as the F-Type and SVR to name a couple. I would argue that [Land] Rover only still exists because of Tata.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/02/2015 at 01:11

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To my knowledge, Tata did nothing with that venture but sell Rover a chassis to base their own shit box on. Tata only started playing a role in ‘08, long after Rover died. ‘03-’05 was either Ferd or the ambiguous “Phoenix Consortium”, after BMW threw them in the trash anyways.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 09/02/2015 at 04:47

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Yeah that’s true. They basically tried to sell a car for a developing market in the UK/ europe. It was never going to end well.

pip bip - choose Corrour > ciscokidinsf 09/02/2015 at 08:01

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Holden-Toyota.