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The Port of Baltimore
■
September/October 2012
To subscribe or renew, visit
www.marylandports.com
inspection for cars bound for rental fleets
so that the vehicles are prepared to be
driven immediately.
“
Everything is ready for the final cus-
tomer,” Gorman said.
About 1,000 Suzuki vehicles a month
come through the Port of Baltimore, “and
typically by the end of the month we don’t
have anything left on the ground,” Gorman
said.
The most popular model with buyers
is the compact SX4, which comes in three
configurations: a sedan; the SportBack,
a front-wheel-drive hatchback; and the
Crossover, a hatchback with all-wheel
drive. It’s the least expensive all-wheel-
drive vehicle in the United States. The
midsize Kizashi sedan is known for
American buyers who choose a Suzuki don’t realize
that the car they’re admiring in the showroom owes
its mint condition to a program they’ve probably
never heard of: QCHAT.
being sporty and fun to drive with a well-
appointed interior reminiscent of European
cars. It, too, is available with all-wheel
drive. The Grand Vitara is a capable SUV
that’s actually designed to go off road.
The lineup appeals to drivers who like
the outdoors.
“
We offer something different; we like
to be a niche player,” Gorman said.
Although Suzuki sells 2.5 million cars
worldwide annually, it has a smaller pres-
ence in the United States than Honda and
Toyota. But in Japan, Suzuki’s WagonR,
not offered in the U.S., has been the top-
selling model for several years. Suzuki is
the fourth-largest car company in Japan.
“
The factories are running at 100 percent.
We can’t get extra cars if demand suddenly
40
PERCENT
of Suzuki cars
sold in the U.S. come through
the Port of Baltimore.
12,000
CARS
a year come
through Baltimore.
From the Port, cars are sent to some
80
DEALERS
,
most of which are
within a day’s travel from Baltimore.
www.suzukiauto.com
40%
Mike Gorman, District Port Manager for American Suzuki Motor Corporation, is a fan of QCHAT.
SUZUKI At-A-Glance