Germany's Volkswagen will buy a one-fifth stake in Suzuki Motor for $2.5 billion, giving it access to the Japanese firm's expertise in small cars and dominance in India as it seeks to become the world's top automaker.

Here are some facts about Suzuki Motor Corp:

* WHAT DOES SUZUKI MAKE?

-- Designs and manufactures passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motors and other products.

* COMPANY DETAILS:

Market Capitalisation - $13.88 billion

Employees - 50,613

Production facilities - 23 countries

Net Sales - $34.95 billon (2008)

Net Sales break-up by segment:

Automobile - 80.9 percent

Motorcycle - 16.9 percent

Other - 2.2 percent

Net Sales break-up by Region:

Japan - 28.0 percent

Asia - 25.3 percent

Europe - 26.3 percent

North America - 11.9 percent

Other - 8.5 percent

* PRODUCTION:

Automobile Production - 2.6 million

Motorcycle Production - 3.3 million

* KEY BRANDS:

-- Swift, Grand Vitara, SX4, Hayabusa, GSX-R600

-- Established as a loom maker by Michio Suzuki in 1909, Suzuki sold its first motorised bicycle in 1952 and its first passenger car, the 360cc Suzulight, in 1955.

-- Builds the world's fastest motorcycle, called Hayabusa, said to have recorded speeds of over 300 km (186 miles) per hour. (Writing by Carl Bagh, Bangalore Editorial Reference Unit, editing by David Cutler and Jon Loades-Carter)

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