Suzuki Marine launched six decades ago in 1965, with a one cylinder, two-stroke portable outboard that produced a diminutive 5.5 horsepower. When Suzuki introduced that first outboard engine, no one could have guessed that 60 years later the brand would stand for unmatched reliability, incessant innovation, and industry-leading performance and fuel economy.
One measure of accomplishment is the awards and accolades one garners. Like an athlete who works their way up to an elite league and then lands on the podium, in industry-wide competition, Suzuki Marine has been singled out for recognition time and again. Innovation Awards have been presented to the company by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association nine times. Eight of these awards have been for four-stroke outboards—the most of any outboard manufacturer in the industry.
Along with the Innovation Awards, Suzuki’s products have been recognized through the years with Boating Industry Magazine’s Top Products awards, including for their most recent introduction, the Stealth lineup. Suzuki Marine has even won the day with its own customers, having received 18 consecutive Customer Satisfaction Index awards since the CSI’s inception in 2006. To win one of these awards, a manufacturer must achieve an independently measured 90 percent customer satisfaction, a bar that Suzuki Marine has never failed to sail over. Considering this competitive nature, it’s no wonder that Suzuki partnered with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be the team’s official outboard-motor brand.
Today’s Lineup
For 60 years, Suzuki has been working to establish a full lineup of unmatched outboards, and in 2025 has reached the point where all of its outboards are fully updated and refined to provide the latest looks, performance, and feel. From the tiny 2.5A to the brawny DF350AMD, each engine represents state-of-the-art technology and modern styling. Many would argue that it’s really what’s under the cowl that counts in this regard, whether you’re considering the battery-less EFI found all the way down to the 9.9 hp in its portable lineup, or the dual injector EFI found in the flagship DF350AMD. But these examples merely scratch the tech surface when it comes to Suzuki’s outboards. The company was the first to introduce a 300 hp V-6, the first to utilize electronic remote control, the creator of Selective Rotation, and the first to integrate a microplastic-collecting device that filters the cooling water running through an outboard motor.
This all comes on top of features that apply technology to improve the boating experience. Lean Burn, a Suzuki-patented technology that optimizes the stoichiometric (air/fuel) ratio to reduce fuel consumption, can be found through the lineup. The DF40A and larger engines feature a self-adjusting timing chain running through an oil bath. Offset driveshafts on the DF75A and above move the engine’s center of gravity forward to minimize vibration. Through much of the lineup you’ll find additional techie touches such as multistage induction to optimize airflow, variable valve timing providing increased acceleration and torque, automatic trim to ensure top fuel economy and speed while simplifying life for the operator, and Suzuki Precision Control electronic throttle and shift that make those old cable controls seem archaic. On top of all that, a four-layer anticorrosion finish protects the motor’s exterior aluminum surfaces.
Today’s Commitment
Proving it’s not only a leader in the consumer outboard marketplace but also as a corporate citizen of planet Earth, parallel to offering motors that minimize emissions and maximize efficiency, This includes continuing their participation in the Clean Up the World Campaign, a global effort started in 2011 during which participants from Suzuki Marine head to nearby shorelines and remove trash and plastic from waterways worldwide. It also includes an effort to reduce plastic packaging in all of their products and has already reduced plastic usage by more than 50 tons. And it includes adding marine microplastic-collecting devices to their current 115/140 hp outboards (without affecting engine performance) to help filter existing microplastics out of the waters where we go boating and fishing.
“Protecting the marine environment for future generations has always been important to Suzuki,” says George “Gus” Blakely, Executive vice president of Suzuki Marine, upon the introduction of the microplastics filter. “Whether by innovating new technology; reducing the use of plastics in our products, packaging and shipping; or putting on gloves and rolling up our sleeves to pick up trash off the beach, Suzuki Marine is committed to keeping our waters and shorelines clean and healthy. This filtering system will allow our customers to join our effort simply through the act of using their boats.”
Tomorrow’s Outboards
What’s in store next for Suzuki Marine and its outboards? As part of its 60th-anniversary celebration at this year’s Miami International Boat Show, the company made one announcement that’s sure to grab some headlines: Suzuki has partnered with marine retailer West Marine. Starting in 2025, small outboards, OEM lubricants, maintenance kits and DIY parts for Suzuki outboards will be available through West Marine’s 200 stores, as well as its consumer and BTB websites.
Today we know that there’s more exciting news on the horizon, but the company hasn’t yet disclosed exactly what’s coming up next. We can, however, say one thing for sure: Whatever Suzuki might bring us next, you can bet it will feature new outboard-engine tech that raises the bar, building on the foundation the company has established over six decades—and when that next Suzuki outboard hits the water, we’ll be itching to hit the throttle.
To learn more about Suzuki Marine and its lineup of outboards or about the Clean Ocean Project initiatives, visit suzukimarine.com.
