Suzuki to sell hybrid in N. America in '11 -Nikkei

TOKYO Aug 16 (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor Corp (7269.T) plans to start selling a hybrid sedan in North America in 2011, using a next-generation system co-developed with General Motors Corp [GM.UL], the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday.

The Japanese small car maker has lagged behind Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) in developing environmentally friendly vehicles, and its entry to the hybrid business is likely to fuel a price competition, the Nikkei said.

The hybrid system will be installed in Suzuki's "Kizashi" midsize sedan, a gasoline version of which is slated to hit the North American market in late 2009, the paper said.

Suzuki has said it was considering a hybrid version of "Kizashi" for the North American market, using technology co-developed with GM, which owned as much as 20 percent of Suzuki until 2006. (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)