Japanese automakers Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation are stepping up their collaboration in the electric vehicle (EV) segment, with Suzuki agreeing to supply a battery-powered SUV to Toyota from its Maruti Suzuki India subsidiary.
Maruti Suzuki is scheduled to begin production of the battery-powered SUV at its Gujarat plant in the first quarter of 2025. The purpose-designed BEV, based on a platform developed jointly by Toyota, its Daihatsu Motor subsidiary, and Suzuki, will be available with the option of four-wheel drive and is described by Toyota as having “sharp driving characteristics, ample cruising range, and a comfortable cabin.”
Toyota and Suzuki have collaborated since 2016 in several areas, including the development of new products and model sharing both in Japan and overseas. In India, the Toyota Glanza is a rebadged Suzuki Baleno, and the Toyota Urban Cruiser is a rebadged Suzuki Vitara, which Toyota also exports to overseas markets, including South Africa.
This will be the first time the two companies share a BEV model. The new agreement will benefit both companies, by helping Suzuki increase its economies of scale in BEV production and allowing Toyota to establish an early presence in India’s emerging zero-emissions vehicle segment. Toyota stated it would also sell this model in overseas markets.
Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki said in a statement, “Suzuki will supply our first BEV to Toyota globally. I am grateful that the collaboration between the two companies has further deepened in this way. While continuing to be competitors, we will deepen our collaborations toward solving social issues, including the realization of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach.”
Toyota president Koji Sato added, “By leveraging the BEV unit and platform that we jointly developed, we will take a new step in our collaboration in the field of electrified vehicles. This will allow us to deliver various choices that contribute to a carbon-neutral society to customers worldwide. We would like to learn from each other’s strengths, compete, and further joint efforts based on a multi-pathway approach.”
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