SUZUKI, TOYOTA DEEPEN TIEUP, TO ROLL OUT NEW SUV IN INDIA

Japanese auto majors Suzuki and Toyota on Friday said they will deepen their collaboration in developing and producing a range of cars in India.

Under the initiative, the two companies will start producing a new SUV developed by Suzuki at Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) from August this year, they said in a joint statement.

Suzuki's Indian arm, Maruti Suzuki and TKM will market the new model in India as Suzuki and Toyota models, respectively.

“Furthermore, the two companies are planning to export the new model to markets outside India, including Africa,” the statement said.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said the automotive industry is facing various challenges such as electrification and carbon neutrality. “By leveraging the respective strengths of Toyota and Suzuki to provide Indian customers with a variety of options, we hope to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and realise a society where 'no-one is left behind' and 'everyone can move freely'," Toyoda said.

Similarly, Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki said production of the new SUV at TKM is a project that can contribute to the growth of India through providing ecofriendly mobility needed by customers. “We recognise that it is a big milestone toward further deepening our collaboration in the future,” he said.

The powertrains of the new model to be on sale in India, will be equipped with mild hybrid developed by Suzuki and strong hybrid developed by Toyota. "By bringing together the strengths of both Toyota and Suzuki through the collaboration, the two companies will be able to provide a wide variety of vehicle electrification technologies to customers and contribute to the acceleration of electrification,” they said.