Toyota, Suzuki to produce new SUV in India

Toyota and Suzuki announce their plans to deepen their collaboration in terms of development and production in India. Part of this is a new SUV model developed by Suzuki at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM).

Both TKM and Maruti Suzuki India Limited will reportedly market the new model in India as Toyota and Suzuki models, respectively. Furthermore, the two companies are planning to export the new model to markets outside India including Africa.

“We are pleased to announce the new SUV with Suzuki, a company that has a long history of local involvement in the Indian business. Today, 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 realize a society where ‘no one is left behind’ and ‘everyone can move freely,’” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.

Using Toyota’s strength in electrification technologies and Suzuki’s expertise in technologies for compact vehicles, the upcoming SUV will feature hybrid powertrains.

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 and the realization of a carbon-neutral society in India.

“Production of the new SUV at TKM is a project that can contribute to the growth of India through providing eco-friendly mobility needed by customers. We recognize that it is a big milestone toward further deepening our collaboration in the future. We appreciate the support from Toyota, and at the same time, will explore new synergy and business opportunities through continuous collaboration,” said Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki.

The new SUV will start production by August. Word on the web said the Toyota-badged model will be called Hyryder while the Suzuki-branded SUV will be called Vitara.

Photos from Toyota and Suzuki

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