It isn’t a secret that Toyota and Suzuki have joined forces to play a vital role in the Indian automobile industry. Not only will they be producing batteries for electric vehicles on our shores but also share each other’s vehicle platforms and sell restyled and rebadged models via their respective retail networks. Now, we’ve got some new developments. The Japanese duo will be expanding their collaborative efforts in India and other parts of the globe.

Details are scarce at the moment. But the highlights are more than capable to shed light on what the future prospects for Toyota and Suzuki hold. Let’s focus on their plans for India first. Toyota, as we are well aware, is a pioneer in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology. Part of the collaborative expansion plans specifies that Toyota will spread the HEV tech in India by local procurement of required systems, engines and batteries. Suzuki, on the other hand, has agreed to supply two compact vehicle platforms (Ciaz and Ertiga) to Toyota in India.

Suzuki To Invest More Than $1 Billion In Toyota India’s Production Plant

There’s more. Suzuki will help Toyota to design and develop an MPV which will sit in the C-segment. In other words, a direct competitor to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Moreover, Suzuki will also utilise Toyota India’s production capacity to lessen the stress on its own plants in Haryana and Gujarat. For instance, we know that in the list of vehicle platform sharing, one of the names is Vitara Brezza. Well, Toyota will start manufacturing the Vitara Brezza for Maruti Suzuki at its production plant in 2022.

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The Japanese carmakers also want to use each other’s strengths to capture the potential of other markets. For Africa, Maruti Suzuki-produced vehicles – Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ciaz and Ertiga – will be supplied to Toyota. Further west, Toyota will produce Suzuki-developed engines for compact vehicles at its manufacturing plant in Poland. Sticking with Europe, Toyota will supply two electrified vehicles – RAV4 and Corolla Wagon – to its Japanese counterpart. Needless to say, they will look different and will be sold via Suzuki retailers. Toyota has also agreed to supply its own hybrid technology to Suzuki on a global level.

It is safe to say that at least in India, Suzuki and Toyota will have a major impact on the automobile industry. Not only will they utilise each other’s expertise to tap into the potential of our market but also bring next-gen technologies to produce environmentally-friendly vehicles.