In what could turn into a mega partnership in the global automotive industry, Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor have agreed to take concrete steps toward sharing more models, vehicle architectures and electrified vehicle technology.
The discussion between the Japanese automakers is on three major subjects: sharing of electrified vehicle technology including Toyota’s patented hybrid vehicle systems, sharing of Suzuki’s compact vehicle architecture and engines and leveraging each other’s manufacturing capabilities for global markets.
Toyota and Suzuki have been considering such a collaboration since having signed a memorandum of understanding toward business partnership on February 6, 2017. Since then, Toyota Kirloskar, the local unit of the Japanese automaker, has agreed to source the premium Baleno hatchback and compact SUV Vitara Brezza from Suzuki’s Indian unit, Maruti Suzuki.
Now they plan to further expand the partnership. Toyota would now also get the Ertiga multipurpose vehicle and the Ciaz sedan from Maruti Suzuki to sell in India. By 2022, the local unit of Toyota will start making Suzuki cars in its factory at Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It would also export these vehicles — Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ciaz and Ertiga — to Africa under the Toyota badge.
Both companies have also agreed to jointly develop and share a C-segment MPV for the Indian market.