As part of the cooperation they established in 2017, Japanese automaker giants Toyota and Suzuki announced on Friday, June 24, that they would start producing their first hybrid vehicle in India, which is set for production in August.
OYAMA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 12: A prototype of Toyota Motor Corp.'s fourth-generation Prius hybrid vehicle is driven during the test drive at the Fuji Speedway on November 12, 2015 in Oyama, Japan. The new gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in December.
New SUV At TKM
The two companies will work on the new project that will begin the production of a new SUV at Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) in August this year, according to a joint statement.
The new vehicle will be sold in India under the Suzuki and Toyota brand names, accordingly, according to Suzuki's Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and TKM. Additionally, the two businesses intend to extend the new concept to markets outside of India, such as Africa.
The president of Toyota Akio Toyoda said that the company is thrilled to launch the new SUV alongside Suzuki, a company he claimed to have a "long history of local involvement in the Indian business."
He claimed that today's problems for the automotive sector include electrification and carbon neutrality, and they aspire to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and provide Indian customers with more options.
As reported by Business Standard, Suzuki's president Toshihiro Suzuki stated that the project to produce the new SUV at TKM can help India flourish by meeting consumer demand for eco-friendly transport.
According to the announcement, the new model, which will go on sale in India, will use mild-hybrid powertrains created by Suzuki and strong hybrid powertrains built by Toyota.
Toyota and Suzuki anticipate that by combining their respective capabilities through this partnership, they would be able to provide customers with a wide range of vehicle electrification technologies and contribute to India's rapid electrification and attainment of a carbon-neutral society.
'Make in India' Initiative
The two giant car manufacturers also stated that they would continue to be dedicated to the realization of the "Make in India" initiative promoted by the Indian government.
They aim to contribute to sustainable economic growth and the completion of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070, including investment in the extension of their partnership in India.
In order to form a business partnership, Toyota and Suzuki inked a memorandum of understanding in 2017.
The businesses claimed that since 2017, they have been combining Suzuki's expertise in compact car technologies with Toyota's skill in electrification technologies in order to produce and popularize electrified automobiles.
Suzuki's prestigious hatchback Baleno and small SUV Brezza are being sold in India by TKM under the brand names Glanza and Urban Cruiser, respectively.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
