Suzuki and Toyota entered into a partnership in 2016 and signed an agreement for a capital alliance to setup and promote long-term cooperation in fields like EV technology and autonomous driving in 2019. For the Indian market, both automakers will jointly develop new vehicles and share engines, batteries and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology. Under this partnership, Maruti Suzuki will bring in multiple new SUVs and crossovers over the period of next 2-3 years.
One of them will be a mid-size SUV that will be positioned against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. While official launch timeline and details of the upcoming new Maruti SUV are yet to be revealed, the model is reported to hit roads in the second half of 2022.
In order to withstand the rivals, the Indo-Japanese automaker might equip the vehicle with advanced goodies including connected car technology, a touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity, wireless charging and a sunroof. Unlike the new breed Maruti Suzuki cars, the upcoming new mid-size SUV will be designed on Toyota’s DNGA (Daihatsu New Generation Architecture) platform. The same architecture underpins the Toyota Raize subcompact SUV that’s currently on sale in select global markets. Read – New Maruti-Toyota SUV To Aim For 5 Star GNCAP Rating
The new Maruti SUV could be offered with Suzuki’s 1.5L petrol engine benefited with the stronger hybrid system. In its current avatar, the gasoline unit makes 104bhp and 138Nm of torque. The automaker might also use the new 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine, which is currently under development.
The new Maruti SUV is also reported to come with the 1.4L Boosterjet engine borrowed from the Japan-spec Suzuki Swift hatchback. The oil burner pushes out a peak power of 138bhp and 230Nm of torque. The model can be had with three gearboxes – a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed annual and a 4-speed torque converter automatic.
More details on the upcoming Maruti Suzuki’s Hyundai Creta rival are likely to be revealed in coming months. Stay tuned to IndiaCarNews.
