It is no secret that Suzuki and Toyota joint venture is working on an all-new mid-sized SUV, which is reportedly to be introduced in the next financial year (2022-23). Adding to it, the JV will also introduce a new mid-sized MPV for the Indian market. The new C-segment sedan is likely to be positioned between the Ertiga and the Innova Crysta.
A new media report suggests that Suzuki and Toyota’s next generation under development models could receive modern day connectivity features. The new models could get ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and connected car technology. The report said that the technology will see rapid proliferation, as it has become very cheap. Not just Suzuki-Toyota cars, these features will be offered on next-gen of compact models in near future. These features are common in compact cars in Europe.
It is reported that these features could be offered on the B-segment compact SUVs as well as mass market hatchback cars. In fact, several sub-4 meter SUVs like Nissan Magnite, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet and Tata Nexon are offered with some connected car features like locking-unlocking, light beam, geofencing, etc using mobile phone applications. However, these SUVs are not offered with ADAS features.
The soon-to-be-launched Mahindra XUV700 and the MG Astor are offered with several high-end connected car tech & Autonomous Level 2 features. These SUVs are fitted with features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection, driver drowsiness detection, forward collision warning, lane chane assistance, and many more.
Talking about the Toyota-Suzuki JV’s mid-sized SUV, it will be positioned against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, VW Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq. It could also get a 7-seater derivative to rival the likes of the Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV700, and the Hyundai Alcazar. It is reported that the new mid-sized SUV and the C-segment MPV will be based on Toyota’s new DNGA (Daihatsu New Generation Architecture), which also underpins the Daihatsu Rocky and the Toyota Raize.
