Toyota’s Ertiga MPV and Ciaz Sedan India Launch Confirmed
Suzuki will be supplying the Ertiga and the Ciaz sedan to Toyota for sale in the Indian market.
Toyota and Maruti Suzuki has officially announced that the joint venture will produce a range of new models for India as well as global markets. Suzuki will help the Japanese counterpart to enter into segments where it failed to make a strong mark. Toyota will develop an all-new C-segment MPV with the help of Suzuki’s expertise. Moreover, Suzuki will be supplying the Ertiga and the Ciaz sedan to Toyota for sale in the Indian market.
The company hasn’t revealed the time-frame for the launch of the Toyota-badged second-gen Ertiga and Ciaz sedan. However, the JV confirmed that the Toyota’s version of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will be produced at the Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s plant in Bidadi, Karnataka.
Toyota will launch the re-badged Maruti Baleno premium hatchback in the end of this year. In a bid to further consolidate on the JV, Toyota will provide the Corolla Altis sedan to Maruti Suzuki after 2020. The new plan also suggests that Toyota will take Suzuki’s help to develop cost-effective India-specific models.
The new C-segment Toyota MPV will also be sold under the Suzuki’s badge in some markets. For the European markets, Toyota will supply electric RAV4 and the Corolla Estate to Suzuki, while the latter will give its small engines to the Japanese counterpart. The JV will also work on electric powertrains, technologies and platform. Toyota will also provide hybrid powertrains to Suzuki. In fact, Denso, Suzuki and Toshiba have already made an investment in Gujarat for the production of batteries.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said, “When it comes to vehicle electrification, which is expected to make further inroads, hybrid technologies are seen as playing a huge role in many markets, as from before. Widespread acceptance is necessary for electrified vehicles to be able to contribute to Earth’s environment. Through our new agreement, we look forward to the wider use of hybrid technologies, not only in India and Europe, but around the world. At the same time, we believe that the expansion of our business partnership with Suzuki―from the mutual supply of vehicles and powertrains to the domains of development and production―will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation. We intend to strengthen the competitiveness of both our companies by applying our strong points and learning from each other.”
