The all-Japanese collaboration is transitioning from ICE cars to EVs and the first electric SUV will be manufactured in India
Suzuki and Toyota will create an electric SUV which will go into production in the spring of 2025. The debut will take place on November 4, 2024. The two Japanese auto giants have been in a partnership since signing the MoU in 2017. As a part of this alliance, they have launched badge-engineered and co-developed products in various international markets including India. Going forward, Suzuki will develop the electric SUV at its Gujarat plant in India which will be sold as a Toyota as well.
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Suzuki and Toyota to Co-Develop Electric SUV
The latest press release from Toyota highlights the efforts to deepen its collaboration into the electric mobility era. Until now, the Suzuki-Toyota vehicles have been launched in markets like Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In the future, they want to leverage each other’s strengths and reduce the risk to enter the EV era alone. Note that while Toyota has been selling EVs internationally, this will be the first EV from Suzuki.
The EV was on display by Suzuki earlier as eVX. It will be an exclusively BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and not a derivative of any ICE car. That will lead to a spacious cabin and even a performance-focused dual-motor 4WD configuration. Going by the eVX concept, the exterior will bear a modern appearance with prominent LED DRLs, a rugged fascia, an upright and muscular side profile and a sleek rear section with connected LED taillamps and an adventurous skid plate.
The interior will be minimalistic, just like on most modern EVs. Nevertheless, there won’t be any shortage of the latest tech, connectivity and convenience amenities to pamper the occupants. Talking about the dimensions, the eVX will be around 4,300 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,600 mm tall. Also, Suzuki eVX has a 60 kWh battery pack which is good for about 550 km of range. It will be interesting to see how these specs translate to the production-spec model.
Speaking on this occasion, Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki said, “Suzuki will supply our first BEV to Toyota globally. I am grateful that the collaboration between the two companies has further deepened in this way. While continuing to be competitors, we will deepen our collaborations toward solving social issues, including the realization of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach.”
Similarly, Toyota President Koji Sato remarked, “By leveraging the BEV unit and platform that we jointly developed, we will take a new step in our collaboration in the field of electrified vehicles. This will allow us to deliver various choices that contribute to a carbon-neutral society to customers worldwide. We would like to learn from each other’s strengths, compete, and further joint efforts based on a multi-pathway approach.”
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Learn Electric Cars Says
Both Toyota and Suzuki are evidently late to the EV party. While Toyota is beginning to make a recognizable shift, Suzuki has not commenced its journey. Interestingly, Toyota recorded a 17% decline in its sales in the first half of fiscal 2024 for the first time in 4 years. Clearly, there is a shift in the international market. At the same time, large automobile markets like the U.S., China and Europe are facing a slowdown in EV sales. Therefore, the situation is unpredictable and full of complications. That is the reason why carmakers are demonstrating caution.