Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced on Wednesday that they have decided to further strengthen their collaboration in the supply of a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) SUV model developed by Suzuki to Toyota.
This new model is scheduled to be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat, from the spring of 2025, the companies said in a statement.
“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 realisation of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach,” Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor (Japan), said.
Since Suzuki’s Chairman (current Senior Advisor), Osamu Suzuki, and Toyota’s President (current Chairman), Akio Toyoda, started exploring business partnerships in 2016, both companies have engaged in a wide-ranging collaboration, aiming to provide people with freedom of movement and fun-to-drive.
The fields of collaboration are diverse and include vehicle production, mutual supply and the spread of electrified vehicles. As a result, the market launch of collaboration vehicles has expanded to Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, the companies said.
This new development marks the first BEV in the OEM relationship between the two companies. It will be launched worldwide, providing a BEV choice even in the SUV market, which is showing remarkable growth, they said.
The new model was designed exclusively as a BEV. A nimble SUV with the sharp driving characteristics of a BEV, it features ample cruising range and a comfortable cabin. It is also available with a 4WD system, offering exceptional drivability on rough roads and more powerful driving performance, the companies said, adding that the BEV unit and platform adopted for this model were jointly developed by Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu Motor Corporation, utilising each company’s strength.
“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 carbonneutral 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,” Koji Sato, President of Toyota, said.