Japanese automakers Suzuki Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. announced on Wednesday that they have decided to strengthen their collaboration in developing a battery electric vehicle.
Suzuki said it will manufacture and supply the battery-electric SUV to Toyota. This new model will be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat in India in the spring of 2025.
“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 realizing a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach,” said Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki in a statement.
Since Former Suzuki Chairman Osamu Suzuki and Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda started exploring business partnerships in 2016, both companies have engaged in a wide-ranging collaboration.
The fields of collaboration are diverse and include the production and mutual supply of vehicles, as well as 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 statement added that the new model was designed exclusively as a BEV. An SUV with the sharp driving characteristics of a BEV, it features ample cruising range and a comfortable cabin.
It also has a 4WD system, offering exceptional drivability on rough roads and a more powerful driving performance.
Incidentally, the BEV unit and platform adopted for this model were jointly developed by Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., utilizing 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 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,” said Toyota President Koji Sato.
