Toyota and Maruti Suzukis joint venture is planning to come up with a new SUV for the Indian market. It will target the South Korean automakers, which currently rule the compact SUV segment with the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It will also lock horns with the Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun. The launch of the new model should take place in about a year's time.
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The new model will have two variants, one for Maruti Suzuki and one for Toyota. Both models will differ in their styling theme and will, hence, have a different set of soft parts. However, the SUVs will share everything else, including sheet metal, platform, engines and features.
The compact SUV will be produced at Toyotas facility in Bidadi, Karnataka. It is told that the new SUV will be manufactured on the same production line that produced the recently discontinued Yaris sedan. This production facility was earlier planned to manufacture the Vitara Brezza but then there was a change in plan to now produce the new midsize SUV.
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The new compact SUV will have perfect dimensions and will measure around 4.3 meters in length, which will make it as long as the Creta. It was earlier speculated that the new SUV will be based on Suzuki's global C platform that also underpins the Suzuki Vitara. However, it is now being reported that the new model will instead be based on Toyotas new low-cost DNGA (Daihatsu New Generation Architecture) which also underpins the Toyota Raize sub-compact SUV.
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The upcoming SUV from Maruti Suzuki and Toyota is likely to come equipped with Suzuki's tried and tested 1.5-litre petrol engine with a stronger hybrid system. At present, this engine produces 104bhp of power delivering 138 Nm of torque. Suzuki is also planning to develop a 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine which could power4 the new SUV. The company could also use the 1.4L Boosterjet engine that powers the global-spec Swift Sport.
This joint venture will help Toyota and Suzuki significantly reduce the development cost. Toyota and Suzuki will most likely follow the Hyundai and Kia strategy that sells the Creta and the Seltos in huge numbers.
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