The two Japanese automotive giants – Toyota and Suzuki, have announced a partnership for the Indian market. Under this new alliance, the two carmakers will be supplying certain models to each other, which will then be sold in the Indian passenger car market under their respective brand tags. Confused? Let us break down this major news item for you!
Toyota and Suzuki have released a joint statement, according to which, Maruti Suzuki will be supplying the Baleno and Vitara Brezza to Toyota India, while Toyota will supply the Corolla to Suzuki. The Baleno and Brezza will then be sold as a Toyota product in the Indian market, albeit with some minor cosmetic changes. Similarly, the Maruti Suzuki will alter the Corolla’s design by some soft parts and will then sell the same through its dealership chain under a new brand name.
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It is worth noting here that the Baleno and Brezza-based models sold through Toyota India won’t be identical to the ones we are seeing at the moment. Toyota will make some minor design changes to make sure that the two models appear to be in-line with the company’s design philosophy. These changes will include new front and rear bumpers, revised headlights and taillights, new alloy wheels etc. A similar drive will be undertaken by Maruti to redesign the Corolla, before selling it through the NEXA chain.
However, no mechanical changes are expected to be made on either of these exchanged models. This will help in keeping the costs low and maximising profits.
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Through this partnership, Toyota is aiming to establish itself as a prominent player in the compact passenger car market of India. This will help in enhancing the brand presence in a higher volume segment. On the other hand, Suzuki is focusing on benefiting from Toyota’s expertise in electric and hybrid vehicles, which are clearly the future of the passenger car market.