The Gujarat plant of Japanese carmaker Suzuki Motor could be used to manufacture electric cars for both Maruti and Toyota, a top Maruti Suzuki official said. Suzuki, which is the parent of Maruti Suzuki, has been selected for benefits under the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, and may make green cars for the requirements of both Maruti and Toyota.
On the prospects of manufacturing Toyota cars at Gujarat, Maruti MD & CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said, “We have to discuss with them. ” Asked for further details, he said, “That part is still in discussions by Suzuki Japan. We haven’t received any final result. But we have to carefully see.”
Ayukawa said Toyota Japan has announced an aggressive global plan for electric models, but added that he is not sure whether any of them would come into the fold of Suzuki’s Gujarat plant. “We don’t know that yet. We have no information as yet.”
Toyota and Suzuki are already in a business alliance as well as a product-development and model-sharing relationship. The partnership stems from an agreement that the companies signed in 2018, years after Suzuki’s alliance with the German Volkswagen Group had collapsed.
The partnership has seen Maruti share products such as Baleno hatch with Toyota (under the Glanza badging), as well as Brezza mini SUV (called Urban Cruiser). These are produced at Maruti and Suzuki’s factories and are then sold to Toyota with certain changes to the exterior and interior styling. It is also understood that the companies have developed a premium SUV - a competitor to Hyundai’s Creta, Kia’s Seltos, and VW’s Taigun - which would be made at Toyota’s factory in Bangalore.
