Maruti-Toyota midsize electric SUV will likely be launched in 2025 and it could be priced around Rs. 13-15 lakh (ex-showroom)
According to a recent report that emerged on the internet, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota partnership will bring forth a midsize SUV as their first electric vehicle. It won’t follow the badge-engineering exercise as it will be developed based on each brand’s requirements and will have different designs despite having several commonalities.
Internally codenamed YY8, Maruti Suzuki’s electric SUV will have a brand new design philosophy that is said to be radical compared to the existing range and will be futuristic as well. The SUV will be developed as a global model with export duties in mind for both Japanese companies. It will have an overall length of around 4.2 metres and will be bigger and wider than Hyundai Creta.
It will reportedly compete with MG ZS EV and have a wheelbase length of 2,700 mm but pricing wise the Maruti Suzuki YY8 will be around Rs. 13-15 lakh (ex-showroom) – sitting in the same territory as Tata’s best-selling Nexon EV but with larger proportions and longer battery range. It is touted to be a game-changer for MSIL in the EV race as it will be based on a global EV platform.
The YY8 and Toyota’s version will carry high local content as the battery pack will be sourced from TDSG – a battery manufacturing JV between Suzuki, Denso and Toshiba as the Li-ion battery packs will be sourced from the Gujarat plant. While local sourcing will help in reducing the production costs, the lithium-ion battery cells will be imported from China’s BYD.
The YY8 will sit on the 27PL platform derived from Toyota’s 40PL global architecture. The small born electric platform will offer plenty of room for diverse packaging and both brands will leverage the opportunity to likely create a futuristic interior and the cabin will be spacious for occupants. The Maruti Suzuki midsize SUV will be offered in 2WD and AWD configurations.
The entry-level 2WD variant is expected to have a driving range of around 400 km and is capable of producing 138 hp using a single electric motor and a 48 kWh battery pack will be utilised. The AWD will be equipped with a dual e-motor setup capable of 170 hp and a larger 59 kWh battery pack will be responsible for delivering a 500 km drive range in a single charge in real-world conditions.