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Maruti-Toyota Midsize SUV (Creta Rival) India Launch In H2 2022 – Report

Published by
Surendhar M

Maruti-Toyota midsize SUV has reportedly been developed from scratch with an investment of over Rs. 1,000 crore

According to a recent report that surfaced on the interweb, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are working on a new midsize SUV to compete against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. If it is a direct rival, it could potentially have an overall length of around 4.3 metres as it is kind of a segment standard.

The upcoming SUV will help in consolidating the partnership between the companies and it could be expanded to new disciplines such as battery-powered vehicles, hybrids and eco-friendly mobility solutions. The report further noted that the five-seater SUV has been in development for more than 12 months and it will be launched in the second half of next year.

Both the Japanese companies are said to have played a significant role in the design, development, engineering and garnering other resources for the vehicle. The research and development and component sourcing teams of MSIL (Maruti Suzuki India Limited) have been integral in developing the midsize SUV as well.

For representation only

The association between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota will get deepen following the central government’s announcement of a product-based incentive scheme involving Rs. 26,000 crore aimed at bringing in new electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. They are now focussed on all-electric and FCEVs as opposed to the previous plan of developing strong hybrids.

The report said that the discussions are only in their preliminary stage and nothing has come to fruition yet. An investment of more than Rs. 1,000 crore has been made to bring up the midsize SUV, which is reportedly developed from the ground up. The “ambitious project” could be the first all-new vehicle from this collaboration.

It will also be the first Maruti Suzuki car rolled out of Toyota’s manufacturing facility domestically, wrote TOI. The speculations surrounding a joint midsize SUV from Maruti Suzuki and Toyota have been there for a long period and unlike the rebadged Glanza and Urban Cruiser, the midsize SUV could be developed based on the individual preferences of MSIL and TKM while sharing underpinnings to keep the production costs down.

Published by
Surendhar M