Maruti-Toyota midsize SUV will be launched later this year and it could be offered with mild-hybrid and strong hybrid powertrains
According to a recent report that emerged on the internet, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota have commenced the trial production of their jointly developed midsize SUV at the latter’s manufacturing unit in Karnataka. The five-seater will compete against Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos and it will likely be unveiled around June or July 2022.
Following the world premiere, the midsize SUV will go on sale around Diwali. Being the first co-developed SUV, it will involve new procedures and systems and to keep the production costs down, the development involves suppliers from both brands with Maruti Suzuki’s component manufacturers playing a major role. The SUVs are believed to be powered by two petrol/hybrid engines.
One will be a mild hybrid unit while the other will be a strong hybrid system enabling better power and fuel efficiency. With Maruti Suzuki and Toyota focussing on strong hybrid systems we can expect the latter’s expertise in this field will come in handy and in a similar fashion to the Camry Hybrid, electric-only drive is certainly possible for short runs saving more fuel.
Despite sharing Toyota’s DNGA platform, the midsize SUV has been developed based on each brand’s requirements. For instance, the Maruti Suzuki YFG will take design inspiration from the Suzuki ACross sold in Europe while Toyota’s D22 will have its styling influenced by the latest crop of global Toyota SUVs and the spy shots indicated a similar-looking chrome grille as the Camry Hybrid and facelifted Glanza.
It also gets squared-off wheel arches as the RAV4, muscular body panels, prominent LED DRLs, aggressive bonnet structure, wide central air intake, a large greenhouse, etc. The YFG, on the other hand, features a split headlamp cluster judging by the spy images. The interior is expected to be tech-savvy and premium to take the fight to rivals from Hyundai, Kia and MG.
The features list is expected to boast a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Suzuki Connect tech, SmartPlay Pro interface, sunroof, ventilated front seats, cruise control, automatic climate control, layered dashboard, six airbags, a 360-degree camera system, heads-up display and so on.