Toyota and Suzuki are gearing up to launch a new all electric SUV in 2025. Suzuki will supply Toyota with its first electric SUV which will be produced at Suzuki’s Gujarat plant in India from spring 2025. This is the start of a bigger partnership between the two Japanese car makers as they prepare for the onslaught of new EVs coming into the market.
Toyota’s Suzuki Electric SUV in 2025
The new SUV will be Toyota’s first full electric vehicle supplied by Suzuki and is a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) with no hybrid or petrol variants. According to a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the vehicle will have “agile handling” and “sharp driving feel” which is typical of a BEV. The model is built on a platform developed by Suzuki, Toyota and Daihatsu, combining their respective strengths.
Toyota President, Koji Sato said, “By using the BEV unit and platform we developed together, we will take a new step in our collaboration in the electrified vehicle business.”
The electric SUV will also have 4WD for better performance on rough terrain and a more dynamic driving experience.
Inspired by Maruti Suzuki’s Concept EV eVX
Maruti Suzuki launched the Concept Electric SUV eVX earlier this year, a mid-size electric SUV with a range of up to 342 miles (550 km). 4,300 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,600 mm tall, the eVX is compact yet capable – smaller than BYD’s Atto 3 or Toyota’s Corolla Cross but has the potential to grab attention of the consumer.
Toyota’s Global EV Plans
Toyota will launch this model “worldwide” as part of its target to launch 10 new EVs by 2026. Toyota is also expanding its EV partnerships, with a separate co-developed electric SUV with Subaru to be launched in 2026, according to a Nikkei report.
Industry Outlook: Toyota and Suzuki face rising competition
Japanese car makers are gearing up to take market share as Chinese EV makers, especially BYD, are making inroads globally. With the Chinese EV market getting more competitive, BYD is looking abroad, recently posted record profits and surpassed Tesla in total revenue including plug-in hybrids.
On the other hand, Toyota’s sales have declined for the first time in four years, with big drop in China where sales fell 17%. Toyota sold 108,287 EVs in the first 9 months of 2024, just 1.5% of its total sales. Can Toyota and Suzuki’s partnership help them fend off the competition from China’s EV leaders? Comment below!
