Toyota To Partner With Suzuki On New Electric SUV Model

by Chris Teague

Published: October 31st, 2024

toyota to partner with suzuki on new electric suv model

Toyota owns a small chunk of Suzuki, and it will lean on its smaller counterpart for help in the extremely challenging EV market. Toyota said that Suzuki would supply its first electric SUV, which is expected to arrive in several global markets next year.

Suzuki will build the Toyota-badged EV at its Indian facility in Gujarat starting in the Spring. Toyota noted that the new EV would be “a nimble SUV with the sharp driving characteristics of a BEV.” It will ride on a platform jointly developed between Daihatsu, Suzuki, and Toyota.

The SUV will be launched as part of Toyota’s effort to launch ten new EVs by 2026 and will be offered “worldwide.” Toyota has also extended its partnership with Subaru—in which it owns a significant stake—to build a new SUV in 2026.

Suzuki’s CEO, Atsushi Osaki, said the partnership would help it continue to grow in the EV space, noting that “there is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field.” The move will help Toyota deliver more new electric models, as it was extremely cautious early on and hasn’t offered the depth of EV models many competitors have, especially Chinese companies.

Toyota’s deep pockets and global reach put it in a better competitive position than many other automakers, but the Chinese auto industry is a force to be reckoned with. Government subsidies and readily available raw materials in the country have given its automakers a solid platform to compete against Western companies, which have so far seemed to be caught flat-footed.

[Images: Toyota]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#Toyota #Suzuki #toyotabeyondzero

Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 5 comments

Slavuta on Oct 31, 2024
"Suzuki will build the Toyota-badged EV at its Indian facility in Gujarat"..... what comes into head first, when Apple moved some of production from China to India, they started to have up to 50% quality drop in some components.

Like Reply
Lorenzo on Oct 31, 2024
Good move by Toyota - spread the debt, and damage a competitor at the same time.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Andarris Here in the Toronto area I haven't seen a 2006-2012 with intact rocker pannels for over two years now. I presume everywhere around the Great Lakes is the same ? They were super cheap dhring the first two years of the pandemic - could get one with less than 85K for around $6500 certified or a little higher mileage for $5000. Glad I skipped it, even in 2021 some of the 10's &11's were displaying corosion like you'd see on a 7 year older Impala, Camry or Accord. Also the mid-model switch to EPS made me balk at the few clean ones I found.
Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh I do not ever have delays. I only fly out of PDX or EUG to LAS or OAK and OGG then back .. have never been delayed in the last ?30-ish? trips to vegas/disneyland/maui/cruise ship vacations.... EUG has contract tsa so we never have any TSA delays. unsure which airports have PRIVATE contract TSA that is UNAFFECTED by the deadlock that i HOPE NEVER EVER END.
Big Al from Oz gidday mites how are yall feelin today? Want to have a barbie? We are right here gettin dee fire ready
Michael S6 The 3 Amigos better hope that the oil spike is short lived as 4-5 dollar a gallon gas would put a damper on their cash cows especially "Ford's strategic shift" of killing off the escape/Lincoln cousin. Most other automakers have a full line of vehicles with much better full economy. GM is sucking air and its Cadillac devision is mostly EV and geriatric line up of ICE cars and SUV's that were supposed to be phased out this year. The expensive gas may push shoppers toward EV but GM's horrible EV reliability is a barrier.
Tane94 I read the GM press release about first quarter sales 2026 vs 2025 and Buick is getting its butt kicked:Buick Total* 41,654 61,822 -32.6 The future is bleak for Buick.