Instead of Maruti Vitara Brezza, TKM will build an alternative Suzuki model in India
Toyota and Suzuki announced a strategic partnership in 2017 and have been steadily expanding the scope of their agreements, not only in India but also in international markets. The union began with Maruti Suzuki offering its fast-selling Baleno hatchback to Toyota Kirloskar Motors, which has been retailing it under the Glanza nameplate in India.
Maruti Vitara Brezza production decision
Earlier this year, Maruti and TKM took their relationship to the next level by sharing the popular Vitara Brezza, which is now also sold as the Toyota Urban Cruiser. In March last year, the board of Maruti Suzuki India approved a move to manufacture the compact crossover under 4 meters at one of Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s Bidadi plants near Bangalore starting in 2022.
However, in his recent regulatory filing, Maruti Suzuki stated that his board has approved the change of model to be manufactured by TKM. The company did not mention any further details about the new model, which is scheduled to become the TKM facility under the Toyota and Suzuki brands.
Speaking to PTI, the TKM spokesperson said both companies have mutually agree on the change the production plan after exhaustive discussions. The person declined to comment further on future product plans.
More renamed Toyota cars on the way
In addition to Toyota Glanza and Urban Cruiser, TKM is expected to adopt more Maruti Suzuki products under its umbrella for the foreseeable future. It is reported that the Maruti Ertiga minivan and Ciaz sedan they are also in the process of receiving the Toyota treatment.
One of these models could see its product base moved to Toyota’s Bangalore facility. The move will help TKM improve the capacity utilization factor of its assembly lines, while also helping Maruti Suzuki free up production capacity to meet demand more quickly.
In addition to renaming on a global scale (Toyota has given Suzuki its Corolla to change in certain markets), the two Japanese automakers are also exploring other synergies, such as market development, vehicle production and technological development. Suzuki is expected to benefit from its partner’s expertise in hybrid powertrain technology and an established supplier base for these subsystems.
The partnership has been fruitful for Toyota in India, as Glanza and Urban Cruiser have given the brand access to new market segments. In fact, in October 2020, the two rebranded cars accounted for 48% of TKM’s domestic sales. More models of this type are expected to further increase this proportion.
