Toyota and Suzuki are teaming up to take part in the global EV race. Next year, Suzuki will supply Toyota with its first electric SUV, which will be distributed worldwide. Here's what to expect from Toyota's new electric SUV.
Toyota Suzuki's electric SUV is coming in 2025
Suzuki will begin production of Toyota's new all-electric SUV at its Gujarat plant in India from spring 2025.
The new EV is the first of a growing partnership as Japanese automakers look to stem the tide of new models hitting the market. In a press release Wednesday, Toyota and Suzuki said the new SUV is designed “as a BEV only,” eliminating gas or hybrid options.
The statement said Toyota's new EV “will be a compact SUV with sharp driving characteristics like a BEV.”
It will be powered by a platform developed jointly by Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu Motor, combining each other's advantages.
Toyota's president, Koji Sato, said, “By using the BEV division and the platform we have jointly developed, we will take a new step in our cooperation in the field of electrified vehicles.”
The electric SUV will be available with 4WD, “offering exceptional traction on rough roads and a more dynamic driving experience.”
Earlier this year, Maruti Suzuki launched the Concept Electric SUV eVX, a mid-size electric SUV with a range of up to 342 miles (550 km). This gave us a glimpse of what the new model will look like.
At 4,300 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, and 1,600 mm tall, the eVX dwarfs BYD's popular Atto 3 (4,455 mm long x 1,875 mm wide x 1,615 mm tall) or the Toyota Crolla Cross (4,460 mm long, 5 mm wide 1,8 , 1,620 mm long).
Toyota says they will introduce the new model “worldwide” as one of the ten cars that will be released in 2026. Nikkei According to reports earlier this month, Toyota is also deepening its relationship with Subaru with plans to introduce another upgraded electric SUV in 2026.
Subaru has announced that it will work with Toyota to launch three new electric SUVs in 2026. The CEO of this company, Atsushi Osaki, said, “There is a big risk for us to go it alone in this industry.”
Electrek's Take
Japan's leading automakers are teaming up to launch new electric models as lower-priced models from China continue to gain market share.
With China's EV market, the world's largest, awash with new models, automakers are taking business overseas to fuel growth.
One of the most notable is China's largest automaker, BYD. BYD recently posted a record profit as car sales continued to rise in the third quarter. BYD's revenue surpassed Tesla's for the first time (including PHEV sales).
Meanwhile, Toyota's production fell for the first time in four years in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. Toyota felt the heat especially in China, with volume down 17%.
Toyota sold 108,287 EVs in the first nine months of 2024, including its luxury brand Lexus. That's only about 1.5% of the more than 7.4 million cars sold during that time. BYD sold 164,956 EVs in September alone, about 1.2 million sold in September.
Can Toyota end the competition with the help of Suzuki and Subaru? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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