Under an agreement formed by Toyota and Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar Motor will sell rebadged vehicles sourced from Maruti Suzuki in India. Toyota plans to increase the local content of these models to achieve cost-effectiveness.
Reports say that 98% of the Maruti Vitara Brezza’s parts are locally sourced. The Maruti Baleno has an even higher localisation level.
“Toyota will further boost heir outlook on components localisation in support to ‘Make in India’ initiative, to achieve cost-effectiveness,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice President Atsushi Oki told PTI yesterday. He added:
We understand the price sensitivity of Indian market. We will continue to keep up the price momentum in these directions.”
The TKM executive is mum on when the Toyota-badged Maruti Vitara Brezza and Maruti Baleno will reach the showrooms. The agreement also includes a Maruti Suzuki-badged Toyota Corolla that would naturally slot above the Maruti Ciaz, as well as sharing hybrid vehicles in our market. A report from March states that the first of the three shared models will arrive in the second quarter of 2019 (April-June 2019).
The Toyota-badged Maruti Vitara Brezza and Maruti Baleno and the Maruti Suzuki-badged Toyota Corolla could have different front and rear fascias to look distinctive. These models could feature newly designed soft parts like the bumpers, grille and lights, but they are unlikely to have sheet metal changes.
The Toyota-badged Maruti Vitara Brezza and Maruti Baleno and the Maruti Suzuki-badged Toyota Corolla will have no mechanical changes from their respective original models. The rebadged models will have the same engines and transmissions as their original models.
Also See: Toyota Vitara Brezza - IAB Rendering
The rebadged models sourced by Toyota will help it penetrate the sub-4 metre B-SUV segment and sell a more desirable product in the sub-compact hatchback segment in which the Toyota Etios is not a strong contender. With the Maruti Suzuki-badged Toyota Corolla, the company will finally have a competitor for the likes of the Hyundai Elantra and Skoda Octavia.
[Source: BloombergQuint]
