It has finally happened, the two giants of the automotive industry have joined hands. Maruti-Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar have come to a cross-branding agreement, which will be beneficial to both in two key phases. In the long-term goals, Maruti-Suzuki stands to benefit as it will be able to have access and insights into Toyota’s electrification and hybrid powertrain R&D. The announcement couldn’t have been more timely for Maruti-Suzuki, surfacing right at the time when investors had started to grow wary of Maruti-Suzuki’s continued dominance over the industry, seeing the advent onset of electrification and hybridisation trends sweeping the industry, not to mention the sky-high costs involved in develop either from scratch. Well this news should help put their minds at rest. As part of the agreement, Maruti-Suzuki has in turn agreed to let Toyota rebadge and sell two of Maruti’s most popular models - the Baleno and the Brezza, across its dealer networks. As an added bonus, the agreement also mentions that Maruti will inturn,l borrow the Corolla from Toyota and sell that as part of its model line-up.
The rebadged Maruti Baleno from Toyota would have new soft parts for a distinct appearance.
Looking at both the model line-ups of the two auto majors, the portfolio’s sales charts have been seemingly complimentary from the stat. While Maruti the best sellers of Maruti lie under the INR 10 lakh mark, Toyota’s shining stars mostly confined to a higher end of the automotive food chain i.e. the Fortuner and the Innova. From this, Toyota stands to majorly benefit by gaining access to India’s two most popular low-cost, mass-produced vehicles. Maruti-Suzuki, on the other hand, will stand a chance to understand the dynamics of the premium sedan segment. However, the first of the vehicles to be introduced as part of the agreement will come from the house of the former and will be the ‘Toyota-fied’ Baleno. Yes, the Baleno offspring will now be taken under the watchful eye of the Japanese giant, nurtured to the levels of quality and luxury that Toyota is well known for. Both companies remain discreet about any mechanical specification or updates to either of the cars in the pipeline. However, a new report has suggested that the car will be launched sooner than we expected. It goes on to mention that we could be looking at a date as close as mid-2019 to see the car in-flesh for the first time. Rest assured, we will be bringing you all the latest news and updates, as soon as they unfold.