Only known as D22, Maruti and Toyota are teaming up to develop a crossover to be positioned between Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Creta.
Contents
The Joint Venture
Toyota and Maruti Suzuki are partnered in a joint venture in which the two share technology, participate in product development and sell rebranded (rebadged) vehicles.
The result of this joint venture have been the launch of Toyota Glanza and Toyota Urban Cruiser, based on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza respectively.
The two are jointly working on other models which will comprise its lineup and bolster its presence in the Indian auto market. The D22 is one such venture.
D22
In an ambitious project the two are said to be developing a car, dubbed simply D22, which is expected to be positioned between Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai creta/Kia Seltos. It will not be a mid-size SUV.
It will be the first Suzuki product to be produced by Toyota in India.
In the Indian market SUVs/crossovers are the current hot sellers which every manufacturer is dipping its toes into.
Its peers will include Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster, MG Hector.
Maruti is working on a model to take over its S-Cross which is nearing the end of its lifecycle. This replacement is likely to be what D22 is, also being developed by Toyota.
Manufacture and Component Sourcing
Manufacturing will likely take place in Toyota’s Bidadi, Karnataka factory and parts will be sourced from Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) which will cut down production costs and enable the car makers to offer competitive pricing.
Speculated Features
D22 is likely to come with an all wheel drive configuration, different from two-wheel-drive that is configured in compact and mid-size SUVs.
It has been speculated to be fitted with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine already in place inside Vitara Brezza, Ciaz, Ertiga.
It has a maximum 103bhp power and 138 Nm peak torque.
It will likely offer a 5-speed manual gearbox
There is no confirmed news about when it will hit the market but a safe guess would be in 2-3 years.
YTB
Maruti Suzuki is developing an all-new compact crossover inspired by the popular Baleno hatchback, codenamed YTB.
The YTB is not only said to be influenced by Baleno but will also take the role of its “sister car”. It will be positioned below the Vitara Brezza.
It will be placed to rival the likes of Tata Nexon, Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite.
It is expected to take the shape of a coupe or mini crossover. Development time could be reduced and costs could be cut given the existing architecture possessed by MSIL.
Toyota is dependent on MSIL in order to put out rebadged vehicles.
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