Maruti-Toyota “Electric Bhai-Bhai”: The Next MS-Toyota Twins!

Maruti and Toyota are collaborating not only for ICE and hybrid cars but also for electric vehicles. With the automotive world moving toward electric vehicles, India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, has also revealed plans to launch an electric vehicle this year at the Auto Expo. They showcased the eVX concept car to the public. Now, reports indicate that Toyota will also be launching their version of eVX in the market. The first set of images for Toyota’s electric SUV has surfaced online.

The upcoming Toyota electric SUV is based on the same platform as the Maruti eVX. According to available details online, Toyota’s mid-size electric SUV will be built in India and exported to other markets. It seems the electric SUV will be manufactured by Maruti and supplied to Toyota for rebranding and sale under a new name.

The SUV is likely to be produced at Suzuki’s Gujarat plant. There are a couple of spy pictures available for the Maruti Suzuki eVX, and based on those images, the upcoming electric vehicle from Maruti Suzuki is going to be an SUV as big as the Grand Vitara SUV. The Toyota electric SUV measures almost the same as the Maruti eVX. The Toyota Urban SUV Concept measures 4,300 mm in length, 1,820 mm in width, and 1,620 mm in height. The Maruti eVX is as long as the Toyota, but it is 20 mm narrower and shorter than the Toyota counterpart.

Both the Toyota Urban SUV Concept and the Maruti eVX will use the heavily localized 27PL skateboard platform, which will be built in Gujarat. The exterior designs of both these SUVs are expected to be similar with minor cosmetic changes. The interior, on the other hand, might remain the same in both EVs. According to reports available online, the upcoming electric vehicles will be offered in two versions: a front-wheel-drive single motor version and a dual-motor AWD version. The AWD version of the SUV will be available in limited markets only. Currently, there is no information available about the battery pack and range. However, considering Maruti’s reputation for making some of the most fuel-efficient cars in the country, it’s expected that they will offer a decent driving range. The eVX concept showcased at the Auto Expo came with a 60 kWh battery pack with an AWD system and a driving range of 550 km. The production version of the Maruti eVX might not offer the same range.

The production versions of both electric SUVs are expected to offer a similar range. The electric vehicle siblings from Maruti and Toyota will compete with cars like the MG ZS EV and the Mahindra XUV400 in the market. The electric SUV is expected to be priced somewhere around Rs 25 lakh. As for the launch, Maruti Suzuki is currently testing the electric SUV, and the official launch is expected to happen sometime in 2024. Toyota’s version of the electric SUV will be introduced in the market a few months after the launch of the Maruti eVX. Maruti Suzuki and Toyota have been collaborating for years now, sharing technology and models to expand their portfolio and market presence.