The move comes as part of the Maruti-Toyota alliance in India.
The Maruti-Toyota alliance in India will see a number of cars being supplied by both the manufacturers to each other for rebadging. The Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Toyota Corolla were among the first to be announced for this process. Now, the Maruti Baleno has also joined the list and the company will provide anywhere in the range of 20,000 – 25,000 units of this model to Toyota.
Both, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are looking to cash in on the high selling models from each other’s India portfolios while also saving the costs of development for producing all-new models. Maruti has even committed to investing 1 billion dollars in the Toyota manufacturing plant in Bidadi, near Bengaluru, that currently has an annual capacity of 1.5 lakhs units.
The changes to the rebadged cars will be minimal yet close to the design languages followed by both the companies. No specific details have been given out yet but we expect the changes to be made to the front grille, bumpers and headlamps. Interiors too should get a different infotainment system, AC vents and steering wheel. Mechanically, all the cars will most likely remain the same.
The Maruti Baleno will be the first car from this alliance to get the rebadging treatment. It is expected to be launched in mid-2019. The Toyota Etios Liva might even be discontinued since Baleno might eat into its share and we see no point in a company selling two cars in the same segment. Maruti will also look to enter the D–segment with its version of the Toyota Corolla. Being a premium model, it will be available through the Maruti NEXA dealerships.
Toyota’s reliability and Maruti’s prowess in the Indian car segment should prove to be profitable to both the manufacturers that will be jointly producing and selling cars in India. The changes to the cars will also result in more options for the Indian buyers, which is always a good thing.
Maruti Toyota Alliance
– Maruti will supply 20,000 – 25,000 units of the Baleno model to Toyota
– The list also includes the Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Toyota Corolla
– The cars will be rebadged and will get changes to the exteriors and interiors
Source – NDTVAuto.com
