Maruti Suzuki India Limited and Toyota Kirloskar Motor have partnered to increase their network and the mass foothold in India. Maruti will co-sell the Baleno and Vitara Brezza with TKM across the country. The cross-badged Baleno is expected to be launched between October 2019 and March 2020.
According to a source, “In the second half of next fiscal, Toyota will launch its version of the Maruti Baleno. There will be external tweaks for a different look but it will be more like the existing one”.
The new Toyota-badged Maruti Suzuki Baleno is expected to carry uniquely styled alloy wheels, bumpers, lights, lower grille and upper grille. Similar design changes are expected in the rebadged Maruti Vitara Brezza also. It could also gain from new paint scheme and body graphics.
In terms of pricing, nothing has been officially announced. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice President Atsushi Oki said, “At this point in time, details on pricing are under discussion”.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Maruti Suzuki plan to share vehicles, technologies and expand the network and widen their reach. A report suggests that both the auto giants will share their service outlets, which will help TKM remarkably broaden its network in less time.
It is also possible that models developed by Suzuki and TKM could be exported to Africa and other regions.
Source: IAB, Livemint
