Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are jointly developing an all-new small SUV for the Indian market and the Maruti's model will be called Vitara. Though the company has not officially announced its name, according to reports, the upcoming vehicle could share its name with its SUV sold in the international market. As part of this, Maruti Suzuki has already dropped the Vitara moniker for the upcoming Brezza. It is codenamed as ‘YFG’ by Maruti while the Toyota’s version of the SUV is codenamed 'D22'. The 'D22' is likely to be named Hyryder and could be unveiled by July 1.
Toyota platform
Maruti's parent company Suzuki and Toyota are cooperating in every aspect of the vehicle's development, design and engineering. The vehicle will be built on Toyota's low-cost Daihatsu DNGA platform. The vehicle will be available with full hybrid and mild hybrid engines. The full hybrid engine will only be available in the higher end model.
In addition, the SUV will have several features that will differentiate the vehicle in the segment, including a heads-up display, sunroof and a luxurious interior. The vehicle will be rolled out from Toyota's Bidadi-based plant in Karnataka. The Maruti version will also be manufactured here. The SUV is expected to hit the market next year through Maruti Suzuki's premium dealership network Nexa.
This won’t be just a re-branding exercise by Maruti and Toyota; both the companies will launch the vehicles with clear changes. In the small SUV category, they will take on Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq.