Maruti & Toyota starts trial production of the upcoming SUVs

Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are co-developing new SUVs for the Indian market. The test mules of the SUVs have been spotted once and Maruti will launch the SUV around Diwali 2022 whereas Toyota will launch soon after. According to Autocar India, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota have started trial production of the upcoming SUVs.

Maruti has codenamed their SUV, YFG while Toyota is calling their version D22. Both the SUVs will be produced at Toyota’s Bidadi manufacturing plant. The manufacturers might start releasing teasers or even unveil the vehicle ahead of market launch. This is the first vehicle from Maruti Suzuki and Toyota that they have developed together. Until now, both of them were just selling rebadged versions of each other’s vehicles. The YFG and D22 will be based on Toyota’s DNGA platform which is a low-cost version of the TNGA platform.

Two engines on offer

Also read: Toyota Yaris hatchback spied testing; To launch in India?

The YFG and D22 are expected to be offered in two petrol engines. Both will be hybrid but the lower output one will be a mild hybrid whereas the more powerful one will be a strong hybrid. The strong hybrid engine has been developed with Toyota and it will produce more power and better fuel efficiency than the mild-hybrid unit. An earlier report suggested that Toyota has started building strong hybrid engines that have a capacity of 1.5-litres and 2.0-litres. As of now, it is not confirmed whether they are the same engine that they will use for the new SUVs.

Speaking of the mild-hybrid engine, it could be the existing 1.5-litre, K12C DualJet unit that is now doing duty on Ertiga and XL6. It is a four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine that produces 101 hp of max power and 136 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

The mild-hybrid technology provides torque assist function during slow speeds when the engine is not at its most efficient. This helps in taking off the load from the engine. You also get brake regeneration. There is also an idle start/stop functionality that helps in increasing fuel efficiency by shutting down the engine when the car comes at a traffic light. Moreover, all of this helps in reducing emissions.

Both SUVs will look different

From the test mules that were spotted earlier, we came to know that both the SUVs will look different. Both will have a split headlamp setup which is quite common nowadays. The LED Daytime Running Lamps of the Toyota D22 will be more up-swept, we are expecting it to have a chrome grille just like we have seen on the Glanza. The wheel arches will be squared-off. The design of the Maruti YFG is not quite clear yet.

Both SUVs will be feature-rich

Both SUVs will get a lot of features. They are expected to come with a heads-up display, 360-degree parking camera, ventilated seats, automatic climate control, connected car technology, electric sunroof, a new touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, up to 6 airbags and much more.

Via Autocar India

Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500