Toyota and Suzuki announce partnership

Toyota and Suzuki have announced a collaboration that will “bring together Toyota’s strength in electrification technologies and Suzuki’s strength in technologies for compact vehicles”. While both companies will “continue to fairly and freely compete against each other”, the partnership is supposed to help both companies “grow in new fields”.

What does all of that actually mean? Well in Europe, Toyota will build two new hybrid models for Suzuki, based on the RAV4 crossover and Corolla Wagon, and Suzuki will grant Toyota use of its small petrol engines for use in compact cars (these engines will be built at Toyota’s factory in Poland). Elsewhere in the world, the two companies will develop new vehicles for Indian and African markets. That’s the basic gist of it.

Toyota’s boss said the partnership “will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation,” strengthening both companies “by applying our strong points and learning from each other”. Erm, good?

The companies say they’re also “considering further collaboration”. Toyota Jimny? Suzuki Supra? The possibilities are endless...