The mid-size SUV segment is probably the most popular one right now in the Indian market. With the majority of the market players being a part of it, two Japanese carmakers i.e. Toyota and Maruti are surprisingly not a part of it. Well, things are about to change now as both the giants are jointly developing their own version of the upcoming mid-size SUV. These SUVs were spotted testing for the first time by 91wheels.
What to expect
The Urban Cruiser and Glanza were the first products to launch in India under the global collaboration between Maruti and Toyota. These cars didn’t feature many changes over their Maruti counterparts. Now, the mid-size SUVs will have a completely different identity with their unique design and character. Additionally, Toyota will take charge of the project as opposed to Maruti this time around.
The new SUVs will be built at Toyota’s plant in Karnataka and the platform and powertrains will be derived from Toyota’s existing portfolio as well. The Toyota SUV is codenamed D22 whereas the Maruti will be named YFG. The platform will be the modular platform named DNGA which is used by Toyota for other developing markets. In terms design, both have a crossover-ish look to them. The Toyota gets a split LED headlamps which will be joined by a thick chrome strip in the middle. The lower half will feature a large honeycomb grille. The front will be unmistakebly Toyota with inspiration drawn from other SUVs such as the RAV4.
The side will feature 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. The Maruti YFG features a different nose and it will draw its inspiration from other Maruti cars such as the new S-Cross. The front will feature an LED headlight setup and a grille similar to the new Baleno. Both the SUVs will have a healthy ground clearance of more than 180mm and expect usual SUV styling bits such as skid plates for both of them.
The interiors will get a ton of equipment such as connected car tech, 360-degree parking camera, smartphone connectivity, cruise control, auto-folding mirrors, auto-dimming IRVM, wireless charging, auto headlamps, and automatic climate control to name a few. Both the SUVs will draw power from a strong hybrid motor which will enable them to run on electricity power alone for short distances. Expect an option of manual and automatic transmissions.