Japanese auto major’s Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) have decided to further strengthen collaboration in the supply of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) SUV model developed by Suzuki to Toyota.

The new model is scheduled to be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat in India from the spring of 2025.

Both Suzuki and Toyota’s businesses have their roots in Enshu - the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture - and both companies took on the challenge of switching their businesses from looms to automobiles.

Since Suzuki’s Chairman (current Senior Advisor) Osamu Suzuki and Toyota’s President (current Chairman) Akio Toyoda started exploring business partnerships in 2016, both automakers have engaged in a wide-ranging collaboration. The fields of collaboration are diverse and include production and mutual supply of vehicles, and the spread of electrified vehicles. As a result, the market launch of collaboration vehicles has expanded to Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

This new development marks the first BEV in the OEM relationship between the two companies. It will be launched worldwide, providing a BEV choice even in the SUV market, which is showing remarkable growth.

With this new addition, both Suzuki and Toyota will further promote their respective initiatives toward realising a carbon-neutral society. The new model was designed exclusively as a BEV.

A nimble SUV with the sharp driving characteristics of a BEV, it is said to feature ample cruising range and a comfortable cabin. It is also available with a 4WD system, offering exceptional drivability on rough roads and a more powerful driving performance.

The BEV unit and platform adopted for this model were jointly developed by Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu Motor Corporation, utilising each company’s strength.

Toshihiro Suzuki, President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “Suzuki will supply our first BEV to Toyota globally. I am grateful that the collaboration between the two companies has further deepened in this way. While continuing to be competitors, we will deepen our collaborations toward solving social issues, including the realisation of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach.”

Koji Sato, President, Toyota Motor Corporation, said, “By leveraging the BEV unit and platform that we jointly developed, we will take a new step in our collaboration in the field of electrified vehicles. This will allow us to deliver various choices that contribute to a carbon-neutral society to customers worldwide. We would like to learn from each other’s strengths, compete, and further joint efforts based on a multi-pathway approach.”

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Geely-owned British-luxury brand Lotus Technology, a leading provider of intelligent and luxury mobility, is set to acquire the remaining 49 percent stake in Lotus Advance Technologies (Lotus UK) from Etika Automotive. This follows a similar move by Geely International (Hong Kong), which exercised its put option earlier.

With this, Lotus Technology will acquire 100 percent of Lotus UK through non-cash transactions based on pre-agreed valuations. This strategic acquisition, expected to be completed by the end-2025 pending regulatory approvals, will allow Lotus Technology to fully integrate all businesses and operations under the Lotus brand and consolidate Lotus UK's financial results.

Lotus UK is responsible for the manufacturing of Lotus's sportscars and hypercars and also houses Lotus Engineering, a consultancy providing services to various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide.

The put options granted to Geely HK and Etika were part of a previous business combination agreement. These options became exercisable after Lotus UK and its subsidiaries exceeded 5,000 vehicle sales in 2024. The acquisition will involve Lotus Technology issuing new shares, valued at USD 10 per share, in exchange for the Lotus UK shares.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has reported its wholesales for June 2025 and Q1 FY2026.

The company sold 118,906 passenger vehicles in the domestic market in June 2025, 8,812 units in sales to other OEMs and 37,842 units in exports. This translates to a decline of 13 percent, 12 percent and growth of 22 percent YoY, respectively.

For Q1 FY2026, the company’s domestic volumes contracted by 6 percent at 393,572 units in the domestic market, as compared to 419,114 units last year. Sales to other OEMs, grew by 19 percent at 28,807 units, as against 24,248 units sold a year ago. The company grew its exports by a robust 37 percent at 96,972 units, as against 70,560 units shipped last year. Overall, the company reported flat growth at 527,861 units across categories and segments. 

Interestingly, the company witnessed a decline across segments, including SUVs.

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers in the country, has announced its wholesales for June 2025 and Q1 FY2026.

The company sold 44,024 units in the domestic market last month, which was 12 percent lower YoY, while exports grew by 15 percent at 16,900 units.

On the other hand, the company’s Q1 FY2026 sales came at 180,399 units, which was 6 percent lower, as compared to 192,055 units for the same period last year. Despite 13 percent growth in exports in the first quarter, the domestic volumes were down 12 percent, thus dragging the overall growth momentum.

Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, “Underscoring the global appeal of Hyundai vehicles, we recorded a 13% year-on-year growth in export volumes for Q1 FY2026, with 48,140 units shipped compared to 42,600 units in the same period last year. This has elevated the share of exports to 26.7 percent of total sales in Q1 FY2026, up from 22.2 percent in Q1 FY2025. In the domestic market, the geopolitical situation continued to affect the market sentiment with domestic sales registering 44,024 units in June 2025. As we come closer to the beginning of production at the Talegaon plant, we remain cautiously optimistic about a gradual recovery of demand, supported by reduction in repo rates and improving liquidity on account of cut in CRR. We are closely watching the global geopolitical scenario and are committed to delivering value and innovation to our customers across both domestic and export markets.”

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Volkswagen-owned Czech auto brand Skoda Auto India has reported its highest-ever half-year sales of 36,194 units in its 25-year history in the country.

Thanks to a slew of new product offerings in the country, Skoda Auto India now ranks amongst the top seven automotive brands in the country. The achievement comes at a time when the company marks its silver jubilee in India and 130^th year celebration globally.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, “Our landmark half-yearly sales reflect the strong acceptance of Skoda products and services by customers in India. Our customers love to explore the world around them every day. With the addition of the Kylaq in our portfolio, we now enable their journeys even more through an ‘SUV For Everyone’, as well as our sedan offering. Our aim is to get ‘closer’ to our customers in India with our accessible products, services, and touchpoints across the country. This achievement encourages us to stay focused on being relevant through timely product actions, offer unique value to our customers by differentiating our product and service offerings, and to continue building trust with an unmatched ownership experience.”

It was at the start of the year, Skoda Auto India introduced its first sub-4-metre SUV, the Kylaq, in the country, its most affordable yet. The Kodiaq 4x4 was soon launched later targeting the premium set of consumers.

At the same time, the company is further cementing its network to over 295 touchpoints to be closer to customers. The target is to have 350 touchpoints by end-2025.

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