Toyota, Suzuki Moving Forward on India Partnership

Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. have agreed to supply each other with select models in India.

Under the deal, which is part of a larger agreement the companies announced last year, Toyota will provide its locally made Corolla sedan to Suzuki. In return, Suzuki will supply its Baleno hatchback and Vitara Brezza crossover/SUV to Toyota.

Pricing, timing and forecasted volumes will be announced later.

Additional models, including hybrid-electric vehicles, are expected to be added to the deal later. Toyota and Suzuki will sell the products through their respective subsidiaries in India.

Earlier this year Suzuki announced plans to invest about $3 billion in its Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. venture by 2020 to prepare the company for a major expansion into hybrid and all-electric models. The program is expected to include vehicle sharing with Toyota.

The partners also are studying a variety of other potential collaborations. These include environmental, safety, information technology and purchasing initiatives.