Tokyo: Toyota and Suzuki said yesterday that they are holding talks about a possible partnership to handle “unprecedented” changes in the global auto industry, as Japan’s vehicle sector sees a wave of consolidation.
Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, and small car specialist Suzuki did not announce details but suggested any partnership could focus on new safety and environmental technologies.
“The environment surrounding the automotive industry has been changing drastically and rapidly in an unprecedented fashion,” a joint statement said. “As such, the industry is required to work not only on conventional automobile R&D (research and development), but also on R&D for advanced and future technologies in the fields including environment.”
Toyota added that it was trailing competitors in North America and Europe in some areas, while Suzuki was struggling to forge its own path in the fiercely competitive industry.
Japan has eight domestic automakers in an intensely competitive market. Suzuki sells about 2.8 million vehicles a year globally compared with more than 10 million for Toyota. Nissan earlier this year announced plans to buy a one-third stake in Mitsubishi Motors forging an alliance that will challenge some of the world’s biggest auto groups.
In January Toyota made its mini-car unit Daihatsu a wholly-owned company in a move that gave Toyota definitive control over a company that has battled with Suzuki in Japan’s domestic mini-car segment.
