Will this be Toyota-Maruti’s first electric mid-size SUV?
EVs are quickly catching up steam across the world. New buyers have started looking at them as their next potential option. This has forced manufacturers like Maruti and Toyota to work on EVs as well. Both manufacturers until now had been slow in their approach when it came to EVs. They have however started putting in strong focus in this direction. Globally, Subaru has unveiled the Solterra, which has been made in collaboration with Toyota. So, can Toyota bring the Solterra to India and position it as their first electric mid-size SUV here? In today’s article, we will see if this will be Toyota-Maruti’s first electric mid-size SUV?
Design
The Solterra comes with a sharp-looking front design. It gets black cladding on the bumpers, giving it a rugged look. The side profile gets some curvy bits. At the rear, it gets an inverted C-shaped with a blacked-out connected strip in the middle. In the interiors, it gets a modern look with a floating instrument cluster and infotainment system. The EV looks ready to take on bad patches of roads, giving it a very unique appeal.
Toyota-Maruti electric SUV – Specifications
The Subaru Solterra comes with a dual-motor setup that delivers 218bhp and 337Nm of torque. Subaru claims that it can reach 100kmph in 6.5 seconds. It comes with a claimed range of 368km. The Solterra gets a 72.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that can charge up to 80% in 56 minutes.
Significance to India
Maruti and Toyota are developing an EV codenamed YY8 for India that will be even larger than the Hyundai Creta. The YY8 EV will be based on the 27PL platform, which is derived from the 40PL platform. The Subaru EV is based on the 40PL platform. So we expect that the EV for India could take inspiration from it. The 40PL platform is developed by manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda, Daihatsu, Subaru, Suzuki, Denso and Hino. The YY8 will have a high level of local content, including the battery pack, which will help Maruti price it competitively.
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