Toyota is reportedly looking to build a third car Plant in India that will take its annual production capacity to 5 lakh units, up about 30 percent from the current 4 lakh units, as per a report by Reuters. This new plant will have an annual production capacity of 80,000-1,20,000 units, and will be scalable up to about 2 lakh units. The new plant will also be the primary production base for an upcoming three-row SUV, which as we have reported before, will be a longer version of the Corolla Cross sold abroad.

1. Toyota’s third plant to have 80,000-1,20,000 production capacity initially
2. Primary production base for new three-row SUV codenamed 340D
3. New SUV expected to be launched in 2026

Toyota’s two existing plants in India are located at Bidadi in Karnataka, and the third plant is reportedly being planned at the same site. As for the upcoming SUV – codenamed 340D – Toyota is expected to produce about 60,000 units annually with a launch likely slated for 2026.

Toyota Corolla Cross-based SUV: what do we know so far?

Having found success with its recent spate of shared models with Maruti, Toyota is looking to expand its SUV portfolio in India with a model to rival the likes of Hyundai Alcazar and Tata Safari. This will also help address the gaps in Toyota’s portfolio that exists between the Hyryder and the Innova Hycross.

The Corolla Cross-based SUV for India will be underpinned by Toyota’s TNGA-C platform which is also used by the Innova Hycross. Globally, the Corolla Cross has a wheelbase of 2,640mm, but the India-spec version will likely be lengthened by about 150mm, enough to add a third-row of seats. The new SUV will have longer rear doors to allow easy access to the third row, and will also have redesigned C- and D-pillars.

On the styling front, not much is known, but Toyota could choose to differentiate it from the Corolla Cross with a new nose and new soft parts, including a plastic bumper, grille and headlights.   

Toyota Corolla Cross-based SUV powertrain options

While the Corolla Cross is sold with a 1.8-litre petrol engine in markets abroad, expect this larger and heavier version to use the same set of engines as the Innova Hycross. That means it could be powered by the 173hp, 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine as well as the 2.0-litre strong-hybrid powertrain with 184hp and a healthy 206Nm of electric boost. The strong hybrid system, in fact, is what should give this SUV an efficiency advantage over its rivals, diesels included.

The upcoming 340D SUV, however, will not be specific to India, and is likely to be exported to other markets as well. Its also not known at this point if it will spawn a Maruti derivative as well. Do note that this will also be completely unrelated to the upcoming three-row Maruti Grand Vitara that will be based on a Maruti platform and will be produced at Maruti’s upcoming plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana.

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