Suzuki has taken the covers off a concept car that it says offers a glimpse of the company's first electric vehicle, due for launch in 2025.
Bigger than Vitara
The Suzuki eVX concept was unveiled at the Auto Expo show in India today and takes the form of an angular, contemporary-looking SUV with short front and rear overhangs. At 4.3 metres in length, 1.8 metres in width and standing at 1.6 metres tall, the concept is slightly bigger than the firm's current Vitara crossover model.
Beyond an idea of styling and dimensions, however, Suzuki revealed little about its first entry into the EV fold aside from the fact that lurking somewhere within the concept (likely under the floor) is a 60kWh battery pack giving it a range of 550km - based on the lenient Indian MIDC testing standard.
Due in part to a long-standing tie-up with local firm Maruti, Suzuki is India's most popular car brand.
Few technical details so far
Although Suzuki has, thus far, revealed little in the way of further details about the production version of the eVX, a few things can potentially be surmised.
In terms of its size, the eVX is similar to Toyota's bZ4X, and, with Suzuki and Toyota sharing a strategic partnership, it's not inconceivable that the two models could be in some way related or that the Suzuki could share something with a future electric Toyota. Suzuki's president, Toshihiro Suzuki, has said that his company has been learning quite a lot about electric vehicles from its partner in recent years.
Suzuki's assertion that the eVX would "carry forward the brand's 4x4 legacy into the new electric era" could potentially indicate an eventual dual-motor version and, judging by recent news from the firm, a two-speed automatic transmission is another possibility.
Earlier this week Suzuki announced that it had signed an agreement with the Canadian company Inmotive to develop a two-speed transmission for use on Suzuki's future electric vehicles. This, its makers claim, will be the world's most efficient electric vehicle transmission, capable of increasing battery range by as much as 15 per cent. As to whether Suzuki's first electric model will feature this transmission system is, like most things about the eVX, unconfirmed.
"Global" EV
"I am delighted to unveil the eVX, our first global strategic EV," said Toshihiro Suzuki at a press briefing at Auto Expo.
"At the Suzuki Group, addressing global warming is a priority. We are promoting a range of global measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Suzuki will continue providing valuable products to our customers around the world by optimizing them for the way different people live and drive."
Suzuki's use of the word "global" seems to be an indication that rather than just aiming for the firm's biggest markets such as India, the firm intends to sell the car more widely, meaning that it may reach Irish shores eventually.