Source: Motorpress / Toyota South Africa
TOYOTA AND SUBARU AGREE ON NEW BUSINESS AND CAPITAL ALLIANCE
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Subaru Corporation (Subaru) have agreed on a new business and capital alliance with the aim of further developing and strengthening their long-term partnership.
Exact specifications on the second-generation GT86 and BRZ are yet to be announced
Ever since concluding an agreement on business collaboration in 2005, partnership between Toyota and Subaru has included contract production by Subaru of Toyota vehicles and supply by Toyota of vehicles to Subaru, as well as joint development of the rear-wheel-drive Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sports car models.
Also, with vast changes enveloping the automotive industry, which is being called on to respond to the new domains of CASE (connected, autonomous/automated, shared, and electric), Toyota and Subaru disclosed in June this year that they have agreed to jointly develop a platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and to jointly develop a BEV model, both of which will employ Subaru's AWD technologies and Toyota's vehicle electrification technologies.
In this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation, by strengthening their bonds and aligning their capabilities, Toyota and Subaru aim to pursue driving enjoyment in the CASE era and to make ever-better cars beyond what either company has been able to achieve thus far. Furthermore, to deepen their relationship and to strengthen their ties toward advancing to the next stage while respecting the identity of each other's brand, the two companies have agreed that Toyota will increase its equity stake in Subaru and that Subaru will acquire shares in Toyota.
Details of business activities in the new alliance
1. In pursuit of making ever-better cars beyond that achieved thus far by Toyota and Subaru
1. Bringing together both companies' strengths to jointly develop all-wheel-drive models that offer the ultimate sensation in all-wheel driving
2. Joint development of the next-generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ
2. Expansion of the scope of partnership to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation
3. Following the Crosstrek Hybrid*, expanding use of the Toyota Hybrid System in other Subaru models
4. Cooperation in the domain of connected vehicles and technical collaboration in the field of autonomous driving
Also, with vast changes enveloping the automotive industry, which is being called on to respond to the new domains of CASE (connected, autonomous/automated, shared, and electric), Toyota and Subaru disclosed in June this year that they have agreed to jointly develop a platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and to jointly develop a BEV model, both of which will employ Subaru's AWD technologies and Toyota's vehicle electrification technologies.
In this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation, by strengthening their bonds and aligning their capabilities, Toyota and Subaru aim to pursue driving enjoyment in the CASE era and to make ever-better cars beyond what either company has been able to achieve thus far. Furthermore, to deepen their relationship and to strengthen their ties toward advancing to the next stage while respecting the identity of each other's brand, the two companies have agreed that Toyota will increase its equity stake in Subaru and that Subaru will acquire shares in Toyota.
Details of business activities in the new alliance
1. In pursuit of making ever-better cars beyond that achieved thus far by Toyota and Subaru
1. Bringing together both companies' strengths to jointly develop all-wheel-drive models that offer the ultimate sensation in all-wheel driving
2. Joint development of the next-generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ
2. Expansion of the scope of partnership to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation
3. Following the Crosstrek Hybrid*, expanding use of the Toyota Hybrid System in other Subaru models
4. Cooperation in the domain of connected vehicles and technical collaboration in the field of autonomous driving
Toyota has upped its stake in Subaru as the pair confirm sports car production will continue
Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ, but the future of the sports car twins has long been in doubt because of relatively low sales and a lack of coherence with the pair’s more mainstream model ranges.