Toyota, Suzuki courtship intensifies as talks begin

Tokyo

TOYOTA Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp on Monday said they have agreed to begin formal talks aimed at forging a partnership in shared procurement, green vehicles, IT and safety technologies.

The agreement takes the two Japanese carmakers a step closer to a tie-up that could give Suzuki, a maker of affordable mini-vehicles and compact cars, access to Toyota's technology. The world's second biggest car maker in return would benefit from Suzuki's strong market position in India. "Toyota and Suzuki have agreed to work towards the early realisation of a business partnership," they said in a joint press release.