Suzuki SA rebuts claims that Land Cruiser model adoption rumours

July 31, 2023

Rumours and wishful renderings have suggested that a Suzuki-badged Land Cruiser model is in the pipeline, however, Suzuki SA has confirmed that’s far from the truth.

Image: Render

Last week a render popped up with a caption that alluded to the seemingly imminent adoption of Toyota’s Herculean Land Cruiser 300 model in Suzuki’s range which consists mainly of compact models.

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Furthermore, it also stated that the supposed Suzuki-badged Land Cruiser would be placed under the “S-Presso” moniker. At the same time, the render imagined an almost undisturbed Land Cruiser bearing four trapezoidal grille accents, that characterize the regular and real-world S-Presso model, which flank the familiar Suzuki Badge.

“Suzuki Auto SA can confirm that the rumours claiming that Suzuki will adopt Toyota’s Land Cruiser into its ranks under the S-Presso moniker are not true.” — Suzuki South Africa

Image: Toyota

As it stands, the partnership and contract between Toyota and Suzuki allow each firm to borrow technology and products from each other to strengthen its offerings. Most visible to the eye is Toyota adopting compact vehicles they would like from Suzuki’s fleet. To date, these vehicles range from the Vits (based on the Suzuki Celerio), the Urban Cruiser (based on the Suzuki Grand Vitara) and the Rumion (based on the Suzuki Ertiga). As for Suzuki, the deal benefits them with some of Toyota’s electrification technology which will make its way into Suzuki’s newer models in the future.

Based on the parameters of the agreement, it is improbable to think that Suzuki will go outside of the agreement laid out in 2017 and adopt a vehicle that not only overshadows its current range in terms of size but also terms of price. The current Land Cruiser 300 range begins at a price tag of just a few thousand Rand shy of R1,5 million. Aside from price, the Land Cruiser 300 3,3DGX-R, which is the entry-level model in the SUV’s range, is powered by a 3,3-litre turbo diesel V6 which produces 225kW/700 N.m. It goes without saying that if the Land Cruiser were adopted into Suzuki’s ranks, it would be a left-field offering considering the nature of the firm’s current offerings.