Vehicle-sharing talks between Toyota Motor Corp. and Daihatsu are moving ahead toward compact and subcompact vehicles, Daihatsu President Masanori Mitsui said.
The automakers are discussing joint manufacturing of small vehicles for emerging markets.
"Globally, we expect to see more growth coming in the compact car, or A and B, segments," Mitsui said this month here at an event to launch a Daihatsu-developed compact minivan being sold under the Daihatsu and Toyota brands in Japan.
By strengthening cooperation, both companies hope to grab a bigger slice of the compact and minicar segments in fast-growing developing economies, Mitsui said.
The compact minivan, sold as the Daihatsu Thor, Toyota Tank and Toyota Roomy, is the latest collaboration in a partnership dating to 1967 when Toyota struck a business tie-up with Daihatsu. Toyota made Daihatsu a wholly owned subsidiary in August and established a unit in which both companies will jointly develop small cars for emerging markets.
"We feel that Toyota appreciates us," Mitsui said.
He said deeper ties with Toyota will enable Daihatsu to fully tap its strength in small car development. Both companies aim to accelerate the pace of cooperation, he added.
Daihatsu is developing a global platform dubbed the Daihatsu New Global Architecture, or DNGA. The name is a take on the Toyota New Global Architecture, or TNGA, being rolled out by its giant parent company.
Mitsui said the companies are forming a plan about what models to launch in which regions, as well as timelines for the introductions, "but it will take some more time before we announce such decisions."
