Maruti Suzuki has launched the Grand Vitara and with the prices out, there’s one thing we can see very clearly - the strong hybrid being Toyota’s baby receives better pricing from Toyota, and the other variants will most likely be more affordable from the Maruti stable. Prices of the Grand Vitara start from Rs 10.45 lakh ex-showroom for the blast smart-hybrid variant, going up to Rs 19.65 lakh for the dual tone strong hybrid top spec variant. Prior to the launch, it was expected that Maruti would undercut the Toyota by about Rs 50,000 but it has turned out to be the other way round with the Grand Vitara being priced at a premium of Rs 66,000 over the corresponding top-spec Urban Cruiser Hyryder.
The Grand Vitara is a handsome-looking SUV with its high-set bonnet and strong shoulder lines. The front grille is huge separated by the chrome insert connecting the slim DRLs. The squared wheel arches and the slight bulge in the bumper, all give the Grand Vitara a big car feel.
The Grand Vitara's dashboard is nicely laid out with the 9-inch infotainment screen taking the centre stage. Maruti Suzuki has thrown in a whole host of features such as a heads-up display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, TPMS, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment just to name a few. Moreover, it also gets a massive double-opening sunroof, the only thing which we Indians care about more than mileage. The higher spec variants get leatherette seats.
The Grand Vitara gets a mild hybrid as well as a strong hybrid option to choose from. The strong hybrid version is powered by a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine coupled with an electric motor that develops a combined output of 114bhp. The engine produces 122Nm of torque while the e-motor makes 141Nm and is mated to a CVT gearbox. The strong hybrid has an ARAI-certified figure of 28kmpl, although in our road test we scored over 20kmpl with a mix of city and highway driving. The mild hybrid on the other hand gets a K-series 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine making a bleak 101.5bhp and 137Nm torque and is mated to either a manual or a CVT gearbox. The ARAI-certified number for the manual is 21.1kmpl while that for the automatic is 20.58kmpl. Moreover, it also gets an AWD option with multiple modes such as sand, snow and rock for the driver to choose from.
The 2022 Grand Vitara starts at Rs 10.45 lakh for the mild hybrid version and goes up to Rs 19.65 lakh for the strong hybrid version. The SUV is available in monotone and dual tone versions with four variants on offer - Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha. The AllGrip will only be available in the Alpha top-spec variant and the strong hybrid will be offered in top two specs. While the strong hybrid’s pricing seems like a bit of a stretch (Rs 2.6 lakh more than the AllGrip), the AllGrip is priced well at Rs 16.89 lakh ex-showroom, considering it comes with all the bells and whistles. The Grand Vitara will be competing with the likes of Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq as well as the Scorpio-N. This being the only car in this segment with a strong hybrid powertrain it will be interesting to see how it stacks up with its rivals.
Here's the full variant-wise price list of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara