The return of the Grand Vitara — Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara unveiled

If you’ve lived long enough, you’ll know that the Grand Vitara isn’t an all-new name, having existed in the Indian market previously with 4x4 and a V6 petrol at some point! However, this time Maruti Suzuki is entering the mid-size SUV battlefield by unveiling the all-new Grand Vitara, which shares a lot of components with the newly-unveiled Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara also aims to offer an edge over its rivals with all-wheel-drive and a strong-hybrid powertrain. The car maker has opened bookings for the Grand Vitara, and sales will begin from September onwards.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara — Hybrid and all-wheel-drive

Similar to the Toyota Hyryder, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara also receives two hybrid drivetrains — a self-charging strong hybrid setup with a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 114bhp and 122Nm of torque which gets an e-CVT transmission. The strong-hybrid spec of the Grand Vitara gets four driving modes — EV, eco, power, and normal. The EV mode is especially significant as it is the first Maruti Suzuki to get one! The strong-hybrid spec Grand Vitara claims a fuel-efficiency figure of 27.97kmpl, making it the one of the most fuel-efficient cars in its segment.

The other is a mild-hybrid setup, also with a 1.5-litre petrol engine putting out 101bhp and 136.8Nm of torque, which can be had with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Like the Hyryder, the Grand Vitara also gets all-wheel-drive with four selectable modes, namely auto, sport, snow, and lock. This gives the Grand Vitara an edge over competitors like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and the Skoda Kushaq. The mild-hybrid setup too claims a high fuel-efficiency figure of 21.11kmpl, making it quite frugal compared to its competitors.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Design

The new Grand Vitara follows modern design trends as it gets a large grille, and slim LED DRLs on either side placed above the headlamps. At the rear, there’s a full length strip running across the tailgate. Like the Hyryder, the tail lamps on the Grand Vitara are placed lower near the bumper, and unlike the old model, the new Grand Vitara misses out on a stepney. The side profile is reminiscent of the Hyryder, but the Nexa blue shade lends the Grand Vitara a more ‘Suzuki’ identity.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Interiors and Equipment

Maruti Suzuki has equipped the Grand Vitara quite ‘grandly’ we must say, as it gets kit such as a head-up display, 360-degree camera, a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, voice commands, a fully-digital instrument cluster, wireless smartphone charger, smartphone connectivity and remote functions via the Suzuki Connect suite, front ventilated seats, ambient lighting, and yes, a panoramic sunroof among others!

Maruti Suzuki has also laid emphasis on safety, as the Grand Vitara gets six airbags, hill-hold assist, electronic stability programme, hill-descent control, rear disc brakes. and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will be offered via the premium Nexa outlets, and it is set to go against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Tata Harrier, MG Astor, and the five-seater versions of the Mahindra XUV700 and MG Hector. The Grand Vitara will be produced in Toyota's plant in Bidadi, Karnataka. Maruti Suzuki has opened bookings for the new Grand Vitara on the Metaverse, and sales will commence from September onwards. Follow our social handles for more and let us know your thoughts on the new Grand Vitara.