By Auto Crat
Maruti Suzuki India Limited unveiled its new Grand Vitara SUV recently. This SUV is made in India and shipped to South Africa as a completely built unit. The car has a new white colour with a black roof and it purports to be Maruti Suzuki’s take on the Toyota Hyryder, which was also unveiled recently, and both models were co-developed by Maruti Suzuki and Toyota.
The New Grand Vitara features state-of-the-art exterior design and interior equipment. Some of the segment’s first features, and bear NEXA’s signature design language, Crafted Futurism. It also has highly fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain options, which will set new standards for SUV buyers in the country.
A large NEXWave grille finished in high gloss black with chrome accents, 3-element LED DRLs, integrated turn lamps, and 3-element LED tail lamps to dominate the exteriors. It also has body cladding, prominent wheel arches, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Maruti Grand Vitara will be available in six monotone colours and three dual-tone paint schemes.
While Maruti Suzuki will offer the strong-hybrid version of the Grand Vitara only with the automatic transmission. Just like all other hybrid vehicles around the world, the strong-hybrid system the Grand Vitara Intelligent Electric Hybrid or IEH will only offer an automatic transmission. The car will come with a CVT automatic as standard. With the rising popularity of automatics, a lot of customers are likely to be happy to get the automatic transmission as standard.
FEATURES
Price: Rs.9.50 Lakh*
Engine Specs and Price
The Grand Vitara will be offered with two engine options. The first one will be a new 1.5-litre petrol engine with strong hybrid tech, paired with an e-CVT. Its other mill will be a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol that will be paired with a 5-speed MT, 6-speed AT and get optional AWD too. The prices of the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will be announced early next month and it’s likely to be priced from Rs 9.50 lakh to Rs 18 lakh, ex-showroom.
Hybrid Powertrain
Maruti Suzuki developed the Grand Vitara SUV in collaboration with Toyota Motor. The two Japanese carmakers tied up to manufacture hybrid powertrains that will be used in Grand Vitara, and its technical cousin Urban Cruiser HyRyder.
The Grand Vitara is available with a 1.5 litre Intelligent Electric Hybrid and a 1.5 litre Smart Hybrid powertrain. The e-CVT transmission offers drive in electric mode as well with maximum output of 114 bhp. The option to pick a hybrid variant over the standard ICE variants will give Grand Vitara an edge over Creta, which is offered only in petrol and diesel.
Dimensions
While Grand Vitara’s key challenge will be to match the feature list of Hyundai Creta, the first thing to note is that the SUV stands longer in length. This will help Maruti Suzuki provide more space inside the Grand Vitara SUV for the driver and passengers. According to the official figures, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara stands 4,345 mm in length, which is 45 mm more than the Hyundai Creta.
Safety
Maruti Suzuki has upped its safety game with the recently-launched Brezza. The carmaker is following a similar route here, offering the new Grand Vitara with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, cruise control, hill ascend and descend control, 360-degree camera, reverse parking camera, ISOFIX child seat anchors, Vehicle Stability Control, and seat belt reminder.
All-Wheel Drive
Another key feature missing in Hyundai Creta, or any other existing models in the compact SUV segment, is the all-wheel drive option. Maruti has brought in Suzuki’s AllGrip AWD technology to be used for the first time in its cars. The Grand Vitara mild-hybrid variant offers four driving modes including Auto, Snow, Sport and Lock. The more powerful hybrid version offers front-wheel drive with Eco, Normal, Power and EV modes. The EV mode also helps in improved mileage. Maruti claims it will offer nearly 28 kmpl, much higher than even diesel units of Creta.
360-degree camera
Maruti Suzuki has been introducing new-age technology in its cars since the beginning of this year by introducing 360-degree cameras for the first time in Baleno. The same unit makes its way inside the Grand Vitara too. Despite being in the market for nearly eight years, Creta remains without this key feature to assist drivers.
Better Fuel Efficiency
Electric motor and petrol engine combo consumes less fuel and maximises fuel efficiency.
Lower CO2 emissions
When the electric motor kicks in, the overall load on the petrol engine reduces, which leads to lower CO2 emissions and a more environment friendly car.
No Range Anxiety
The battery charges during cruising and regenerative braking, which gives you an extended range as compared to an electric vehicle that needs charging at regular intervals.
Enhanced Performance
Enhanced power delivery from the combined output of the petrol engine and electric motor delivers smooth and quick acceleration.
Launch: Maruti’s new compact SUV will be launched in September 2022 in India.
Price: The 2022 Grand Vitara is likely to have a starting price of around Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom).
Seating Capacity: Its maximum seating capacity is five.
Engines And Transmission: The compact SUV is powered by the same engines as the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The Grand Vitara can be had with either a 1.5-litre strong-hybrid or a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol-powered power plant producing 116PS (combined) and 103PS, respectively.
The strong-hybrid powertrain has self-charging technology, this model comes with three drive modes: Petrol, Hybrid and Pure EV. The mild-hybrid engine comes with a 5-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the strong-hybrid is mated to an e-CVT only. The AWD (all-wheel drive) drivetrain is only available in manual variant.
Mileage: The compact SUV comes with the following claimed fuel economy figures:
Mild-hybrid AWD MT: 19.38kmpl
Mild-hybrid AT: 20.58kmpl
Mild-hybrid MT: 21.11kmpl
Strong-hybrid e-CVT: 27.97kmpl
Maruti Grand Vitara Features: The Grand Vitara’s equipment list includes a panoramic sunroof, a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, ambient lighting and a digital driver display. Wireless phone charging, ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, and a head-up display are also on offer.
Maruti Grand Vitara Safety: Safety features on board include up to six airbags, an electronic stability programme, and hill-descent control.
Maruti Grand Vitara Rivals: The Grand Vitara will battle the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor and of course, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara vs Petrol Rivals: Mileage Comparison :
Make and Model ARAI Petrol Mileage
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 19.38 – 27.97 kmpl
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder 19.39 – 27.97 kmpl
Hyundai Creta 16.80 – 17.00 kmpl
Kia Seltos 16.10 – 16.50 kmpl
Volkswagen Taigun 17.23 – 19.20 kmpl
Skoda Kushaq 17.20 – 19.20 kmpl
Specifications :
Fuel Type – Petrol
Petrol Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres) – 45.0
Emission Norm Compliance – BS VI
Engine Displacement (cc) – 1462
No. of cylinder – 4
Max Power (bhp@rpm) – 101.64bhp@6000rpm
Max Torque (nm@rpm) – 136.8Nm@4400rpm
Seating Capacity – 5
TransmissionType – Manual
Fuel Tank Capacity – 45.0
Body Type – SUV
Front Suspension – MacPherson Strut
Rear Suspension – Torsion Beam
Turning Radius (Metres) – 5.4
Front Brake Type – Ventilated Disc
Rear Brake Type – Solid Disc
Dimensions & Capacity
Length (mm) – 4345
Width (mm)- 1795
Height (mm) – 1645
Wheel Base (mm) – 2600
Kerb Weight (Kg) – 1150-1185
Gross Weight (Kg) – 1645No of Doors5
