Maruti Suzuki is in the race for SUV dominance. India’s largest carmaker had only one good SUV that sold well in India, the Vitara Brezza. But contestants soon toppled it off the air (get it? Brezza). It was their only successful SUV and is currently the only vehicle (regardless of the segment), with a decent crash rating.
The Vitara Brezza has been replaced by the newly launched Brezza, which has the Vitara prefix cut off. Why? you can ask. This is because the name Vitara is going to end up as the upcoming C-segment SUV from Maruti Suzuki.
Manufactured by Toyota, Maruti Grand Vitara will be derived from HyRyder with a similar set of features and functionalities
Today, Maruti Suzuki announced the official name of its upcoming SUV to rival the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It will be called Maruti Grand Vitara. Manufactured by Toyota, this high-rider will be Maruti Suzuki’s take on the SUV platform that was jointly developed by both companies. And the new Grand Vitara will be unveiled on July 20.
Maruti Grand Vitara – Specification
The 2022 Grand Vitara SUV is expected to get the same dimensions as the HyRyder, which is a size advantage compared to most SUVs in the segment. The HyRyder is powered by two tiers of hybrid powertrains. The Neo Drive gets a mild hybrid setup with only stop/start and regeneration capabilities. Whereas, the hybrid drive gets a proper high voltage architecture which is also capable of producing short bursts on electric power alone. We can expect Maruti Suzuki to keep the same name for the powertrain or may come up with its own.
The Neo Drive is sourced from Maruti Suzuki which is a 1462cc K15 engine that makes around 100 bhp at 6000 RPM and 135 Nm at 4400 RPM. It has a mild hybrid system and may be had with a 6-speed torque converter automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. And the Neo Drive is also the only one to get the AWD option as of now.
The hybrid drive, however, is from Toyota and is powered by a 1490 cc petrol 3 cylinder engine capable of around 91 bhp at 5500 rpm and 122 Nm at 3800-4800 rpm standalone. It is mated to a synchronous AC motor capable of 79 bhp and 141 Nm. Combined, this powertrain churns out 114 bhp in harmony. This display is handled by an e-CVT unit.
Features and launch
Maruti Suzuki may equip the Grand Vitara with all or most of the HyRyder features. It will also get AWD with a mild-hybrid powertrain. Notable features are the 9” infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HUD, 6 airbags, wireless charging, paddle shifters (with AT), and much more. It can also get features like ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof. Take a look at the rear LED, the tail light teaser of the new Maruti Grand Vitara by Nexa in the video below.
Maruti has come a long way in product engineering in terms of market trends. Their market share is falling slightly. With the increased competition, they are no longer the default pick. Therefore, they have become long in their teeth to compete with the modern competition. At present, Seltos and Creta have a 66% market share in the compact SUV segment.
If you told me in 2021 a Maruti car could get 6 airbags, a modern 6-speed automatic, HUD, a nice infotainment package, a sunroof, an exciting interior, a 360-degree camera, a true hybrid powertrain, and AWD Is. (in India), ventilated seats, panoramic sunroofs, and more, I would have chuckled. But as we can see, it is happening. Due to the vertical integration, some or most of these features may even reach the lower-end Maruti Suzuki products.
After the unveiling, the Grand Vitara is expected to go into production soon. Maybe in the month of August. Upon launch, both the HyRyder and Vitara are expected to be priced aggressively. We expect prices to start at Rs. 10 – 10.5 lakh marks.
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