In the run up to the official unveil off the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara on the 20th of July, 2022, the automaker has been dropping teaser after teaser.
The latest teaser that hit the internet today shows the rear-end of the Grand Vitara, including the tail lamp design. Bookings for the new Maruti Suzuki SUV are already on, and an official launch with price announcement will happen next month.
On the 20th of July though, the new SUV will be unveiled, and will begin reaching Maruti Suzuki NEXA showrooms across India for prospective buyers to check out. The Grand Vitara will replace the S-Cross in Maruti’s line-up, and is likely to be priced very competitively. If the leaked prices are to be believed, the new Grand Vitara – with a starting price of Rs. 9.6 lakh – could undercut the market leader Hyundai by about Rs. 1 lakh.
The super affordable price tag will be for the 1.5 liter mild hybrid petrol engine though. The motor – borrowed from the recently launched Brezza sub-4 meter compact SUV – makes about 102 Bhp-137 Nm. On the Grand Vitara, this engine will be offered with 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic options. The mild hybrid engine will drive the front wheels of the new SUV in automatic trim, and all four wheels in manual trim.
The higher trims of the new SUV will get the 1.5 liter TNGA strong hybrid powertrain, whose petrol motor will make about 92 Bhp-122 Nm while the electric motor will produce 79 Bhp-141 Nm. A CVT automatic gearbox with 5 stepped shifts will be standard in the strong hybrid. The strong hybrid will be front-wheel driven.
The Grand Vitara will be Maruti Suzuki’s maiden strong hybrid car for the Indian market. The automaker is planning to launch more strong hybrids in the future as it completely steers away from diesels. Notably, the strong hybrid Grand Vitara will be able to run purely on electric power for a few kilometers, making it an excellent bet for short city commutes.
As for features, the new SUV will offer more than any Maruti car ever has. A panoramic sunroof, ventilated leatherette seats, connected car technology, head-up display, 360 degree camera, drive modes, paddle shifters, 6 airbags, ESP, ABS, traction control, keyless entry and push button start are the various features on the top-end trims.
Over the next five years, Maruti Suzuki expects the Indian market to go big on SUVs, with the automaker projecting one in two new cars sold here to be a SUV. The automaker is also lining up an all-electric SUV for the Indian market, which is due in 2024. Apart from petrol-hybrid and electric SUVs, Maruti will also launch cars that run on the CNG-Petrol combination.
