-Will be produced first for India

-To be offered with 1.5-litre strong and mild-hybrid engines

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will be exported from India once production begins in August at the Toyota Plant in Bidadi. The India launch will take between August and September and we expect a similar timeline for the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.

The first market that the Grand Vitara will arrive in will be South Africa and this is expected to be followed by some countries in South America and in the Gulf region. These are already markets where both Suzuki and Toyota have a significant presence. The Suzuki-Toyota alliance also has major plans for markets in Africa and depending on the country, the vehicle will arrive as a Suzuki or a Toyota.

The Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Hyryder were unveiled on July 20 and July 1 respectively. They are Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos rivals and will be offered a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine and a 1.5-litre strong hybrid engine. The former will also get optional AWD.