What is it?

Maruti has finally marked its entry into the super busy mid-size SUV segment with the unveil of the new Grand Vitara. It is also the first model from the Toyota-Suzuki alliance that is built from scratch. Its Toyota derivative, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, made its debut earlier this month. But what exactly is the new Grand Vitara all about and how does it stand out from the competition? Read on to find out.

How is it on the outside?

Although based on the same underpinnings as the Hyryder, the Maruti Grand Vitara is completely different in terms of design, which has been made ground-up by the folks at Suzuki. Up-front, the SUV gets an all-new grille finished in a shade of black, along with a chrome slat and surround. Then there are split headlamps, where the unit on top features three-point LED DRLs that double up as turn indicators, while the unit below houses the LED projector head light, further complemented by a glossy black surround.

On either side, the new Maruti Grand Vitara gets blacked-out B and C-pillars, while the D-pillar gets a chrome accent on the top. The chunky wheel arches with plastic cladding are filled by 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, while the roof rails are finished in a contrasting shade of silver.

Towards the rear, the new Grand Vitara features wraparound LED tail lights, two-piece LED light bars, Grand Vitara lettering, a tail gate-mounted number plate recess, a set of vertically stacked lights that function as reflectors, turn indicators, and reverse lights on either side of the rear bumper, an integrated spoiler with a high-mounted stop light, rear wiper and washer, and a shark-fin antenna. The front and rear bumpers also receive contrast-coloured silver skid plates.

The 2022 Maruti Grand Vitara will be available in six mono-tone colours such as Nexa Blue, Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, and Chestnut Brown. On the other hand, the three dual-tone options will include Arctic White with black roof, Splendid Silver with black roof, and Opulent Red with black roof.

How is it on the inside?

Step inside the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and you are greeted by a dual-tone black and brown interior theme. Folks familiar with Maruti cars will find similarities as a few parts are borrowed from other models as well, such as the centre console, steering wheel, and infotainment system. The front row occupants get an arm-rest with storage function, a 12V power outlet, and a USB port.

Upon entering the second row, you get a separate set of AC vents right behind the front arm-rest, one unit each of the USB and Type-C charging ports, 60:40 split seats with reclining function, and a foldable arm-rest with cup holders. The boot size of the car seems to be on par with segment standards, although it is a little higher in terms of placement, courtesy of the hybrid motor placed below. The boot also gets a 12V power outlet and a parcel tray.

What’s on the feature list?

Set to become the flagship model from Maruti, the Grand Vitara is loaded to the gills when it comes to the feature set. Making their debut on a Maruti is the panoramic sunroof and a fully-digital instrument console. The SUV is also equipped with ventilated front seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, a nine-inch SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Head-Up Display (HUD), a 360-degree camera, wireless charger, Suzuki Connect telematics, paddle shifters, tilt and telescopic-adjustable steering, and drive modes.

A few other notable additions include an engine start-stop button, keyless entry, height-adjustable driver seat, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, gearshift indicator, auto-dimming IRVM, steering-mounted controls, and a gear-shift indicator. Safety features available as standard on the model include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, ESP, hill hold assist, speed alert system, and seat-belt reminder system. Also on offer are front side and curtain airbags, reverse parking camera, TPMS, and hill descent control.

What’s under the hood?

In terms of powertrains, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will be available with two engines including a 1.5-litre K15C petrol engine with a mild-hybrid system and a 1.5-litre TNGA petrol engine with a strong-hybrid system, known as Intelligent Electric Hybrid in Maruti speak. The K15C engine produces 102bhp and 137Nm of torque, and is paired with a five-speed manual unit and a six-speed torque converter automatic unit. Also on offer is the AllGrip AWD system, available exclusively with the MT versions.

The 1.5-litre TNGA petrol engine, on the other hand, produces 91bhp and 122Nm of torque, while the strong-hybrid motor produces 114bhp and 141Nm of torque. This powertrain, which is available only with an e-CVT unit, is claimed to return a fuel economy of 27.97kmpl, which Maruti claims, makes it the most fuel-efficient SUV in India.

Launch timeline and competition

Maruti Suzuki has commenced bookings of the Grand Vitara for an amount of Rs 11,000, with the production of the model set to commence next month. Maruti has confirmed that the prices of its mid-size SUV will be announced in September, although a date is yet to be finalised. The model is expected to be priced between Rs 15-22 lakh (ex-showroom).

Rivals to the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will include the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Tata Harrier, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.