Maruti Suzuki launches Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki has launched the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, with prices ranging from ₹10.45 lakh-19.6

Maruti Suzuki has launched the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, with prices ranging from ₹10.45 lakh-19.65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). A cousin to the recently launched Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, the Grand Vitara boasts of hybrid powertrains and brings back 4WD system to this segment since the discontinuation of the Renault Duster AWD. It is now Maruti’s flagship model in India.

Bookings for the Grand Vitara, which have been underway for a token amount of ₹11,000, have already crossed 55,000 units, with the waiting period stretching up to five-and-a-half months. The Grand Vitara is available with dual-tone colour options too on the top-end Alpha, Zeta+ and Alpha+ trims, which cost an additional ₹16,000.

Maruti Suzuki is offering a special introductory package with strong-hybrid variants that consists of an extended warranty of five years/1,00,000 km — up from the standard two year/40,000 km — and a genuine Nexa accessory pack worth over ₹67,000.

The mild-hybrid variants of the Grand Vitara undercut those of the Toyota Hyryder by ₹20,000, while the strong hybrid variants cost ₹50,000 more. This is because each brand has taken a price advantage of its own tech, with the mild-hybrid system coming from Suzuki and the strong-hybrid from Toyota.

The biggest talking point of the Grand Vitara are its engine options, both of which it shares with the Hyryder. The 103hp, 1.5-litre K15C petrol mild-hybrid engine, which already does duty on a range of Maruti Suzuki models, comes mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. And like in the Hyryder, the AWD system is only available with the top-end mild-hybrid manual variant.

Maruti claims an efficiency of 21.11kpl for the manual variants, 20.58kpl for the automatics and 19.38kpl for the manual AWD variant. Additionally, the Grand Vitara also gets a Toyota-sourced 92hp, 1.5-litre, three-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine paired to an electric motor that makes 79hp and 141Nm of torque. Combined, the hybrid powertrain makes 115hp and is paired to an e-CVT gearbox. Maruti claims an efficiency of 27.97kpl for this powertrain.

The Grand Vitara’s biggest differentiator from the Toyota Hyryder is its front styling. With cues similar to the Suzuki S-Cross sold abroad, the front fascia of the Grand Vitara boasts of a large, chrome-lined hexagonal grille, three-point LED daytime running lamps, bumper-mounted main headlamp cluster and a healthy dose of body cladding.