Maruti Suzuki has unveiled its new global flagship SUV, the Grand Vitara. The fifth-gen Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will go on sale in India first, and is expected to be sold in multiple overseas markets. Bookings for the Grand Vitara SUV have been underway since July 11 for a token amount of Rs 11,000, and it will be sold through Maruti’s premium Nexa dealerships.
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara has been developed jointly with Toyota, and will be built at latter’s Karnataka plant along with its sister model – the Hyryder SUV.
This SUV also marks the return of the “Grand Vitara” moniker after almost a decade in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki sold the second- and third-gen of the Grand Vitara in India, but both models were full imports. The fifth-gen Grand Vitara that has been unveiled is the first to be heavily localised and built in India, and is based on Suzuki’s Global C platform that underpins multiple Maruti and Suzuki models.
The new Grand Vitara follows modern design trends as it gets a large grille, and slim LED DRLs on either side placed above the headlamps. At the rear, there’s a full length strip running across the tailgate. Like the Hyryder, the tail lamps on the Grand Vitara are placed lower near the bumper, and unlike the old model, the new Grand Vitara misses out on a stepney. The side profile is reminiscent of the Hyryder, but the Nexa blue shade lends the Grand Vitara a more ‘Suzuki’ identity.
The side profile is similar to the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, however, the Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara gets distinct styling elements like a different alloy wheel design, a floating roof and blackened pillars.
At the rear, it gets smoked-effect tail-lamps with three horizontally placed LED lighting elements on either side. A chrome strip runs across the width of the tailgate, which houses the Suzuki logo, and merges neatly into the tail-lamps. The bottom section of the bumper is blacked out to reduce visual mass and also gets a faux skid plate finished in silver. Dimensions of the new Vitara SUV – 4345mm length, 1645mm height, 1795mm width, 2600mm wheelbase.
Inside, the Grand Vitara gets faux leather with contrast brown layout. In terms of features, the Grand Vitara gets ventilated seats including a head-up display, a 9-inch Smart Play Pro Plus touchscreen infotainment system with connected car tech and even a panoramic sunroof, with the latter being a first on any Maruti Suzuki product sold in India so far. Other features include 360-degree camera, wireless charger, full digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting and connected car tech with Google and Siri voice compatibility. The hybrid versions also get driving modes.
The Grand Vitara shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and comes with two engine options. These include a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine that makes 103 BHP and 137 Nm, paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. It also comes with an optional all-wheel drive.
The other engine option is the 1.5-litre strong-hybrid producing 115 BHP and 122 Nm. The ICE is paired with an electric motor that has an output of 78 BHP and 141 Nm. This powertrain comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Like the Hyryder, the Grand Vitara also boasts of an electric-only range of up to 25km. Maruti has confirmed that this powertrain option delivers a company claimed 27.97kpl.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara: AllGrip Select AWD
Suzuki brands its all-wheel-drive tech as “AllGrip”, which is sold in three versions – AllGrip Auto, AllGrip Select and the AllGrip Pro. For the Urban Cruiser Hyryder and the Grand Vitara, we will get the AllGrip Select system that is also offered in the Vitara and S-Cross models sold abroad. You can read more about these systems, how they function and how they differ from one another here.
The AllGrip Select offers the driver four modes to choose from – Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock – and the system is controlled electronically via a push-and-turn dial on the dashboard. Depending on the mode and the road surface, the AllGrip Select can send power to all four wheels. The system also has a brake locking differential function, which, via the ESP, can stop an individual spinning wheel and trick the differential into sending the power to the wheels on the ground.
