Maruti Suzuki has finally unveiled the Grand Vitara, its first compact SUV in years. Back in the day, in the early 2000s, Maruti used to have the Grand Vitara XL-7 which used to be one of its imported models, and with a 2.7-litre V6 with over 180 bhp. The XL-7 had a high price tag, and was followed by a second Grand Vitara (3rd geb internationally) with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol, but even that model was discontinued. Both these cars were fully imported to the Indian market. When India’s leading carmaker launched the subcompact SUV Brezza, that got the Vitara prefix in its name. But then a couple of weeks ago, the Brezza was updated and it lost the Vitara name only for it to be rekindled in the form of the Grand Vitara which is basically shares the underpinnings and platform with the Toyota Hyryder. And like the Hyryder, the Grand Vitara comes with a comprehensive suite of tech features which make it competitive against the loaded competition like the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos.
One thing is clear; this is the most well-kitted-out Maruti Suzuki car you get on the market. In fact, despite being fundamentally the same car as the Hyryder and being manufactured by Toyota in India, it actually has some interesting differences.
For example, the top trim has a premium 6-speaker sound system, but Maruti Suzuki also doesn’t say if it has the Arkmays tuning for surround sound which has been there in the Baleno, Brezza and even the Toyota Hyryder. It gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, something the Hyryder misses out on.
The top-of-the-line model even gets the head-up display (HUD) that we have seen before on the Baleno from earlier this year. It also gets ventilated seats which is nice. Apart from this, there are twin USB ports on the back — USB-A and USB-C and a single USB-A port on the front, though there is also wireless charging which is an increasingly popular feature.
The strong hybrid model which Maruti Suzuki oh so eloquently calls the Intelligent Hybrid can operate in EV-only mode for a kilometre or two. This is something true of the Hydryer as well. Its all-wheel-drive fundamentals perhaps give it some off-roading pedigree that its rivals like the Seltos, Creta, Kushaq and Taigun don’t have.
The main centrepiece is a highly responsive smart play studio pro plus infotainment system which is underpinned by a neat 9-inch screen. The screen is responsive and has a clever widget-laden interface with support for voice commands and a customised welcome for the user. It is a decent screen and the system is quite responsive. But the screen size is larger on the Seltos and the Creta; both get 10.25-inch panels.
Users also get access to a excelled 360-degree surround view camera system which will make this car very easy to park. Again, on a car like the Creta, Seltos or even the Taigun for that matter, one doesn’t get such frills. Thankfully, the OVRMs are also electrically powered; something that Škoda and Volkswagen have started removing because they cannot get the requisite microchip stock thanks to the semiconductor shortage.
While the Strong Hybrid is rather well kitted out as it also gets a vast panoramic sunroof, making the Grand Vitara only the second Maruti Suzuki vehicle to get the feature, the smart hybrid (mild hybrid) model features sickly amounts of kit.
Imagine, the base variant doesn’t get an infotainment system altogether and one will need to resort to aftermarket shenanigans to get a sound system in the car. Even the high-end models don’t get features like the HUD, ventilated seats and an EV-only mode because of the nature of the power train.
It remains a compelling option with Maruti Suzuki touting almost 28 kmpl in fuel consumption, making it one of the most frugal vehicles on Indian roads coupled with best in class after sales, and availability of parts.
Maruti Suzuki says production for the car will begin in August and the sales will start in September, around when the pricing will be revealed but don’t be surprised if the Intelligent hybrid models cost more than Rs 20 lakhs while the base models are priced lower than the top variants of the new Brezza.
