On the 20th of July, 2022, Maruti Suzuki will take yet another stab at the mid-size SUV market in India with the all-new Grand Vitara. The automaker has just dropped another teaser for the new Grand Vitara, which shares its platform and engines with the recently unveiled Toyota Hyryder. The new teaser shpws the silhouette of the Grand Vitara, and the similarity with the Hyryder is unmistakable.
Notably, Toyota will also manufacture the Grand Vitara, alongside the Hyryder, at its Bidadi factory, off Bangalore, and ship it over to Maruti Suzuki. While the official unveil will happen on the 20th July, the price announcement is expected to come a few weeks later. Pre-bookings though, are already open at all NEXA outlets of Maruti Suzuki.
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The all-new Grand Vitara will be the first strong hybrid car from Maruti Suzuki. The strong hybrid version of the SUV will be powered by a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes 91 Bhp-122 Nm, paired to an electric motor that makes 78 Bhp-141 Nm. Together, the strong hybrid powertrain makes 114 Bhp. The torque output is yet to be revealed though. We expect the maximum torque output in combined mode to be in excess of 200 Nm, and this should make the Grand Vitara Hybrid quite peppy. The strong hybrid variants of the Grand Vitara will get a CVT automatic gearbox with 5 stepped shifts. There will be an all wheel drive mode on offer as well.
All wheel drive will be a best-in-class feature, and could make the Grand Vitara an enthusiast favourite. Previous iterations of the Grand Vitara have been famed for their off road prowess and the newest version seems to be carrying forward that legacy. Coming to the other engine offered with the Grand Vitara, it’ll be the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder naturally aspirated K15C petrol, which is also offered in the all-new Brezza.
This motor will power the lower trims of the Grand Vitara, and will make 102 Bhp-137 Nm. 5 speed manual and 6 speed torque converter automatic gearboxes will be offered with this engine. The lower variants of the Grand Vitara are likely to be priced very competitively, especially since the new SUV replaces the S-Cross.
As for competition for the Maruti Grand Vitara, the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq will be chief rivals. A fair bit of price overlap with the likes of the Tata Harrier, Hyundai Alcazar and even the Mahindra XUV700 is quite likely. Like the Toyota Hyryder, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is expected to be feature-rich. From a panoramic sunroof and ventilated seats to connected car technology and a host of safety features, the Grand Vitara’s equipment levels will befit its status as a flagship Maruti Suzuki offering. We expect more teasers to drop as the date of reveal approaches.
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