Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara AWD NOT underpowered, says owner [Video]

Maruti Suzuki recently launched the Grand Vitara at a starting price of Rs. 10.45 lakh; Gets the Suzuki All-Grip AWD system; Watch the owner explain how the Grand Vitara is not underpowered.

Grand Vitara, the flagship product from Maruti Suzuki in India was launched on September 26. Priced from Rs. 10.45 lakhs to Rs. 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom), the mid-size SUV is equipped with Suzuki’s All-Grip AWD technology. The Japanese carmaker only offers the AWD in a single Alpha manual trim, costing Rs. 16.89 lakh (ex-showroom). The engine specs of the SUV are quite underwhelming on paper, especially the 1.5 litre K15C which powers the AWD vehicle. Now that the deliveries of the Grand Vitara have begun, we have an owner to share the real-world practical experience of the AWD variant. The owner explains how the Grand Vitara AWD is not underpowered in a video on his YouTube channel named ‘Nomad Adventures Overland’.

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Maruti Grand Vitara AWD Not Underpowered: Owner’s Take

Before sharing his feedback on the Grand Vitara AWD, the owner has tested the vehicle on different terrains including highways, hills as well as some off-road patches. He claims that he will be sharing his feedback as a layman and owner of the vehicle. He starts by addressing the much discussed ‘underpowered’ topic of the Grand Vitara. Sharing his views, the owner claims that if you are cruising on the highways at around 90-100 kmph, the overtakes require some amount of planning and effort as the SUV takes a good amount of time to pick up the pace. The same case applies in the hilly areas, where the SUV requires few downshifts and planning to overtake in the mountain twisties. He further explains that the SUV feels a bit laggy as compared to diesel as well as other petrol cars.

Going ahead, he compares it to the Hyundai Alczar petrol which comes powered by a 2.0 litre naturally aspirated engine and states that the 7-seater SUV is a bit more eager in overtakes. On the other hand, the Grand Vitara is any day better than Baleno, says the owner.
Then the owner talks about the performance of the SUV on steep inclines, claiming that it is an easy affair for the SUV and the trick is to use the first gear. He further says that the Grand
Vitara AWD can handle all types of situations, be it steep slopes, off-road patches, highway runs and more, and the car is not underpowered. The power of a vehicle cannot be accessed solely by its performance and throttle response on highways, but also how easily it moves in a fully loaded cabin serves as an important marker for the vehicle’s power assessment, says the owner.

For reference, the Grand Vitara AWD is powered by a 1.5-litre K15C petrol engine putting out 103 bhp and 138 Nm of peak torque, paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Maruti Suzuki doesn’t offer the 6-speed torque converter automatic with the AWD.

Maruti Grand Vitara AWD: Real-World Fuel Efficiency

In the video, the owner also shows the real-world fuel mileage of the Grand Vitara AWD. Going by the vehicle’s MID, the overall mileage stands at 14.4 kmpl, in mixed driving conditions including hills, bumper-to-bumper traffic as well as highways. The claimed fuel efficiency of the All-Grip AWD variant is 19.38 kmpl.

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