Maruti Suzuki has unveiled its new flagship SUV–the Grand Vitara. The fifth-gen Grand Vitara, based on the global C-platform, is Suzuki’s first model produced under the Suzuki-Toyota partnership. Like the Hyryder, its sibling model from Toyota, the new SUV comes with one of two petrol-engine options: a Smart Hybrid engine developed by Suzuki and a Toyota-based  Intelligent Electric Hybrid (IEH) engine. 

Design

The Grand Vitara’s silhouette is similar to that of the Hyryder. The SUV’s front fascia gets a wide grille with piano black inserts and a prominent chrome bar with a centrally embedded Suzuki badge. For lights, the SUV gets bi-functional projector LED lights and LED DRLs at the front and on the rear is the company’s signature NEXTre’ taillamps. The vehicle stands on 17-inch alloy wheels.

The SUV’s mild-hybrid models get a dual-tone interior with silver accents, and the strong-hybrid models come with all-black interior with champagne gold accents. The five-seater SUV gets a fabric- or leather-upholstered seat; among them are ventilated front seats and reclining rear seats with 60:40 split feature.

The dashboard features a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with mounted control buttons and behind it sits either a 4.2-inch TFT display or a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, depending on the variant. Furthermore, the SUV gets a 9-inch SmartPlay Pro+ infotainment system that is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

Engine

The Grand Vitara’s Smart Hybrid model–developed by Suzuki–is powered by a 1.5-litre K-series mild-hybrid engine, which generates a power of 100 hp at 6000 rpm and a torque of 135 Nm at 4000 rpm. The engine comes mated to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Only the top variants of the Smart Hybrid model come with an all-wheel drive system ( AllGrip Select). The AllGrip Select feature offers four modes: Auto, Snow, Sport, and Lock.

The Intelligent Electric Hybrid model is based on Toyota’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, which comes mated to a 59 kW motor. The petrol engine alone can generate a power of 91 hp and a torque of 122 Nm; and the vehicle can generate a combined output of 115 hp. The company claims that the two-wheel drive electric hybrid model provides a mileage of up to 27.97 kmpl.

Specifications

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Features

The Grand Vitara comes integrated with the company’s Suzuki Connect technology, which provides remote accessibility (via a smartphone or a smartwatch)  for features such as the lock/unlock, ignition start/stop, AC control, headlight, hazard light and honk, stolen-vehicle tracker, distance to empty/battery health, among others.

The SUV comes with a plethora of convenience features such as a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, keyless entry, push start/stop button, automatic AC with rear AC vents, paddle shifters (for AT only), head-up display, cruise control, rear fast-charging USB ports, and wireless charger, among others.

For safety, the SUV comes with up to six airbags, 360-view camera, reverse parking camera, ESP, vehicle-stability control, hill-hold/descent control, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat restraint system, and TPMS, depending on the variant. 

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