After much anticipation, Maruti Suzuki has unveiled its global flagship today – the Grand Vitara SUV. Developed together with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder SUV, the Grand Vitara gets a hybrid powerplant and is available for booking (Rs 11,000) across all Nexa showrooms. An official launch is expected to happen in the coming weeks, with deliveries scheduled for the festive season.

Based on Suzuki’s C platform, the Grand Vitara features a rather sharp design, with some elements borrowed from the company’s other offerings. At the front, the SUV gets a wide grille flanked by sleek-looking headlamps, similar to the one seen on the new S-Cross. Then there are the piano black inserts, which look inspired by Ertiga’s design. 

In profile, the SUV looks rather similar to the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, with some distinctive elements. This includes a different set of alloy wheel designs, blacked-out pillars and a floating roof. At the rear, a chrome strip runs across the entire width connecting the tail lamps and the Grand Vitara nameplate in the centre. 

Step inside the cabin and you’ll notice a lot of similarities with the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, including features like a heads-up display, a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity and a panoramic sunroof. Additional features include ventilated seats, ESP, hill-hold assist, tyre pressure monitor, six airbags and more. 

The Grand Vitara will also be equipped with Suzuki’s AllGrip Select system, which was seen on the Urban Cruiser Hyryder recently. This system allows choosing between four different modes – Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. 

Under the hood, Maruti will offer two different engine options with the Grand Vitara – a 1.5-litre TNGA Atkinson Cycle engine setup that makes 93PS of power and 122Nm of torque on its own, paired with an electric motor which makes 80PS of power and 141Nm of torque. This brings its combined output to 115PS of power, mated to an eCVT gearbox. And just like the Toyota offering, the Grand Vitara can run on electric power alone for 25km. 

Maruti Suzuki will also offer the SUV with a 1.5-litre K15C mild-hybrid engine, which makes 104PS of power and 117Nm of torque, mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox, with paddle shifters. This is the same engine which is seen on the Ertiga and the new XL6. 

With a launch scheduled in the coming weeks, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will go up against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.

Image credits: Maruti Suzuki