7
years
have
passed
and
Maruti
Suzuki
is
back
with
the
Grand
Vitara
and
is
looking
to
knock
Hyundai’s
Creta
off
its
perch
with
the
help
of
fellow
Japanese
carmaker
Toyota.
So
can
the
all-new
Grand
Vitara
revive
an
iconic
Suzuki
nameplate
in
India
or
is
it
too
focused
on
fuel
savings
to
do
much
else?
Is
the
new
Grand
Vitara
too
much
like
its
badge-swapped
Toyota
sibling
or
has
Maruti
Suzuki
done
enough
to
make
it
stand
out
from
Hyryder?
These
were
the
questions
we
set
out
to
answer
when
we
took
to
the
streets
of
Udaipur
in
the
all-new
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara…
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
Exterior
Design
–
Bold,
Blocky
&
Distinct
While
the
Grand
Vitara
and
the
Hyryder
may
be
siblings
born
under
different
badges,
Maruti
has
made
the
effort
to
ensure
its
new
flagship
SUV
looks
different
from
its
Toyota
sibling.
At
the
front,
the
LED
daytime
running
lights
and
indicators
are
connected
by
chunky
strips
of
chrome
to
the
Suzuki
badge
sitting
at
the
top
of
the
large
grille
that
also
features
chrome
surrounds.
The
LED
projector
headlamps
sit
lower
on
the
front
bumper
on
opposite
sides
of
the
grille.
The
lower
section
of
the
front
bumper
features
a
faux
skid
plate
finished
in
grey
atop
which
sits
a
small
air
intake.
Black
cladding
can
be
seen
on
the
edges
of
the
front
bumper
and
this
continues
around
the
sides
of
the
new
Grand
Vitara
to
the
rear
bumper
where
they
meet
up
with
the
faux
skid
plate
element.
Most
versions
of
the
new
Maruti
Grand
Vitara
ride
on
17-inch
dual-tone
precision-cut
alloy
wheels
which
look
quite
nice.
The
Sigma
&
Delta
versions
of
the
new
Grand
Vitara
ride
on
17-inch
steel
wheels
with
full
wheel
caps.
The
sides
of
the
new
Grand
Vitara
feature
some
rather
chunky
wheel
arches
and
a
blackened
section
on
the
C
pillar
that
give
the
illusion
of
a
floating
roof.
The
rear
section
of
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
also
features
a
split
lighting
setup
with
the
LED
brake
lights
connected
to
the
Suzuki
logo
in
the
centre
underneath
which
you
can
find
the
Grand
Vitara
badging.
The
rear
bumper
also
features
sets
of
vertically
stacked
lights
on
either
edge
which
house
the
other
essential
lights.
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
Interiors
–
Dual
Tone
Differences
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara’s
interiors
are
offered
in
two
different
themes
that
depend
on
the
powertrain
option
chosen
by
the
customer.
For
the
owners
of
the
mild
hybrid
powertrain
Grand
Vitara,
there
is
a
Black
and
Bordeaux
theme
for
the
interior
with
added
silver
accents.
Buyers
of
the
strong
hybrid
version
of
the
new
Maruti
Grand
Vitara
get
an
all-black
interior
with
Champagne
gold
accents.
Maruti
Suzuki
has
used
soft-touch
materials
on
many
surfaces
inside
the
Grand
Vitara’s
cabin
including
the
multi-layer
dash,
which
gives
it
a
very
premium
feel.
However,
the
quality
of
the
hard
plastics
used
could
have
been
a
lot
better.
The
ventilated
front
seats
are
a
welcome
addition
for
our
crazy
summers
and
the
faux
leather
upholstery
looks
and
feels
quite
premium
as
well.
The
multi-layered
dashboard
is
dominated
by
the
9-inch
touchscreen
infotainment
system
that
wirelessly
supports
both
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay.
The
display
also
can
be
used
to
access
the
Grand
Vitara’s
connected
car
suite
that
adds
over
40+
connected
car
features
which
users
can
access
through
the
Suzuki
connect
app.
Below
the
infotainment
screen
sit
the
controls
for
the
HVAC
system,
a
12V
socket,
the
USB
ports
for
connectivity
and
the
wireless
phone
charging
tray.
Depending
on
the
model
chosen
you’ll
find
either
the
rotary
drive
mode
selector
for
the
all-wheel
drive
model
or
the
buttons
for
the
strong
hybrid
model
beside
the
gearbox
of
the
new
Vitara.
Other
options
on
the
Grand
Vitara
include
a
panoramic
sunroof,
ambient
lighting,
a
heads
up
display
and
a
360-degree
camera
for
easier
parking.
The
new
Grand
Vitara
also
comes
with
an
array
of
safety
tech
including
6
airbags,
ESP,
Hill
Hold
Assist,
all
wheel
disc
brakes,
Hill
Descent
Control,
and
TPMS
among
others.
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
Specs
&
Dimensions
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
is
offered
with
two
powertrain
options
–
a
1.-5-litre
4-cylinder
petrol
engine
with
mild
hybrid
assistance
and
a
1.5-litre
3-cylinder
petrol
engine
strong
hybrid
setup.
The
1.5-litre
mild
hybrid
setup
is
seen
on
a
host
of
other
Maruti
cars
including
the
smaller
Brezza
and
remains
untouched
under
the
bonnet
of
the
new
Grand
Vitara.
The
engine
produces
101.6bhp
and
117Nm
of
peak
torque.
The
engine
is
offered
with
the
choice
of
either
a
6-speed
automatic
with
paddle
shifters
or
a
5-speed
manual
that
can
be
paired
with
the
Suzuki
All-Grip
all-wheel
drive
system.
The
FWD
manual
delivers
a
claimed
21.1km/l,
the
AWD
manual
offers
up
19.38km/l
while
the
automatic
ekes
out
20.58km/l
(all
figures
as
per
ARAI).
The
1.5-litre
three-cylinder
Atkinson
cycle
petrol
engine
and
strong
hybrid
setup
is
from
Toyota.
The
engine
produces
91.1bhp
and
122Nm
of
peak
torque.
The
motor
produces
79bhp
and
141Nm
of
peak
torque.
However,
combined
system
power
is
capped
at
114bhp.
The
strong
hybrid
setup
is
paired
to
a
eCVT
gearbox
that
sends
power
to
the
front
wheels.
The
strong
hybrid
Grand
Vitara
delivers
a
class
leading
mileage
of
27.97km/l
(ARAI).
The
new
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
is
4,345mm
long,
1,795mm
wide
and
1,645mm
tall.
The
wheelbase
of
the
new
Grand
Vitara
is
2,600mm
long
and
weighs
between
1,150
and
1,295
kilos
(kerb
weight).
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
sports
McPherson
struts
at
the
front
and
a
Torsion
beam
setup
at
the
rear
with
disc
brakes
providing
the
required
stopping
power.
The
front
disc
brakes
are
ventilated
while
the
ones
at
the
rear
are
solid
units.
The
17-inch
wheels
are
shod
with
215/6
–
R17
tyres.
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
Driving
Impressions
–
A
Mix
Of
Fun,
Japanese
Wizardry
&
Bland
Boredom
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
is
a
mix
of
Dr
Jekyll
and
Mr
Hyde
but
in
this
case,
Mr
Hyde
would
bore
rather
than
gore
you
to
death
except
for
one
specific
case.
Let’s
first
talk
about
the
Dr
Jekyll
side
of
the
Grand
Vitara,
better
known
as
the
models
with
Toyota’s
strong
hybrid
setup.
The
strong
hybrid
setup
is
the
same
as
the
one
found
on
the
Toyota
Hyryder
and
we
found
the
same
Japanese
science/magic
happening
under
the
bonnet.
In
EV
mode,
the
silence
is
all
encompassing
while
Normal
and
Eco
modes
offer
a
lazy
throttle
response
as
the
powertrain
looks
to
sip
every
drop
of
precious
petrol.
Power
mode
provides
an
extra
bit
off
oomph
with
a
sharper
response
from
the
loud
pedal.
The
battery
regen
mode
allows
for
single
pedal
driving
and
is
for
the
soulless
lot
that
plague
our
streets
that
do
not
derive
any
pleasure
from
driving.
The
CVT
gearbox
continues
to
work
around
in
the
background
and
looks
to
ensure
that
you
drive
in
a
laid
back
mode
with
its ‘seamless’ shifts.
Now
let’s
tackle
the
boring
Mr
Hyde
side
of
this
Maruti
Suzuki
Vitara
Brezza.
The
K15C
engine
under
the
bonnet
of
the
mild
hybrid
version
sports
the
same
mileage
obsessive
tune
as
the
other
cars
in
Maruti’s
lineup.
This
means
that
you
feel
a
lack
of
power
when
you
put
your
press
the
loud
pedal
on
the
go.
The
gearbox
works
as
intended
shifting
through
the
gears
rather
smoothly.
However,
all
that
lack
of
power
doesn’t
seem
to
matter
if
you’ve
chosen
the
Grand
Vitara
with
Suzuki’s
All-Grip
all-wheel
drive
setup.
This
is
not
some
watered-down
version
of
Suzuki’s
rather
famous
all-wheel-drive
system
and
it
allows
the
Grand
Vitara
to
traverse
terrain
that
it
should
have
no
right
to
cross.
There
are
four
modes
for
the
all-grip
setup
–
Snow,
Auto
Lock
and
Sport.
Snow
mode
is
for
the
really
low
grip
surfaces
and
we
tested
it
by
driving
the
Grand
Vitara
over
a
block
of
ice.
In
this
mode,
power
is
sent
to
the
wheel
with
the
most
grip
and
it
works
rather
nicely.
Sport
mode
is
best
suited
for
a
bit
of
spirited
driving
as
it
allows
the
engine
to
send
more
torque
to
the
wheels
at
rather
gentle
throttle
levels
for
better
acceleration.
Power
is
sent
to
the
rear
wheels
if
and
only
if
the
need
arises.
Auto
mode
in
essence
is
a
mostly
two-wheel
drive
setup
with
power
only
being
sent
to
the
rear
wheels
when
grip
levels
at
the
front
are
lower
than
expected.
Lock
mode
ensures
that
the
All-Grip
all-wheel
drive
system
is
always
active
and
power
is
equally
split
between
the
front
and
rear
axles.
We
tested
this
mode
in
slush
pits
and
the
Grand
Vitara
just
made
its
way
through
the
mud
without
no
problems
at
all.
The
suspension
setup
on
the
new
Maruti
Grand
Vitara
is
tuned
to
be
on
the
softer
side.
This
means
a
plush
ride
at
slower
speeds
but
bad
vibes
sometimes
do
enter
the
cabin
if
you
travel
over
bad
roads
at
higher
speeds.
The
soft
setup
also
leads
to
quite
a
bit
of
body
roll,
however,
you
can
still
carry
good
levels
of
speed
into
corners
as
the
chassis
deals
with
the
rolling
motion
quite
nicely.
The
brakes
on
the
Grand
Vitara
from
Maruti
Suzuki
are
a
bit
of
a
mixed
bag.
The
pedal
that
operates
the
all-disc
setup
is
quite
easy
to
operate
and
doesn’t
have
much
travel
but
the
initial
bite
from
those
metal
plates
could
have
been
a
whole
lot
better.
However,
once
the
brakes
get
to
work,
they
feel
quite
progressive.
The
regen
braking
with
the
strong
hybrid
version
aids
that
model’s
stopping
performance.
Thoughts
About
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara
is
a
mix
of
typical
Marutiness
with
added
Toyota
&
Suzuki
magic
thrown
in.
While
we
feel
Maruti
Suzuki
may
have
missed
a
beat
with
the
mild
hybrid
setup;
the
All-Grip
and
Strong
Hybrid
versions
along
with
the
crazy
mileage
figures
will
ensure
that
people
will
flock
into
the
cabin
of
the
Grand
Vitara.
However,
all
that
will
depend
on
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Grand
Vitara’s
price
tag…
