Maruti Grand Vitara: 33000 bookings done before the launch of Maruti Grand Vitara

The automotive sector stands at a crossroads in many ways, with opportunities to grow in the future. Here in India, the passenger vehicle segment is still dominated by models with internal combustion engine (ICE), but a change is definitely taking place with the advent of new technology in the mass market segment. And when it comes to the mass-market segment, Maruti Suzuki continues to be the undisputed leader, which is now looking to make its presence felt in the SUV space of the mid-size segment. Here, the recently introduced Grand Vitara is making some very big promises but the biggest among them is the introduction of a strong hybrid powertrain.

Maruti Suzuki has received over 33,000 bookings for the Grand Vitara mid-size SUV. The official bookings for this SUV were started on July 11 for a token amount of Rs 11,000. The company is gearing up for the launch of its new global flagship SUV ahead of the upcoming festive season. After launching in the Indian market, it will compete with cars like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier, MG Hector. Along with these, the Grand Vitara will also compete with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyrider, which are technically identical.

Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, said, “We have received around 33,000 bookings for Grand Vitara and around 46 percent to 47 percent for Strong Hybrid, and it has been received from across the country. Maximum bookings are from Delhi, then Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and Bengaluru." Srivastava believes that since hybrid technology does not require charging infrastructure, the demand may pick up in other segments as compared to electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

Maruti Suzuki will offer the Grand Vitara in two engine options. There is a 1.5-litre mild hybrid engine that has been seen in other Maruti Suzuki cars. While the other is a new 1.5-litre strong hybrid engine developed in collaboration with Toyota. The mild hybrid engine generates 100 PS of power and 135 Nm of torque. It will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission. It has a claimed mileage of 21.11 kmpl. The robust hybrid engine produces 115 PS of maximum power and will be mated to only one e-CVT automatic transmission. Maruti Suzuki claims that it will give the highest mileage of 27.97 kmpl in its segment.

Maruti Suzuki has enhanced its safety features further with the recently launched Breeza. The carmaker has implemented this in the new Grand Vitara. Maruti has introduced features like 6 airbags with ABS with EBD, ESC, cruise control, hill climb and descent control, 360 degree camera, reverse parking camera, ISOFIX child seat anchors, vehicle stability control and seat belt reminder in the new Grand Vitara SUV.