Complete Guide to Buying a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

The Grand Vitara name is renowned for being a spacious family SUV that can also tackle off-road terrain with ease. Seven years after the discontinuation of the previous gen Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti has launched its much awaited competitor to the Hyundai Creta. The new Grand Vitara brings with it a strong hybrid powertrain as well as Suzuki’s AWD system, both firsts for the segment, in a bid to overhaul the Creta’s dominance in the segment.

With new technologies, competitive pricing and Maruti’s brand reputation, the Grand Vitara has quickly become one of the most desired new midsize SUVs in India. If you have been planning to upgrade to a new midsize SUV this year, the Grand Vitara is definitely on your list. Here’s a complete buying guide with what you need to know when buying a Maruti Grand Vitara, including specifications, the good, the not-so good, and the best variant to buy.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Specifications

The Maruti Grand Vitara enters the very competitive midsize SUV segment, where the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, and Volkswagen Taigun have each carved out a piece of the market. In this regard, the Grand Vitara matches its rivals on the spec sheet.

Why you should consider the Grand Vitara

If you are in the market for a midsize SUV, then you will be considering the Grand Vitara along with its competitors. Here are the main reasons why you should consider the Grand Vitara over the other midsize SUVs in the market.

Strong Hybrid Powertrain

The headline feature for the Grand Vitara (and its Toyota sibling) is the strong hybrid powertrain. The Grand Vitara strong hybrid is equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine as well as an electric motor that work together to deliver the required power. When driving in traffic or at low speeds, the Grand Vitara will use electricity to power the wheels and the engine will be used to only charge the batteries. Driving at higher speeds uses the engine as the primary source of power while the electric motors provide assistance. According to the claims of Maruti and Toyota, this powertrain will use electricity 60 percent of the time, providing diesel-like fuel efficiency.

In real-world terms, this powertrain functions as advertised, seamlessly switching between petrol and electric power while you drive through the city. Driving sedately, you will be able to get a mileage of at least 23 kmpl in the city without much hassle or extreme hypermile driving. This translates to an overall saving in the cost of ownership of the car as your fuel bills get significantly reduced.

Mild Hybrid is not far behind

Maruti has a reputation to uphold and the mild hybrid petrol engine on the lower variants does not sacrifice fuel efficiency in the pursuit of power. With an ARAI rated 21.11 kmpl mileage, the Grand Vitara mild hybrid is one of the most fuel efficient petrol cars in its segment. Even the automatic variant has a claimed ARAI mileage of 20.58 kmpl, giving you more options without sacrificing driving convenience. If fuel efficiency is your primary concern, the Grand Vitara should be at the very top of your list.

A Feature-Loaded Maruti

Hyundai’s continued dominance of the midsize SUV segment is primarily due to the feature offerings available on the Creta. With the Grand Vitara, Maruti has opted to offer features that matches the asking price to get some parity with its chief rival. A panoramic sunroof, large digital touchscreen display, premium sound system, soft touch interior panels, head up display, cruise control, ventilated seats and many more features tick the boxes for those who want a feature-rich car in their garage. In many ways, the Grand Vitara does feel grand and while it may still be behind the Creta and Seltos duo, it is miles ahead of what is usually expected from a Maruti.

Why you should not consider the Maruti Grand Vitara

Every car has some compromises that need to be accepted while buying a car for the family. The Maruti Grand Vitara does have a few of these compromises, that may make or break your decision for this car.

Limited headroom for taller passengers

With a midsize SUV, a spacious interior is a minimum expectation that many have. While the Grand Vitara is sufficiently spacious for a person with an average height, taller passengers will feel the roof quite close to their heads. Headroom, particularly in the rear, is limited for tall people as the sloping roof takes some much needed space away. It will require some adjustment to sit comfortably, but in a midsize SUV, this should not be the case. Legroom, on the other hand, is spacious for people of all sizes and should not be a problem while travelling in the Grand Vitara.

Not for the enthusiastic driver

A focus on mileage often comes at the cost of performance, and the Grand Vitara almost demands that you do not want instant performance. While the the driving experience is satisfactory in most situations, it isn’t something that will excite you, especially on the highway. This is a car that is best suited to a sedate driving style, with light throttle input enough to get the most out of the either powertrain. This is a key factor in choosing the Grand Vitara over its rivals and a test drive is a must to align your expectations with what the car can deliver on the road.

Strong Hybrid’s limited boot space

When buying a midsize SUV, boot space is one factor you don’t have to worry too much about. The mild hybrid Grand Vitara has 373 litres of boot space, which is comparable to its rivals. However, Maruti placed the battery for the electric motors in the boot, reducing overall boot space to 265 litres. In practical terms, the boot floor is raised, which restricts you in terms of how much luggage you will be able to carry. Multiple large suitcases won’t be able to fit in the boot of the strong hybrid Grand Vitara, reducing its appeal for family road trips.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Variants

There are six variants on offer for the Maruti Grand Vitara, with two strong hybrid variants and four mild hybrid variants. If you want to own the Grand Vitara strong hybrid, you will be restricted to the top highest variants, while the Grand Vitara AWD is only available with the mild hybrid powertrain.

Best Maruti Grand Vitara variant to buy

Even with a limited variant spread, there are three variants that can be considered as the best Maruti Grand Vitara variant to buy. From the mild hybrid powertrains, the Grand Vitara Zeta is the best variant to consider as it delivers a feature packed midsize SUV that includes all the essential must-have features at an accessible price. Similarly, if the Grand Vitara strong hybrid has caught your attention, then the Zeta+ variant provides a great value package, including the panoramic sunroof. The Grand Vitara AWD is not a straightforward recommendation as it should be, considering it is the only all-wheel drive car in this segment. The AWD variant only makes sense if the roads you take require the capability to ensure safe navigation. For mostly city driving, the standard variants are more than sufficient.

Summary

After years dominating the budget and hatchback segments, Maruti has switched its focus to the premium end of the market. The Grand Vitara is the spearhead of Maruti’s push to capture the more demanding customer, who had so far flocked to the likes of Hyundai and Kia to get access to premium interiors and features. With our buying guide, you should now be better equipped to walk into the showroom and test the car according to your needs without being confused with the marketing jargon.

FAQs about Maruti Grand Vitara