Maruti resurrects Grand Vitara brand for new midsize SUV

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) has officially revealed the name of its upcoming midsize SUV which will be called the Grand Vitara, and will be retailed from the company’s premium Nexa showroom network. The company has commenced bookings for the new model for a sum of Rs 11,000.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara was originally sold in India between 2003 and 2012 and came as a fully-built import from Japan. It was the second-generation Grand Vitara that came with a 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine and was on offer from 2003 to 2006.

In 2007, it was replaced by the third-generation model that initially came with a 2.0-litre petrol-only mill, to later receive a 2.4-litre powerplant. The Grand Vitara also sported an all-wheel drive system.

The new SUV, however, has been jointly developed by alliance partners Suzuki and Toyota, with the latter having already showcased the Urban Cruiser Hyryder for India through its local arm – Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM).

The new SUV for both partners will be manufactured at TKM’s plant in Bidadi, Karnataka, with the SOP slated for August. Both TKM and MSIL are likely to launch their respective versions of the SUV in the festive season later this year.

Justifying its name, the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will offer an all-wheel drive system, which is going to be a unique feature that isn’t available in its key competitors – Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. The SUV will also sport mild- and strong-hybrid technologies, along with features like a panoramic sunroof and a 9-inch infotainment system.

The Grand Vitara in its new avatar, is likely to breach the Rs 20-lakh mark price tag for its higher trims, and MSIL seems upbeat about the aspirational value  that the company’s products command in the market. According to Shashank Srivastava, senior executive director, Marketing and Sales, "The aspirational value associated with Maruti Suzuki is today acceptable and that clearly gets proven by the volumes and success of the Nexa brand.”

“Nexa was incorporated to cater to the needs of an emerging set of Indian customers, who have become more aspirational and now value design, quality and technology. We are well placed from a brand perspective,” he told Autocar Professional in a recent interaction.

While it leads the market with an overall share of 67 percent in non-SUV segment, MSIL only commands a 3.5 percent share in the midsize SUV segment which makes up to 18 percent of the total passenger vehicle sales in India. “We hardly have any presence in that segment and now with the new 4.3-metre-long SUV coming in, we should be able increase our market share. It will help us achieve our objective of regaining our overall 50 percent market share in the country,” Srivastava said.