Electrification in the Mid-size SUV

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, co-developed with Toyota Motor, Is the first truly affordable hybrid India has received. Read on to see how it fared in our test

- Jim Gorde

IN THE CITY, ON MY SHORT COMMUTE, I HAVE seen a sustained 50 kilometres to the litre. Yes, I have about five kilometres to travel to and from my home and it is mostly heading down to a lower altitude, gradually, whereas heading back sees more need for the throttle. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The Grand Vitara Hybrid, also called strong hybrid” by the manufacturers, is a truly practical, versatile, and highly efficient automobile. No surprise, then, that it clinched our Automobile of the Year Award this year. Not just for its all-round impressive nature, but mainly for the fact that one of the four powertrain choices is a petrol-electric hybrid. Coming from the leading automobile manufacturer in India, that is saying something. It’s high time, I must say. But let’s get to the matter at hand.

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is a stylish SUV and it looks like a worthy successor to the name tag. However, they seem to be getting progressively smaller but it also seems like fair evolution. The aggressive stance is backed by a 2.6-metre wheelbase and a high ground clearance of over 200 millimetres. The 17-inch wheels with 215/60 rubber inside grey-clad wheel-arches look the part, too. It’s a clean shape, with enough elements to make it stand out of the crowd, even from its step-sibling, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The trio of LED daytime lights doubling as turn indicators, the powerful headlights positioned low, and the trio of LED tail-lights on either side of the tail-gate all give it a stance that’s both modern and purposeful.