It first came to light a couple of years ago that Maruti Suzuki is working on a seven-seater utility vehicle codenamed Y17. Only recently, it became clear that the Indo-Japanese carmaker is working on a three-row version of Grand Vitara. A few weeks ago, a test mule of the same was spotted testing for the first time.
Multiple test mules of the supposed 7-seat Grand Vitara were recently spotted outside Maruti’s new manufacturing plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana. The test units were completely wrapped under a camouflage, therefore, not exposing even a hint of metal. However, the overall shape and silhouette is very similar to the existing Grand Vitara.
7-seater Maruti Grand Vitara: Expected styling & specs
Despite the familiar shape, Maruti will offer a very different styling in order to provide a clear distinction between the current Grand Vitara and the upcoming 7-seater mid-size SUV. We expect Maruti to borrow some styling cues from the fully-electric e Vitara which recently made its debut at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025 last month.
However, the latest spy pics don’t provide any explicit evidence of a longer wheelbase in order to accommodate a third row of seats. Previous spy shots have also suggested a major overhaul of the cabin interiors with a large vertical free-standing touchscreen infotainment system, underlined by chrome-embellished air-con vents housed within a completely new dashboard layout.
Maruti will further distinguish this upcoming seven-seat model from the existing Grand Vitara with a brand new name. Interestingly, Maruti has filed two new trademarks in the last few months: Escudo and Torqnado. We expect Maruti to opt one for the seven-seat SUV. It will be based on the same Global C platform from Suzuki that currently underpins Grand Vitara as well as Brezza.
Expect the new three-row SUV to inherit the same 1.5-liter naturally aspirated and 1.5-liter petrol-hybrid engine options from the Grand Vitara, along with the same transmission choices. However, power and torque output may differ from the latter. Production for this SUV is expected to begin in mid-2025, therefore, a market launch can be expected towards the end of the year. The Y17 will directly rival the other mid-size seven-seat SUVs such as Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Safari, and MG Hector Plus.