Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is by far the most popular choice for alternate fuel in India when it comes to mobility. As a result, demand for CNG-kitted vehicles has risen significantly over the last decade. Maruti Suzuki is the undisputed leader in the CNG space of the passenger vehicle industry.
A couple of years ago, the company launched the factory-kitted CNG version of the Grand Vitara — the first in a C-segment SUV in India. However, the CNG variants of the SUV are no longer listed in the company’s Nexa website which suggests that Maruti may have discontinued the Grand Vitara. Does it mean the CNG version of Grand Vitara has been discontinued?
No, Maruti Suzuki has confirmed to us that the Grand Vitara CNG has not been discontinued. However, the company is yet to launch the MY2025 version of the CNG-powered SUV. As a matter fact, the pre-updated CNG-powered Grand Vitara come with only twin airbags, as opposed to the six standard airbags available with the MY2025 model.
Apparently, inventory of the MY2024 Grand Vitara CNG is still in stock and available for sale in Nexa dealerships across the country. This could possibly be the result of low sales of CNG variants of Grand Vitara. Although we don’t have the exact number of how many CNG variants of Grand Vitara have been sold till date, market observations indicate that people haven’t warmed up to the idea of a factory-fitted CNG kit in Grand Vitara.
Lack of power
The CNG version of Grand Vitara is available with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which in its standard derivative pushes out 102 bhp and 137 Nm of peak torque. In the CNG guise, this motor produces 87 bhp and 121.5 Nm of torque. The fact that in its standard petrol version, the power in Grand Vitara is just adequate for daily city usage will suggest that its CNG version is grossly underpowered for a mid-size SUV.
Not fit for fleet segment
The biggest demand for CNG comes from the fleet segment which operates cabs for commercial purposes. Hence, models like Dzire, WagonR, and Swift have such a strong demand for CNG since they are hot sellers for fleet consumers. The Grand Vitara, or any mid-size SUV for that matter, cannot be a popular choice in the fleet segment for the high initial cost. Moreover, Maruti hasn’t launched a Tour version of Grand Vitara as the case with the models mentioned above.
*The story has been updated after inputs from Maruti Suzuki*
