Maruti Suzuki confirms new SUV: Is it Hyundai Alcazar killer?

It’s known that Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch its first-ever all-electric vehicle, the e Vitrara, but R C Bhargava, chairman of the company, bowled a googly at the Q4 results press conference, disclosing that there’s another SUV in the pipeline. He further revealed that India’s number one car maker is working on a small mass-market hybrid car. While Bhargava did not share specifics about the new SUV or the hybrid’s timeline, we have a pretty good idea of what they could be.

What is the mystery Maruti SUV?

Here’s a hint. The new SUV is not a brand new vehicle and will go up against the likes of the Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus, Tata Safari and the Mahindra XUV700. Still, you’re not able to guess? Well, we are talking about a three-row Grand Vitara. There’s been a slew of spy shots of the coming SUV, which is expected to be available in two powertrains —the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated mild hybrid and 1.5-litre 3-cylinder strong hybrid. With this new vehicle, Maruti Suzuki’s SUV lineup increases to five — Brezza, Fronx, Jimny and the 5-seater Grand Vitara. 

Affordable hybrid range on the cards

Currently, only three automobile manufacturers are offering strong hybrid vehicles: Toyota, Maruti Suzuki and Honda. The former two offer SUVs — the Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Grand Vitara, respectively, while Honda has the City e:HEV. Based on these three models, the hybrid range in the country starts from Rs 16.81 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, with the Toyota Hyryder S e-Drive variant. Hence, there is no hybrid vehicle available  Rs 10 lakh range. 

Maruti Suzuki has been working on the Fronx hybrid for a while, and several spy images have confirmed it. Even though the company has a partnership with Toyota, Maruti Suzuki is building its own hybrid, which will keep the price at an affordable level. According to Autocar India, the hybrid cars from Maruti will offer a class-leading mileage of 35 to 40 kmpl. Based on the report, the hybrid range will start with the Fronx, followed by the Baleno, Swift and then the Brezza.