Maruti Suzuki To Launch Two All-New SUVs This Year: All You Need To Know
India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, has not had any major launches this year. However, they have been testing a couple of models for our market, and two of those models will be launching later this year. One of them is going to be an electric SUV, and the other is going to be an ICE vehicle. Both these models will be SUVs.
The first product is going to be the eVitara, which was showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year, and the second SUV is currently known by the codename Y17.
Y17
The Y17 SUV has been spotted testing on several occasions and was initially planned as a three-row SUV. It was expected to be the Grand Vitara 7-seater, which would compete with the likes of the MG Hector and Mahindra XUV700 in the segment. However, Maruti has now changed its plans, and the upcoming Y17 SUV is going to be a high-volume B-SUV segment model.
A report from Autocar also mentions that the upcoming Y17 is not going to be a 7-seater SUV and will instead be used as a model to expand the Arena lineup. The Y17 SUV is expected to be positioned between the Maruti Brezza and the Grand Vitara. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Maruti is trying something similar to what Kia did with the Seltos.
There are even rumours that the upcoming Y17 SUV will be officially known as the Escudo, which is a trademark the manufacturer recently secured. The Y17 SUV will be offered as a product to compete against the likes of the Hyundai Creta. It will be slightly longer than the Grand Vitara, and as it is aimed to be sold via Arena dealerships, the pricing will be competitive. It will actually be more accessible than the Nexa models.
Maruti will also offer a decent number of features that we have already seen in existing models. The reason why Maruti is introducing another 5-seater SUV in this segment is that the Grand Vitara appears smaller than its rivals and also offers fewer features.
Reports also mention that the Maruti Y17 SUV will come with a strong hybrid engine. We currently have no official information about the engine, but it would have been ideal if Maruti had offered the 2.0-litre strong hybrid petrol engine used in the Innova Hycross in the Y17. The current 1.5-litre strong hybrid engine is not the most powerful in the segment. Maruti will also offer the Y17 SUV with twin-cylinder CNG tech for added convenience.
eVitara
Maruti will be launching the eVitara around the festive season this year. We already know what this upcoming electric SUV from Maruti is going to look like. In fact, there are going to be a few things that will be different in the Indian version compared to the international version.
The eVitara coming to India will have the same design as the international model and will be offered with two battery pack options. There will be a 49 kWh and a 61 kWh battery unit on offer.
The bigger battery version comes with a dual-motor or AWD setup in foreign markets, but we will only be getting the single-motor or 2WD versions.This has probably been a decision taken by the management to keep the prices competitive.
It will come with premium features like Level 2 ADAS, leatherette upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a touchscreen infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster, and more.