Maruti Suzuki eVitara: Safety Details Of EV Platform Revealed Ahead Of Launch
Maruti Suzuki is known to launch its first-ever all-electric SUV for India- the eVitara in the coming weeks. The electric vehicle (EV) debuted in India at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025. Ahead of its launch next month, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has now released a video highlighting the eVitara's platform and its key talking points, particularly the safety offered.
Maruti eVitara Platform: Why Is It So Good?
Suzuki could have based this SUV on a converted Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle platform. Considering the eVitara stands close to the Grand Vitara in dimensions, this seems like an easy choice to have made. The carmaker, however, invested its resources into developing a pure-electric platform (or an 'e-born' platform as they say) called the 'Heartect-e'.
This skateboard platform has been co-developed with Toyota and will be used on multiple Maruti Suzuki and Toyota EVs, in the future. The platform allows the eVitara to have the maximum advantage as an EV. It has a very strong focus on three key areas- strength/rigidity, comfort and safety offered.
The Heartect-e platform makes extensive use of high-strength Steel and the same improves its overall rigidity. This structural rigidity is claimed to offer maximum protection for both occupants and the battery pack.
Since this is a dedicated EV platform, there is no transmission tunnel included in the structure. Various other components are also different and the overall platform is nearly flat with wheels pushed to the corners. The overhangs are short. This is why EV-only platforms are often referred to as skateboards.
This design generates maximum room on the inside and enhanced comfort at the rear, as the floor is flat and three can be seated without the transmission tunnel coming in between. Plus, the rear seats on the eVitara come with sliding and reclining functions, allowing optimised leg room and ergonomics.
If you might recollect, we recently saw the rear seat sliding function on the Kia Syros as well. This feature making its way to more models is a trend that has to be welcomed.
When it comes to safety, the Heartect-e could shine with several of its features. You might be slightly confused by the name and take this for a variation of the regular Heartect platform that underpins multiple Suzuki models sold here, which also held a reputation for being light and unsafe till when the fourth-generation Dzire was launched.
The Heartect-e shares very little with the Heartect in terms of design and construction. This EV platform is claimed to offer higher safety standards than the ICE platform.
It comes with specialised shock-absorbing mounting structures for battery packs, high voltage protection measures and more. There are even multi-load paths which ensure effective distribution of impact forces, in the event of a crash. Packaging efficiencies of the e-axle and ESU unit are also to be mentioned.
eVitara Powertrain Details
The eVitara has two battery pack choices- 49 kWh and 61 kWh. The electric motor in both cases, sits on the front axle. The smaller battery pack version has a motor output of 144 bhp and 189 Nm while the 61 kWh iteration can make 174 bhp and 189 Nm. While there is an All Wheel Drive (AWD) version available globally, India gets just the 2WD (2 wheel drive) guise for now. The range-topping variant has a claimed range of 500 km per charge.