Maruti Suzuki E-Vitara: Upcoming Electric SUV Explained By Chief Engineer [Video]
Maruti Suzuki has been hyping up its first electric SUV, the e-Vitara, for a long time. The e-Vitara is set to be launched in March next month. However, before its official launch, the company has been sharing a new video talking about its details. Recently, a new video has been shared online in which Suzuki Global’s Chief Engineer talks about the upcoming e-Vitara in extreme detail.
The video has been shared on YouTube by Suzuki Global on their channel. It starts off with the Chief Engineer of Suzuki Global stating that the new e-Vitara is the first electric vehicle made by the brand. So, for this vehicle, they analyzed the preferences of customers who want to buy EVs. He added that the main functions of a car are to run, turn, and stop, and with their new EV, they wanted to make it in such a way that people would want to buy it.
Ono, in the video, also highlighted that they wanted to create an EV that can fulfill the real-life needs of its buyers. Otherwise, there would be no point in making a vehicle that cannot fulfill the purpose of a car buyer. After this, he touched upon the all-wheel-drive capabilities of the new e-Vitara. He stated that all of the people at Suzuki worked hard to use the systems in the Grand Vitara and Jimny to be utilized in the new e-Vitara.
Design
Following this, he started talking about the design details of the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara. Ono stated that for the design, there were two things in focus. The first was that the vehicle had to be hi-tech, and the other was that it had to be adventurous. He added that the design is very calculated, and it perfectly mixes adventure and cutting-edge style.
Interior
After the exterior, the Chief Engineer started talking about the interior. He highlighted that the interior of the e-Vitara boasts a large integrated display that houses the infotainment screen and digital instrument gauge, which are easy to read. Apart from these, the SUV also gets a lot of premium materials and elements. It gets automatic climate control, a rotary knob for drive mode selection, and other features.
Powertrain
Moving on, Ono starts talking about the powertrain of the e-Vitara. He mentions that this SUV gets a unique eAxle, a big lithium-iron phosphate battery pack, and a powerful electric motor. The engineer added that the combination of this powertrain provides the e-Vitara with a powerful yet smooth driving experience.
Maruti Suzuki is offering the e-Vitara with two different battery pack options. The first is the smaller 49 kWh battery pack, which will come paired with a front-axle-mounted electric motor. It will be able to generate 144 bhp and 189 Nm of torque. Apart from this, the SUV will also get a larger battery pack option of 61 kWh.
This battery pack option will have two variants: a 174 bhp and 189 Nm torque variant, which will be front-wheel drive, and a dual-motor AWD variant with 184 bhp and 300 Nm of torque. The range on the top-of-the-line model is expected to be around 500 km. However, the exact figures, along with pricing, will be announced at the time of its official launch.
The Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara will be launched in India next month. Once launched, it will compete with the likes of the Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta Electric, and the Tata Sierra EV, which will be launched later this year. The pricing of the e-Vitara is believed to start at Rs 17 lakh.