Upcoming Maruti Escudo Rivals: Hyundai Creta To Tata Sierra
Maruti Suzuki is set to launch a new SUV on September 3, 2025. There is currently a lot of buzz around this product. Industry speculations suggest that the new SUV could be called the Escudo when launched. There are, however, reports that it will have a different name. Regardless of what it would actually be called, this SUV will be an important product for the carmaker. It will fall into the highly competitive C-SUV segment and will reportedly have a price tag that’ll undercut that of the Grand Vitara. So what will it fight with? The competitive pricing will pit the new SUV (let’s call it Escudo) against a slew of mid-size SUVs. Let’s take a closer look at the Escudo’s rivals...
For perspective, the Grand Vitara is sold through the NEXA outlets. It has a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 11.42 Lakh, while the range-topping variant costs Rs 20.68 Lakh, ex-showroom. This makes us assume that the Escudo will likely start at around 10 lakh rupees and the top variant could stand under 20 lakh, both ex-showroom. This is, in fact, a strategically important price range. Almost all the hot-selling compact SUV models have most of their variants in this bracket. The Escudo will face competition from the following models:
Creta
The Creta is going to be the biggest rival to the Escudo. It has, in fact, been the hottest-selling in the segment. In the first half of 2025, it was the best-selling SUV in India. Over 1.2 million units have been sold in India so far. To beat it, the Escudo will have to be packaged and placed well.
The Creta now has three engine options- 1.5 diesel, 1.5 naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.5 turbocharged petrol engine- and comes with both manual and automatic transmissions. Hyundai also sells an all-electric version of the Creta in India, priced from Rs 17.99 Lakh. The regular (ICE) Creta is priced in the range of Rs.11.10 Lakh and Rs. 20.49 lakh.
The Escudo is likely to borrow its powertrains from the Grand Vitara. It will then have three engine options- 1.5L K15C petrol mild hybrid (103bhp), 1.5L Atkinson cycle petrol strong hybrid (115bhp), and CNG. The Escudo is also expected to feature All Wheel Drive (AWD) tech.
Kia Seltos
The Seltos is based on the same platform as the Creta and features the same engine and transmission options. It isn’t, however, as strong a seller as the Hyundai, but it posts healthy monthly numbers. The Seltos starts at 11.18 lakh, ex-showroom, and goes up to Rs 20.56 lakh, ex-showroom.
Kia is also expected to bring the next-generation Seltos which will be larger in dimensions and be better equipped than the outgoing model. It will bring fresh winds to the segment and its competition.
Grand Vitara
The Grand Vitara has the same engine and transmission options as the Escudo. Thus, the win here, will depend on how the manufacturer prices the new SUV. Plus, the Escudo is expected to come with new features and tech like a powered tailgate, a premium audio system with Dolby Atmos, and ADAS. These should give it a slight edge over the sibling that’s already on sale here.
Upcoming Tata Sierra
Tata Motors is expected to launch the much-awaited Sierra SUV this festive season. It will be placed as a Creta rival and will come with two engine options- a 1.5L turbocharged petrol and a 2.0L diesel. The carmaker will also launch an all-electric version of the Sierra later. When launched, some variants of the Sierra will fight with the Escudo.
Citroen Aircross
The Aircross isn’t something that’s selling well in India. It is, however, a decent player in the C-SUV space. It comes with 1.2 L petrol engine (82 hp and 110hp). With ex-showroom figures falling in the 8.62- 14.60 Lakh bracket, it definitely has an edge over the Escudo.
Citroen is also working on a refreshed Aircross SUV which is likely to go on sale soon. It will come with significant reworks to the cabin.
Skoda Kushaq
The Kushaq and Slavia are both products of the Volkswagen Group’s India 2.0 program, and are underpinned by the same MQB A0 IN platform. It is priced between Rs 10.99 Lakh and Rs 19.09 Lakh, ex-showroom. Two engines are offered- 1.0TSI and 1.5TSI. Both manual and automatic transmissions can be had. The Escudo will have to fight with this SUV, once it goes on sale. A new generation of the SUV is known to be in the works as well.
VW Taigun
Think of the Taigun as the Volkswagen version of the Kushaq. Priced between Rs 11.80 Lakh and Rs 19.83 Lakh, ex-showroom, it shares the platform and powertrains with the Skoda and comes with similar equipment levels as well.
Alcazar, Carens, Harrier
The Alcazar is Hyundai’s Creta-based three-row SUV. It comes in both six and seven-seater layouts and is priced from Rs 14.99 lakh. Two engines are offered: 1.5L TGDI turbocharged petrol and the 1.5L U2 diesel. The lower variants will likely have a price overlap with the higher variants of the Escudo. A similar case can be seen in the case of Carens and Tata Harrier as well. The latter even comes with a larger 2.0L diesel engine.