7 Seat Grand Vitara Does NOT Exist: Top Maruti Official's Shock Statement

The internet has been very talkative about the possible launch of a 7-seater Grand Vitara. Many of us in fact, have been waiting for it. Many news outlets (including us) have reported that the carmaker is working on the product. In a shocking turn of events, Maruti Suzuki has now dismissed everything around the 7-seater Grand Vitara as mere rumours.

Talking at the Q4 FY25 earnings conference call, Maruti Suzuki's Corporate Affairs Executive Officer Rahul Bharti said "We keep hearing about such concepts and models about ourselves from the magazines and from analysts. I have not heard of a Grand Vitara seven-seater internally at least."

This throws more clarity on the carmaker's India plans. Maruti Suzuki plans to capitalise on India's burgeoning SUV market, and has two SUV models lined up for launch this year. One of these would be the eVitara EV, and the second would be the Y17- the same model which was previously expected to evolve into the 7-seater Grand Vitara. Looks like Maruti Suzuki has a different game plan from what was previously rumoured.

The 'Y17' is of course an internal codename, and the production vehicle will have a different name when launched. (Some reports suggest that Maruti could call the production-spec Y17 'Escudo' as they had recently obtained trademarks for the same.) It will become the fifth SUV model in Maruti's India portfolio. At present, all of the company's SUVs are five-seaters. The Y17-based SUV will be no different.

Recent reports hint at a major shift in Maruti Suzuki's proposed game plan with the Y17. It was originally conceived as a large three-row SUV which could rival the likes of MG Hector Plus and the Mahindra XUV700. Internal discussions from previous dealer and vendor meetings had suggested the same. Over the years, however, the manufacturer seems to have arrived at a different strategy.

The Y17 is now a five-seater SUV which is bigger than the Grand Vitara in its dimensions. It is intended to bridge the gap between the Brezza and the Grand Vitara. It should be noted that the Brezza is sold through the Arena retailer network while the Grand Vitara is a Nexa product. The Y17 could slot in as the new Arena flagship.

This also means that the new SUV would compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the high-volume C-SUV segment. The buyers will benefit as the Y17 will be larger and roomier than the Grand Vitara, but will likely come at a lower price point. The feature list is also expected to be meeker than what you see on the Grand Vitara. We'll get to know more on these lines closer to the launch...

The powertrain options are expected to be similar to those offered on the Grand Vitara- hybrid and dual-cylinder CNG variants will be offered. There will likely be a strong focus on fuel efficiency. An engine upsizing seems unlikely, and the Y17 could use the same 1.5L unit from the Grand Vitara. It would then seem rational as most market rivals ( the Koreans for example) come with 1500cc units. The base platform could remain the same as that of the Grand Vitara.

More About Maruti Suzuki's Game Plan

Maruti Suzuki seems to have adopted a bold operational blueprint for FY 25-26. The production target is set at 2.55 million units. This itself is an increase of 10% over the previous year's figures. The company has a multi-pathway approach, and plans to have ICE , CNG, Hybrid, flex-fuel and BEV products on sale in the coming years.

Via Autocar India