Upcoming Maruti SUV (Maruti Vitara) – What We Know So Far

The Indo-Japanese automaker has confirmed that it will unveil a new SUV on 20 July 2022. It will be a mid-size SUV that has been co-developed with Toyota and will be sold exclusively through Nexa dealerships across the country. Although its official name and details are yet to be revealed, the model name is said to be Maruti Vitara. Its market launch is likely to happen in August or September, 2022. The new Maruti SUV will enter production at Toyota’s Karnataka plant next month.

Exterior Design

A few cosmetic changes will differentiate the new Vitara SUV from Toyota’s urban cruiser hider. The model could get a split LED headlamp setup with honeycomb grille and dual LED DRLs. Some of its design bits could be similar to the global-spec Suzuki A-Cross. It will get hybrid badging on the doors and under the wing mirrors as we have seen on the Toyota Hider. Spread over the tailgate will be sporty bumpers, alloy wheels and slim C-shaped taillamps.

Internal Features

The dashboard design of the new Maruti Vitara SUV could be similar to the new Brezza. Features like padded leather dashboard with soft touch material, leather steering, leather seats with perforations and a panoramic sunroof may be offered to enhance its premium feel and appeal. The new Maruti SUV will offer a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a digital instrument cluster. Read – Maruti Jimny Launch Timeline, Price, Final Stage Specs

The new Vitara SUV may borrow some features from the Baleno hatchback such as a 360-degree parking camera and a head-up display (HUD). The list will also include connected car tech, automatic climate control, ventilated front seats and powered driver’s seat.

Hybrid Powertrain

The powertrain setup of the new Maruti SUV will be similar to that of the upcoming Toyota Urban Cruiser header. This means that it will be available with a 1.5L K15C DualJet petrol engine with mild hybrid technology and Toyota’s 1.5L TNGA petrol unit with the robust hybrid system. While the former will be good for 103bhp and 137Nm, the latter will make 92bhp with 112Nm and 79bhp with 141Nm.

The mild hybrid variant will be offered with 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox options. On the other hand, the stronger hybrid model will be available exclusively with the eCVT gearbox. Both FWD (only for the strong hybrid variant) and AWD (only for the manual mild hybrid variant) will be on offer.