Maruti Suzuki Vitara is expected to launch next year in India to rival Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, MG Hector and upcoming Kia Seltos, Auto Expo debut expected
Riding on the success of the Vitara Brezza, Maruti Suzuki has long been contemplating a rival for Hyundai Creta. The mid-size SUV segment has grown tremendously in recent years as the popularity of the Creta has lured in manufacturers to come with their own challengers.
MG debuted in India with the Hector while Kia will introduce the Seltos next month, as the Creta will have received four new rivals including Tata Harrier and Nissan Kicks within the space of eight months. The Creta has laid down a marker in the segment and Maruti Suzuki appears to be preparing a direct competitor and it could be launched as early as next year.
We brought you the exclusive pictures of the mid-size Vitara caught testing in India in March 2018 and now the five-seater SUV has been spied again fuelling speculations further. Hyundai will be launching the next generation Creta sometime next year and it will have more premium amenities to take on the technologically advanced Hector and Seltos.
Expect the Vitara to be pitched against the second-gen Creta in the price range between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 17 lakh (ex-showroom). Born out of Grand Vitara’s roots, the Vitara measures 4,175 mm long, 1,775 mm wide and stands 1,610 mm tall with 2,500 mm wheelbase and 185 mm unladen ground clearance.
The Vitara is sold in global markets with a variety of engine options including a new 1.0-litre turbo BoosterJet engine introduced in the facelift last November developing 111 PS and 170 Nm; 1.4 Boosterjet SZ5 ALLGRIP making 140 PS and 220 Nm; 1.6-litre VVT petrol with 117 PS and 156 Nm and a 1.6-litre diesel.
The test mule spotted wore black paint scheme and is devoid of any badges up front and rear inclusion the exclusion of the six horizontal chrome slats. As evident from the U-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights, 17-inch polished alloy wheels and circular fog lamps the prototype is indeed the updated version introduced late last year in overseas markets.
The boxy styling does keep its lineage with the sub-four-metre Vitara Brezza while the all-black interior shows the presence of circular air conditioning vents on top of the dashboard and a bigger vertically-oriented touchscreen infotainment system compared to what can be seen globally to perhaps stack up against the 10.4-incher in Hector and 10.25-incher in Seltos.
However, its design doesn’t seem to be production ready yet. Upon arrival, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara could get a 1.4-litre turbo BoosterJet petrol engine with six-speed automatic transmission as an option. The mid-size SUV will have its engines tuned to comply with BSVI emission norms as a more powerful 1.5-litre SHVS petrol unit cannot be ruled out of the equation either.
Some of the highlighting features expected in the Vitara are 4×4 ALLGRIP system to take the fight to Jeep Compass, automatic AC, 4.2-inch MID, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Dual Sensor Brake support, panoramic sunroof and keyless entry with push-button start/stop.
