Suzuki Escudo could be used as the name for the upcoming 7-seater Grand Vitara, which is bound for launch in India in early 2025
The Suzuki Vitara has a rich history spanning five generations since its inception in 1988. Interestingly, the second and third generations were branded as the Suzuki Grand Vitara, while the fourth generation dropped the “Grand” prefix. Notably, in Japan and several other markets, all generations have been marketed under the name Suzuki Escudo.
The name “Escudo” predominantly used in the JDM marks, draws a connection to the “escudo” the former currency of Portugal before the adoption of the Euro. Interestingly, Suzuki has now trademarked the Escudo and Torqnado names in India. While the trademark does not guarantee that the names will be used, it is a customary act we have often seen from manufacturers in the automotive space to avoid naming clashes in the future.
Maruti Suzuki is currently developing the three-row version of the Grand Vitara and we suspect that it could be christened the Escudo considering its connections with the Vitara globally. In India, some of the popular five-seater midsize SUVs are accompanied by their respective seven-seater siblings with an added row of seats and cosmetic changes.
To give a unique identity, different names are used by them and a similar strategy will be followed by Maruti Suzuki too. For instance, Tata revived the Safari moniker for the three-row iteration of the Harrier, although not being a 4×4. If it turns out to be the case, the Grand Vitara based Suzuki Escudo will go up against Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus and 7-seater Citroen C3 Aircross along with Mahindra XUV700.
The Torqnado name could represent the torquey nature of an upcoming Suzuki vehicle. Perhaps the eVX concept based EV with a dual motor setup if the Escudo is adopted for the eVX? It is too early to tell at the moment. What we do know is that Maruti Suzuki will introduce the new generation Swift and Dzire in India this year while the 7-seater Grand Vitara will arrive in early 2025.
Maruti Suzuki’s first electric vehicle, the eVX, is expected to make its global debut later this year and it will be equipped with two battery packs enabling a range of up to 550 km.