The Grand Vitara is a mid-size SUV that Maruti Suzuki recently debuted in India for both the Indian and international markets. The Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, and Nissan Kicks are some of the popular yet crowded competitors in the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara’s market niche. Although Maruti Suzuki has high expectations, an all-wheel-drive system might be the secret weapon in its arsenal.
With the Vitara, Maruti Suzuki debuted its All-Grip AWD technology whereas none of its rivals—including cars in higher classes like the Tata Harrier and Safari—offer anything more than a front-wheel drive configuration.
Let’s take a deeper look at its competition.
Because both cars are built on the same platform, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is essentially the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Hyryder is available as a hybrid, and one model, the Neo drive V, is available with an all-wheel drive and a manual transmission. Two 1.5-liter engines are available, one producing 100 horsepower and the other producing 114 bhp with the assistance of a hybrid system.
The MQB A0 IN platform, which also supports the VW Taigun, is the foundation for the Skoda Kushaq. It has 16 versions, 2 BS6-compliant engine options, and either a manual transmission or an automatic transmission. The Kushaq’s other important features are a kerb weight of 1312 pounds, a 188-inch ground clearance, and a 385-liter boot. The Kushaq comes in seven different colours.
The 5-seater Hyundai Creta. There are 27 different variations of it, 3 BS6 compliant engine options, and 2 automatic and manual transmission options. Kerb weight and boot space are two more crucial aspects of the Creta. There are 8 different colours for the Creta.
The Kia Seltos is similar to the Hyundai Creta in that it shares the same platform with that vehicle and offers the same selection of engines and gearboxes, including the FWD configuration. However, Kia does provide an AWD system with the Seltos for international markets; in fact, in some international countries, it’s standard equipment. So, if Kia believes the All-Grip system in the new Grand Vitara is advantageous, the automaker may sell it in India with the Seltos’ top-tier models.
The MQB A0 IN platform serves as the foundation for both the Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun, which also offers the same engine and gearbox options. In India, VW only provides 2WD; there is no AWD trim available.
The Nissan Kicks also lacks an AWD system. Nissan Kicks is a five-seat SUV. It comes in eight different configurations, with two BS6-compliant engine options and two gearbox options: manual and automatic. The Kicks also have a kerb weight, a ground clearance of 210 mm, and a boot space of 400 Liters. Even in overseas countries, the Kicks are not available with AWD.
According to Maruti Suzuki and Toyota, the fuel economy of their strong-hybrid SUVs is 27.97 kpl. But ARAI has not yet verified this assertion. The Grand Vitara and Hyryder would also become the segment’s most fuel-efficient SUVs if the ARAI estimates do prove out to be as accurate as the official ones. Similar to this, the Grand Vitara and Hyryder’s mild-hybrid engines, which can achieve up to 21.12 kpl in stated fuel economy, outperform their competitors. Being unable to get MG Astor’s ARAI-certified numbers made it a little challenging to assess how it compares against its competitors. The Nissan Kicks, on the other hand, use the most gas out of all of them.
