Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

The Grand Vitara name is one of Suzuki’s most popular in the world and in its latest generation, has become one of the segment’s highest-selling cars with over 3,00,000 units sold within 32 months of its introduction. This SUV has been co-developed with Toyota and has a Toyota sibling known as the Urban Cruiser Hyryder.

I have tested the Grand Vitara’s different powertrains in a variety of conditions, ranging from city commutes, inter-city/inter-state trips and have even driven the all-wheel drive version off-road. Here’s a detailed review of this compact SUV.

(4 out of 5)

The Grand Vitara meets the expectations most have from SUVs. The front face is bold with a large grille and chrome surround. The LED DRLs are mounted high and the LED projector headlamps are lower down in the bumper for a more butch look. This wasn’t the case with the car the Grand Vitara replaced, the S-Cross, which looked more like a crossover. That being said, both are based on Suzuki’s Global C platform, which has been proven at the Raid De Himalaya.

From the side, the Grand Vitara is the longest car in the segment and this shows. The sloping roofline and the size helps it look sporty and the 17-inch alloy wheels look well proportioned. That being said, I do prefer the styling of the wheels you get in its Toyota cousin, the Hyryder. This is a subtle use of chrome as well on the beltline.

At the back, it's the connected tail lamps that steal the show at night. The other lights placed in the corner help it look wide as well. Overall, the Grand Vitara is one of the better looking SUVs in the segment and commands a good presence on the road. 

The build quality is good but it doesn’t have the same hefty feel to the doors and sheet metal as say, the Skoda Kushaq or Volkswagen Taigun. This is purely down to how it feels and has no bearing on the car’s structural integrity.

Colour options with the Grand Vitara include NEXA Blue, Arctic White, Grandeur Grey, Chestnut Brown, Midnight Black, Splendid Silver, Arctic White and Opulent Red. The silver, white and red colours can also be had with a contrast black painted roof and mirrors. The Grand Vitara looks quite stylish with the silver or red dual-tone in my opinion while Chestnut Brown is possibly the most exclusive option since it isn’t seen in very large numbers.

Design & Quality

After decades of budget cars, we have started to expect a plasticy quality of interior from Maruti cars. However, they have managed to change that around significantly with the Grand Vitara. The dashboard, door pads and the steering wheel feature soft touch leatherette which feel premium to touch. Dial in the contrast stitching, quilted leatherette seats and the champagne gold accents and the car feels quite upmarket. However, the best part about this interior has to be the build quality. Everything feels solid and well put together and overall, this is certainly the best ever in a Maruti Suzuki.

Does it set any benchmarks though? Not really. The power window controls and horn pad plastics feel below par and competitors like the Kia Seltos, MG Astor and Hyundai Creta use more dense-feeling cabin plastics and use richer trim to make the cabin feel more upmarket.

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the Grand Vitara is easy. The floor height and seat’s hip-point make it convenient even for elderly users to manage ingress and egress.

The front seats are large and quite supportive even if you have a large frame. We do wish the seat cushioning was a little firmer to make the car more comfortable for prolonged use.

Once in the driver’s seat, you will appreciate the tall and commanding driving position which gives you a full view of the bonnet. All round visibility is good and relatively inexperienced drivers can get used to the car quickly.

There’s adequate cabin space for users of an average or even larger than normal size. The large seats aside, there’s also enough seat travel for users over 6 feet tall to sit comfortably. The footwell area is also roomy though a little more space to the left, at least for the manual transmission variants would have been useful to rest the left foot more easily.

For added convenience, the driver’s seat-height is adjustable from the one-above-base Delta variant, the steering is tilt and reach-adjustable as standard and as of 2025, the Grand Vitara also gets an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat in the top-model.

Rear Seats

At the back as well, the large seats keep you comfortable. The recline angle is relaxed and the seat base angle keeps you tucked in. The rear backrest has two angles to choose from, so you get more flexibility for your preferred seating position and/or luggage space requirements. And while the legroom and knee room is ample, the headroom for six footers can feel a bit low. And while it can seat three, they would be comfortable for small journeys only. In fact, owing to the cabin and seat shape, the Brezza will actually seat 3 people in the rear with more shoulder room.

The rear occupants are also treated well with ample features. AC vents with blower control, phone holder, seat back pockets, armrest with cupholders and adjustable headrests. The only thing missing here were window shades which have been added in the car’s 2025 update.

Storage Options

The Grand Vitara gets all the basic storage options you need in a car. All four doors get 1-litre bottle holders with some space on the side for additional smaller items. Front passengers get a large glovebox, two cupholders in the centre console, and a tray which doubles as a wireless phone charger. There is also space under the sliding front armrest to place your wallet, keys, perfume etc. Rear seat occupants get cupholders in the armrest along with seatback pockets.

Charging Options

To charge your phone, you get a wireless phone charger in the front along with a USB port and a 12V socket. While the wireless charger is useful, bumpy roads can make your phone slip off the pad quite easily and phones also heat up and stop charging every now and then.

Rear passengers get one Type-C port and one USB Type-A port placed above the rear AC vents. There’s also a 12V charging port in the boot.

Boot Space

The Grand Vitara’s boot space starts at 373 litres for the standard petrol model. This is big enough for a full-sized suitcase along with a medium-sized suitcase or a small trolley bag with some duffle bags. At 265 litres, the strong hybrid model loses a lot of room as the hybrid’s battery pack is placed in the boot. It’s best to use a medium-sized suitcase and smaller bags here. In the CNG model too, it’s best to use 3-4 smaller bags (preferably soft bags) as the CNG tank and its cover reduce the usable space.

The Grand Vitara gets all the basic equipment needed for your everyday commutes along with some premium feel good features as well. 

The features list also includes a 9-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system. The screen seems a bit cluttered at first and the interface does look just a little dated but offers quick response times. It also has selectable shortcuts on the homescreen to see things like the driving data, tyre pressure or media. As of 2025, it also has a PM 2.5 air purifier display.

With this screen, you get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which work seamlessly, and this setup is paired with a 6-speaker sound system which provides a decent sound quality. That being said, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay do have some glitches in this car. Users have reported unprompted Android Auto disconnects in their Grand Vitaras while Apple CarPlay users periodically run into navigation glitches while using Google or Apple Maps. Additionally, the 6-speaker Clarion music system offers good sound quality but rivals like the Tata Curvv and Kia Seltos outshine the Grand Vitara in this regard.

Other features include a head-up display, digital instrument cluster, front ventilated seats and a panoramic sunroof. Unfortunately, the panoramic sunroof’s shade isn’t opaque and doesn’t cut off sunlight completely, which is an annoyance on hot days. It is advisable to have a heat resistant tint applied for better insulation.

Standard safety features of the Grand Vitara include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold assist, rear parking sensors, rear defogger, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Higher variants add a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and a rearview camera, while the 360-degree camera is reserved for the top-spec variant. The Suzuki Connect app also lets you track the car, set a geofence and monitor the car’s health from your phone. While you can operate functions like the alarm, AC and locks from your phone, the remote unlock function only works if you lock the car using the app itself. Other connected car apps, such as Hyundai BlueLink or Kia Connect, don’t have such limitations.

Engine Performance

1.5-litre Mild-Hybrid Petrol

This engine is proven for its reliability, smoothness and ease of use. The K15C 4-cylinder petrol engine offers a good balance of performance and efficiency for regular driving.

City Performance

This is where this engine feels its most comfortable. Keeping up with city traffic is easy and power delivery is progressive enough to make it comfortable even in constant stop-n-go traffic. Paired with the automatic transmission, it makes for a very relaxed daily commuter, though, the manual transmission is plenty easy to use especially because of its light clutch. 

Depending on your driving style, temperatures, passenger load, AC load and traffic, you can expect around 12-14kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

For the occasional highway trip, this engine works fine while cruising. However, you can’t call its performance punchy or exciting. Especially when compared to the turbocharged petrol or diesel engine options available in rival cars, there’s no excitement on offer here. High speed overtakes will require some planning and generous revving of the engine. You’ll need to stick to 1st or 2nd gear on sharp inclines as well, especially with a full passenger load. In this regard, the manual transmission is better at extracting the motor’s performance as the automatic transmission saps some power away and requires harder accelerator input. 

Depending on your driving style, temperatures, passenger load, AC load and traffic, you can expect around 17-18kmpl on the highway.

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1.5-litre NA Petrol + CNG

City Performance

This is just the petrol engine paired with a factory-fit CNG kit. While the power and torque figures are lower on CNG, there is no sharp difference in usability in city driving conditions. You can easily manage daily commutes while still enjoying the same refined and smooth performance.

Highway Performance

The petrol engine’s highway performance isn’t exceptional to begin with and the CNG will require a slightly more relaxed driving style. Getting up to highway speeds is managed well and you can still manage cruising at 80-100kmph. However, overtakes do require some patience, planning and a downshift or two. This can become an annoyance especially if you have to filter through highways with a lot of slow moving trucker traffic.

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1.5-litre Strong-Hybrid Petrol

This is the best powertrain of the Grand Vitara. While its 3-cylinder setup means it isn’t as refined as the standard petrol engine, the electric motor+petrol engine performance makes it both quick and incredibly fuel efficient. This is a self-charging hybrid so all you have to do is fill petrol as you normally would while the car handles the balance of electric and petrol usage by itself. The latest directive from Maruti Suzuki does require this engine to run on 95 Octane petrol though which costs around Rs 6-7 more than standard 91 Octane petrol.

City Performance

This powertrain is automatic and two-wheel drive only. In slow moving traffic the engine primarily charges up the battery and in the interest of battery life, only charges it up to about 20 percent. When there’s enough charge and you only require light throttle, the car will drive purely on electric power for a short period of time. This combination of EV and petrol performance helps the Grand Vitara hybrid manage a city fuel efficiency of 18-20kmpl quite easily. 

Highway Performance

Cruising at 100-120kmph with this engine is quite easy and you can manage intercity trips quite easily even with a full passenger load. While the performance isn’t outright exciting there is adequate responsiveness for overtakes and uphill driving. That being said, the hybrid’s 3-cylinder setup makes it sound strained at times and it isn’t as sophisticated as the Honda City eHEV’s hybrid system. Fuel-efficiency remains a strong-point here as well and you can manage 22-24kmpl in most conditions.

Ride Comfort

The Grand Vitara stands true to its name in this department. The long-travel suspension keeps you well cushioned over bumps and and the SUV even feels confident going over potholes and level changes. Inside the city, you will appreciate the comfort and out on the highway, the stability is the highlight. Even with a full passenger load, the ride doesn’t get bouncy at high speeds which tends to be the case with many cars. Another aspect which you tend to appreciate over longer journeys is that the suspension is quiet. Club that with the impressive cabin insulation and the Grand Vitara really becomes a mile-munching machine. 

Handling

The Grand Vitara offers a great handling package. It’s easy to drive in the city and feels surefooted at high speeds and on the ghats. In fact, the car’s capability makes you wish Maruti Suzuki offered it with a turbo-petrol engine option as well as the chassis, suspension and steering feel like they can handle more. However, we do wish the brakes offered more feel and feedback on the strong hybrid version.

• The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is available in four broad variants: Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

• Delta+, Zeta+ and Alpha+ are variants specific to the strong hybrid model.

• CNG is offered in the Delta and Zeta variants only.

Maruti Grand Vitara Sigma variant

• The Grand Vitara Sigma gets halogen projector headlights, LED DRLs and 17-inch wheels with full wheel covers.

• It gets conveniences like a front sliding armrest, keyless entry with push button start, auto AC with rear AC vents and all four power windows.

• ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX, ESP and 6 airbags comes as standard.

Maruti Grand Vitara Delta/Delta+ variant

• This variant is the first where you can get an automatic transmission or opt for CNG

• Visual add ons include painted door handles and mirrors along with silver roof rails

• It gets many small but significant feature additions such as steering mounted controls, cruise control, USB chargers, height-adjustable driver’s seat, a 7–inch touchscreen and 4 speakers.

• Safety gets enhanced with a rear parking camera and tyre pressure monitoring. This variant also gets Suzuki Connect that lets you monitor and control certain car functions from your phone.

• Only the Delta+ gets a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and drive modes.

Maruti Grand Vitara Zeta/Zeta+ variant

• This variant adds LED headlights and painted alloy wheels that make the car look more premium.

• This variant now gets ventilated seats which were earlier offered only with the strong hybrid models. It also gets a bigger, 9-inch touchscreen and a premium 6-speaker music system by Clarion

• Opt for the Zeta (O) / Zeta+ (O) and you get a panoramic sunroof as well.

• A rear washer/wiper, auto headlamps and auto-dimming IRVM enhance safety.

Maruti Grand Vitara Alpha/Alpha+ variant

• The Grand Vitara AWD is available only in this variant.

• The Alpha gets machined alloy wheels that look sportier.

• Inside, it gets soft touch elements on the dashboard, leatherette seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, an 8-way powered driver’s seat and a head-up display.

• A 360-degree camera is added for improved safety.

• Opt for the Alpha (O) / Alpha+ (O) variants and you get a panoramic sunroof as well.

CarDekho Recommends:

• If you want a decently loaded variant and don’t care for too many features, the Grand Vitara Delta is a good variant. We do wish this variant got a rear washer and wiper though; it’s a feature that should simply be given as standard.

• The Zeta variant is a good variant for those who want some premium features with an option to add a panoramic sunroof.

• The Alpha delivers the most premium experience inside the cabin. It doesn’t have any must-have features and the price increase vs the Zeta is expensive. You can go for it if it doesn’t make a big difference to your EMI.

The Grand Vitara offers a balanced package that combines good ride and handling with great fuel-efficiency and a well-loaded features-set. While it isn’t the most feature loaded or richest feeling car for the price, it does deliver good value and a wide range of drive options to choose from.

Other Options To Consider

Hyundai Creta

Reasons to consider

• Diesel and turbo-petrol option

• Sporty N-Line option looks more attractive

• Gets more features including ADAS

Reasons to ignore

• Petrol engines aren’t as fuel-efficient

• High speed ride quality isn’t as good

Kia Seltos

Reasons to consider

• Sharper styling

• Diesel engine and turbo-petrol option

• Richer interior quality

Reasons to ignore

• Petrol engines aren’t as fuel-efficient

• High speed ride quality isn’t as good

Honda Elevate

Reasons to consider

• Bigger boot space

• Interior feels a little better built

Reasons to ignore

• No hybrid, CNG or AWD option

• Misses out on a few features

Volkswagen Taigun/Skoda Kushaq

Reasons to consider

• Feels more enthusiast-oriented

• Build quality feels more solid and premium

Reasons to ignore

• Looks smaller than its rivals

• Not as fuel-efficient as the Grand Vitara