Maruti Suzuki’s previous C-segment offering, S-Cross was just a crossover, while Grand Vitara gets SUV proportions
Maruti Suzuki is all about SUVs now. And looking at market trends, they have their eyes set on the bullseye as SUVs are currently the hottest in terms of demand. Added benefit to the manufacturer is that SUVs are profitable too as they cost a lot more money. One arrow, two targets.
This new trend is reflected in our top 25 cars post. Products like WagonR and Swift sell more than current highest-selling SUV, Tata Nexon. But the demand is declining as they both see a dip in sales YoY. So, the country’s largest PV maker, Maruti Suzuki, wants to ride this wave of SUVs as much as possible. So, in comes Brezza, Grand Vitara and the upcoming lifestyle off-roader Jimny.
New Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Vs S Cross
Coming to the C-segment SUVs where Hyundai Creta is partying, Maruti Suzuki had pitted its now discontinued S-Cross. But in the sea of SUVs, a crossover like S-Cross wouldn’t cut it. So, it didn’t. S-Cross saw a facelift in 2017 and got a BMW inspired grille. But it still didn’t cut it. Post BS6 update, it only got one petrol option. That is the 1.5L K15B mill that also powers S-Cross’ replacement, Grand Vitara.
When compared to S-Cross, Grand Vitara betters it in every aspect. Except for one, which we’ll get to at the end. Both SUVs are powered by the 1.5L K15 petrol engine making around 102 bhp and 139 Nm mated to either a 5-speed manual or automatic. But Grand Vitara gets the ALLGRIP AWD system with Auto, Snow, Sport and Lock modes which S-Cross doesn’t.
Another trump card Grand Vitara holds is the new Intelligent Electric Hybrid sourced from Toyota and has a 1490 cc 3-cylinder petrol engine capable of around 91 bhp at 5500 RPM and 122 Nm at 3800-4800 RPM standalone. It is coupled with a synchronous AC motor capable of 79 bhp and 141 Nm. Combined, this powertrain is capable of 114 bhp in harmony. This powertrain only gets an e-CVT gearbox eeking out up to 28 kmpl.
Size & Features
Grand Vitara is 45mm longer, 10mm wider and 50mm taller than S-Cross. So, in terms of powertrains and size, Grand Vitara overshadows the S-Cross. But what about features? Grand Vitara comes with a slew of features and prominent among them are ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof, HUD, 360-degree camera, 9” free-standing touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dual-zone automatic climate control, powered driver’s seats, digital instrument cluster, 18” alloy wheels, wireless charger, and more.
All these features and some more, are non-existent in S-Cross. But S-Cross had one thing that Grand Vitara doesn’t. Not just Grand Vitara, but any other car under Rs. 20 lakhs. S-Cross was the last to get it and now, it is no more. That is soft-touch plastics. It is sad to see manufacturers not giving soft-touch plastics under Rs. 20 lakh anymore. The only other cars that I can think of with soft-touch plastics under Rs. 20 lakh are Tata Hexa and, weirdly, Indica Vista since 2008 (I kid you not).
Looking at Grand Vitara as a whole, it is far superior to S-Cross and is a worthy replacement. We expect Grand Vitara to launch sometime in September. Prices are likely to start from Rs. 9.5 lakh (ex-sh) as indicated by leaked info. When launched, it will compete with Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Toyota HyRyder. But none of these SUVs were as inexpensive as S-Cross though, which used to start from Rs. 8.72 lakh (ex-sh).
