Remembering India’s First Grand Vitara – Maruti’s First and Only V6 Offering

Grand Vitara is a moniker which holds a special place in the legacy of Maruti Suzuki in India.

You would be amazed to know that the first Grand Vitara was the only SUV from Maruti Suzuki to carry a V6 powertrain. MSIL has been the largest carmaker in the country since its inception. Even after decades of existence, it holds the top position with authority. In fact, despite over 10 car marques in the country in the mass market segment, Maruti still holds over 40% market share. That is an impressive feat. In fact, it still sells the Grand Vitara today. Needless to mention, the SUV is quite different today than when it first arrived. Here are the details.

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First Maruti Grand Vitara

Some of our readers might know that Maruti sold the first-gen Grand Vitara SUV from 2003 to 2007 in our country. It was a large SUV with a 7-seat and 3-row arrangement. What’s more important is that it had a 6-cylinder engine and a 4WD configuration. More on that later. This SUV was over 4.7 m in length, 1.78 m in width and 1.74 m in height. Being a large 7-seat SUV, it boasted a wheelbase of a colossal 2.8 m. We still don’t get any car from Maruti Suzuki which has a similar size. This explains how revolutionary a flagship it was over 2 decades ago. In fact, it was larger than the existing model in almost every aspect.

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Specs

Under the long hood of the SUV sat a potent 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine which generated a healthy 168 hp and 236 Nm of peak power and torque. There was the option of choosing between either a 5-speed manual or an automatic transmission. The power was sent to all four wheels for a 4WD/AWD configuration. That made it a potent off-roader allowing the owners to take it to the tough-to-reach areas with relative ease. Today, the Grand Vitara comes with mild and strong hybrid mills with an AWD system. However, the main focus is on mileage and efficiency. There is also a CNG powertrain on offer with the current model for those looking for low running costs.

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What We Think

It is interesting to see the transformation of the Grand Vitara nameplate in the portfolio of Maruti Suzuki within two decades. In fact, there was another Grand Vitara model from 2007 to 2014. It is clear that this nameplate has been iconic in the Japanese carmaker’s Indian history. There is a clear shift in the mentality of the owners as well. People prefer to own SUVs for road presence but they don’t want them to be sluggish or fuel thirsty. Hence, MSIL is hybridising a large part of its fleet. We will see this trend expand in times to come before Maruti Suzuki completely shifts to full electrification.