Maruti Suzuki has increased the price of its flagship compact SUV, the Grand Vitara. The carmaker said that the price of the SUV will now increase by Rs 4,000 for all strong hybrid variants, with immediate effect. The reason behind the price hike is the inclusion of a new safety feature in the strong hybrid version of the Grand Vitara. The SUV, which is technically similar to the Toyota Urban Cruiser Highrider, competes with other cars like the Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos.
Maruti Suzuki said the hybrid variant of the Grand Vitara SUV will now come with a new pedestrian protection feature. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Maruti Suzuki said the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for the Intelligent Electric Hybrid variant of the Grand Vitara will cost an additional Rs 4,000 over the current ex-showroom price.
What is this safety feature?
In a regulatory filing, Maruti Suzuki said that this safety feature is important to help ‘keep drivers and pedestrians safe by alerting them about the presence of the vehicle’. The Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System produces an alarm sound that can be heard up to five feet away. The new safety feature has been added to meet upcoming vehicle safety regulations.
Price
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara was launched in September last year at a starting price of Rs 10.45 lakh (ex-showroom). Maruti Suzuki offers the strong-hybrid version of the Grand Vitara SUV at a starting price of Rs 18.29 lakh (ex-showroom) and going up to Rs 19.79 lakh (ex-showroom).
Variants
Available in four variants, the SUV comes with mild hybrids, strong hybrids, and 4-wheel drive options. It is one of the first SUVs to be offered with a CNG kit in its segment.
Engine power and gearbox
The Grand Vitara is powered by Maruti’s new generation K-series 1.5-liter, dual jet, dual VVT petrol engine. This engine generates 99 bhp of power and 136 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. An e-CVT transmission is also used for the strong hybrid variant. The CNG versions are offered only with a manual gearbox and generate 86.63 bhp of power and 121.5 Nm of peak torque.