The Quick Take:
Score: 7.5/10
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Virara is a dream for the mileage-obsessed buyer. Not only because it comes with a strong hybrid that effortlessly eeks out 20kmpl of fuel efficiency, but also because it is available in multiple fuel and transmission options. Furthermore, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara comes with all the creature comfort features a modern-day buyer could ask for.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is a legendary SUV. First launched in 2003 as one of the first 7-seater SUVs that wasn’t huge in size. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara wasn’t as popular as some of the other SUVs of the time like the Tata Safari or the Mahindra Scorpio, but it was a much more sophisticated machine back in the day. The old generation Grand Vitara was on sale in India until 2015 and was discontinued due to lack of sales, despite being a great car which even had a V6-powered variant.
And after years of anticipation and rumours, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara made its much-awaited comeback in 2022 with a modern, self-charging strong hybrid powertrain. This time, both Maruti Suzuki and the Indian car market were better prepared. Maruti Suzuki doubled-down on its practicality approach (something that was missing in the older Grand Vitara) with multiple powertrains that also included CNG and strong hybrid. The market, on the other hand, was ripe with C-SUVs like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos pushing thousands of units every month.
In came the Grand Vitara – a known name from India’s favourite brand that wasn’t just there because of its shape and size. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara came with something unique, something that was bound to explode the sales of the car – mileage, since it was on-brand for Maruti Suzuki and exactly what India needed given the petrol SUVs like the Creta or the Seltos weren’t exactly efficient cars. Ever since, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara was the only strong-hybrid option in the market for quite some time until Maruti Suzuki gave the rights to Toyota to create the Urban Cruiser Hyryder and the launch of the Victoris last year.
So I got my hands on the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara’s strong hybrid automatic variant for a few days to experience and actually see for myself if the car is any good or is it just the value proposition driving the sales. That is the question I will be answering with this review of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, where I will list out what I liked about the car, what I didn’t like about it, and finally, if it still makes sense to buy the Grand Vitara in 2026. Let’s go.
HOW I TESTED
| Reviewer: Darab Mansoor Ali, Consulting Editor Technology & Auto, has 10 years experience with 1000+ reviews across various publications. Test Unit: Maruti Suzuki provided the car and almost a full tank of gas. They did not, however, get to see this review before you did, nor did they have any say in our final score Duration and Environment: I drove the Grand Vitara across Delhi NCR and used it as my primary car for a week to see how it is to live with the Renault Kiger. We did not, however, do any long highway drives with the Renault Kiger. Competitors: Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Renault Duster, Honda Elevate, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. |
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara: Price and Fast Facts
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara starts at a price of ₹10.77 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards in India. The strong hybrid variants are priced well under the ₹20 lakh budget. Starting at a price of just ₹10.77 lakh (ex-showroom) in India, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara seems to offer outstanding value for money. Here are the prices for all variants:
The Good
- Outstanding fuel efficiency.
- Good fit and finish inside the cabin.
- Front seat ventilation.
- Ample space inside cabin.
- 360-degree camera.
The Bad
- Feels underpowered.
- EV Mode button is unnecessary.
- Cabin gets too hot due to lack of protection under sunroof.
- Infotainment display feels dated.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Design Review: Simple Yet Iconic
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara has a very typical SUV shape and size. The car has a big hexagonal grille that is split by a chrome strip that also holds the Maruti Suzuki logo. The Grand Vitara’s front and rear overhangs are extended to make the car look longer, which does add some points to the car’s road presence. The Grand Vitara looks like a no non-sense compact SUV for India, while blending a little bit of European SUV cues with mass-market accessibility.
But the looks are not what the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is all about. This car is all about comfort, practicality, and ease of use – three extremely important things, especially for those who mainly drive in the city. Now, during my time with the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara’s strong hybrid variant, the car gave me 19.4 kilometers per litre, despite barely driving it in “Eco” mode and never driving it efficiently. With that kind of fuel efficiency, the Grand Vitara kind of makes the question “Kitna Deti Hai” irrelevant.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Engine and Performance Review: Structurally Spectacular
During my time with the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, I drove the car about 1,000 kilometers only in the city. During my time, not only did I get an impressive 19.4 kmpl fuel efficiency I also felt like this is quite a capable machine.
In the way it drives, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara has very solid underpinnings. Not talking about the 1.5L petrol engine or the CVT transmission, of course they aren’t the most responsive in the segment, but the chassis, the suspension, and other underpinnings of the Grand Vitara feel absolutely solid. In fact, this chassis is so good that it could have handled a much more powerful engine. The current engine produces 114 bhp of power and 141 Nm of torque, which is enough for normal city driving, but on the highways, it will leave you asking for more. Maruti Suzuki could have easily put a slightly bigger, more powerful engine without changing anything about the structure of the car.
Despite that, the Grand Vitara can be fun to drive if you want it to. I did try to drive the Grand Vitara fast during my city drives and much to my surprise, this car can be quick and fun to drive when and if you want it to be. Like I mentioned, the chassis is beautiful and the car feels very solid mechanically, even when you’re trying to push it. The brakes, however, felt a little soft and didn’t have the kind of bite that one would want.
Now it drives and looks fine, but is it even comfortable? The short answer to that question is yes, but the comfort isn’t only in the amount of space and features we’re getting, even driving the Grand Vitara is a very easy car and does offer quite a comfortable driving feel.
For a sub-₹10 lakh budget, go for this if you want power.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Features and Comfort Review: Offers Everything
But in terms of the features, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara has everything one could ask for. The car comes with seat ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, electronically adjustable driver’s seat, a fully digital instrument cluster, a 9-inch infotainment display, drive modes and much more. In terms of features, the Grand Vitara gets everything a modern city car buyer looks for. Yes, it may not be as loaded as some of the newer options in the segment, but the Grand Vitara gets the job done as well as any of these newer SUVs.
The one thing I especially noticed in the hot Delhi summers is that the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara’s panoramic sunroof doesn’t have the kind of protection you’d expect. The cover below the glass roof is made of net and is too thin to stop any sort of heat from coming in the car. The result? Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara gets too hot if left parked in the open sun during the summers.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara?
Smartprix Rating: ⭐7.5/10
- Design and Build: ⭐7/10
- Features and Tech: ⭐8/10
- Driving Pleasure: ⭐8/10
- Performance: ⭐8/10
- Comfort and Space: ⭐8/10
So yes, that was my review of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Despite now being one of the “older” cars in this segment, the Grand Vitara does everything the newer options are able to, and is the most fuel efficient car while doing that. The Grand Vitara may not feel the most premium or fun in its segment, but the car offers a nice refined experience and I didn’t find anything wrong with the fit and finish of things inside the car as well. And of course, you can make it fun if you want to.
First reviewed in May 2026
