Maruti Suzuki introduced its first strong hybrid car in September 2022 – the Grand Vitara. Currently, the midsize SUV model lineup is available within the price range of Rs 10.70 lakh – Rs 19.95 lakh (ex-showroom). It comes with the 103bhp, 1.5L K15C petrol mild hybrid and 1.5L Atkinson cycle petrol (with a 79bhp, electric motor) powertrain options. The carmaker’s Toyota-sourced strong hybrid setup delivers a claimed power of 115bhp, paired to an e-CVT gearbox. Its mileage figure stands at 27.97kmpl.
Speaking to an online media publication, Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs) at Maruti Suzuki India, said that the Maruti Grand Vitara strong hybrid version received “a very positive response”. The company is planning to bring in more strong hybrid models in near future. The Indo-Japanese carmaker plans to expand Rs 8,000 crore in the current fiscal year for the construction of the Sonipat facility, annual maintenance of existing infrastructure and development of new models.
Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Strong Hybrid Cars
In July 2023, the company will bring in a new premium MPV based on the Toyota Innova Hycross. The model could be named – Maruti Engage. It will be the second strong hybrid offering from the Indo-Japanese carmaker, sharing its powertrains with the Innova Hycross. The latter comes with a 2.0L petrol with and without hybrid technology, delivering power worth 174PS with 205Nm and 186PS with 206Nm respectively.
Maruti Suzuki is ready to give a generation change to its highly popular Swift hatchback and Dzire compact sedan. Both models are expected to be offered with the new 1.2L, 3-cylinder petrol engine boosted with Toyota’s strong hybrid tech, meeting the stricter CAFÉ II (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) norms. If reports are to be believed, the new-generation Maruti Swift and Dzire will deliver fuel efficiency of around 35kmpl-40kmpl, thus making them the most fuel efficiency cars in the country.
