Launched on September 26, 2022, Maruti Suzuki India’s flagship model wins over buyers with its fuel-efficient hybrid system, clever packaging and interior quality. The premium Nexa midsize SUV, which was the fastest midsize SUV to hit the 100,000 sales in 12 months, has raced past the 200,000 milestone in less than two years.
15 Jul 2024 | 12745 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
Maruti Suzuki India’s Grand Vitara, launched on September 26, 2022, has raced past the 200,000-unit sales milestone in just 22 months since its launch. From launch through to end-June 2024, the midsize SUV has clocked cumulative sales of 199,550 units (see wholesales data table below). The 450 units needed ...
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Maruti Suzuki India’s Grand Vitara, launched on September 26, 2022, has raced past the 200,000-unit sales milestone in just 22 months since its launch. From launch through to end-June 2024, the midsize SUV has clocked cumulative sales of 199,550 units (see wholesales data table below). The 450 units needed to hit the 200,000-units domestic sales milestone would have been achieved in the first few days of July 2024. With this, the Grand Vitara becomes the fastest midsize SUV to achieve 200,000 sales, bettering the Hyundai Creta which had taken 25 months to achieve the same milestone.
On September 19, 2023, Autocar Professional had broken the news about the Maruti Grand Vitara clocking 100,000 sales in just 12 months, thereby becoming the fastest in the midsize SUV segment to achieve the milestone. The pace of sales has clearly increased since then because the next 100,000 units have been sold in just 10 months.
UPDATE: July 29 – Maruti Suzuki confirms 200,000 sales with an official release
Two weeks after Autocar Professional’s number-crunching analysis of the Maruti Grand Vitara hitting the 200,000 sales milestone was published online, Maruti Suzuki India issued its official press release confirming the same (below).
Above: The Maruti Suzuki India press release issued on July 29, 2024.
“Maruti Suzuki India Limited is delighted to announce Grand Vitara’s new benchmark in the SUV space, crossing the 2-lakh sales milestone in just 23 months. This remarkable achievement makes it the fastest mid-size SUV to reach this milestone in a record time and underscores Grand Vitara’s immense popularity.
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said: “The introduction of the Grand Vitara has been pivotal for us in the SUV segment. This dynamic vehicle has truly demonstrated its excellence by becoming India’s fastest mid-SUV to surpass 2 lakh sales in just 23 months. The Grand Vitara has revolutionised its segment by inspiring customers to make sustainable choices with the Strong Hybrid. The AllGrip technology has also resonated well with SUV lovers, furthering our endeavour to promote clean mobility solutions along with an adventurous driving experience. This indeed underscores the Grand Vitara’s philosophy of ruling every road.”
He added, “With a market share of 12% in Q1 FY2025, the Grand Vitara has not only established our credentials in the hyperactive mid-SUV segment but has also played a crucial role in growing the segment.”
A BIG DRAW ON MULTIPLE FRONTS
A premium product, outside and in, the Grand Vitara entered the midsize SUV market at an opportune time, just when the segment was beginning to boom, and has surfed the wave of demand coming its way. The 12-variant-strong model’s on-road pricing (Mumbai) starts at Rs 12.99 lakh for the base Sigma variant and goes upwards to Rs 23.68 lakh for the top-end Alpha+ variant.
The highlight of the Grand Vitara is the two engine options it shares with the Toyota Hyryder. The proven 103hp, 1.5-litre K15C petrol mild-hybrid engine, which also powers many Maruti Suzuki models (Brezza, Ertiga, XL6), comes mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. There’s also the Toyota-sourced 92hp, 1.5-litre, three-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine paired to an electric motor that develops 79hp and 141Nm of torque. Combined, the hybrid powertrain produces 116hp and is paired to an e-CVT gearbox. Maruti claims an efficiency of 27.97kpl for this powertrain.
Looks-wise, other than the front, the side body panels, tailgate and even the rear bumper with integrated tail-lamps are identical to the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. A chrome applique on the C-pillar, different alloy wheels and full-width LED light bar on the tailgate, though are unique to the Maruti SUV.
The interiors of the GV and the Hyryder are also similar, the sole difference being the colour schemes. Both get the same steering wheel design that’s also seen on other newer Maruti Suzuki models. The touchscreen infotainment, instrument cluster and all the switchgear are identical on both SUVs as well.
In terms of features, top-spec variants of the Grand Vitara get a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, wireless charger, ambient lighting, connected car tech, ESP, hill-hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, and six airbags.
CNG VARIANT ADDS HEFT AND SALES TAILWIND
In January 2023, four months after launch, in a move designed to expand its addressable target market, Maruti Suzuki, which is also India’s CNG market leader, introduced a CNG variant to the Grand Vitara and expanded its overall CNG model range to 14 models.
Maruti Suzuki remains the strong CNG PV market leader. In the January-June 2024 period, the company has registered retail sales of 159,031 units, up 34% (H1 2023: 118,903 units) and 57% of its CY2023’s total. At present, the company has a strong 66% share of the CNG PV market, with the Grand Vitara among the key contributory models.
Priced at Rs 15.22 lakh, on-road Mumbai (Delta CNG) and Rs 17.28 lakh (Zeta CNG), the CNG variant is powered by the proven K-series 1.5-litre, petrol engine which develops peak power of 88hp at 5500rpm and max torque of 121.5 Nm at 4200rpm in CNG mode. Offered with a five-speed manual gearbox, the Grand Vitara S-CNG delivers a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.6 km/kg. To put things into perspective, the Baleno CNG delivers 30.61km/kg. The only other competition the Grand Vitara CNG has is its cousin, the Toyota Hyryder CNG, both of which are built at TKM’s Bidadi plant.
January 2023 was also when the first batch of made-in-India Grand Vitaras was exported to Latin America from the Kamarajar Port, thereby becoming Maruti Suzuki’s 17th export model. The Maruti Suzuki models with the highest export demand are the Dzire sedan, the Swift, S-Presso and Baleno hatchbacks and the Brezza SUV.
Since its launch in September 2022, the Grand Vitara has seen three recalls. The largest was on January 24, 2023, for 11,177 Grand Vitaras manufactured between August 8 and November 15, 2022 to inspect the rear seatbelt mounting brackets. The Grand Vitara’s first recall was on December 6, 2022, as part of a five-model inspection exercise to check the shoulder height adjuster assembly of the front row seat belts. The second one was on January 17, 2023, as part of a six-model, 17,000-unit recall to inspect and replace the airbag controller.
HELPING ACCELERATE UV SALES & MARUTI SUZUKI MARKET SHARE
Despite having entered a highly competitive and growing midsize SUV market bristling with well-entrenched rivals like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor and cousin Toyota Hyryder, the Maruti Grand Vitara has carved a niche for itself. In FY2024, which was its first full year of sales, the Grand Vitara was the second-best selling midsize SUV (121,169 units, up 136%) after the Hyundai Creta (162,773 units, up 8.20%).
Not only has the Grand Vitara, which is sold from Maruti’s premium Nexa channel, helped expand the segment but in the process carved a niche for itself. That the GV would do well in the marketplace was known. It was the big winner at Autocar India 2023 Awards, driving away with the Car of the Year 2023 as well as Midsize SUV of the Year accolades, having impressed the jury with its fuel-efficient hybrid system, clever packaging and quality.
In the April-June 2024 quarter, Maruti Suzuki has sold a total of 163,130 UVs (SUVs and MPVs), which gives it a market share of 25%, ahead of Mahindra & Mahindra (124,248 units / 19% market share), Hyundai Motor India (100,745 units / 15.60% market share) and Tata Motors (100,526 units / 15.50% market share). Considering that the Grand Vitara accounted for 27,066 units and a 17% share of Maruti Suzuki’s UV sales in the first three months of FY2025, clearly this is one midsize SUV that is growing its sales footprint at a rapid pace.
GRAND VITARA CONTRIBUTES 19% TO NEXA SALES SINCE LAUNCH
Of the total 27,11,895 Nexa cars and SUVs that Maruti Suzuki has sold till end-June 2024, the Grand Vitara has contributed 199,550 units (or 7.35%) and is currently ranked third after the Baleno and the Ignis, both of which were launched many years ahead of the midsize SUV. To put the GV’s performance in better perspective, of the total 10,56,038 Nexa cars and SUVs sold since FY2023 (when the GV entered the market) through to end-June 2024, the Grand Vitara’s share is a strong 19 percent.