The e-Vitara will first go on sale in India in March 2025 after its Indian debut at the Bharat Mobility Show in January 2025, in New Delhi.
04 Nov 2024 | 22322 Views | By Gavin D'Souza, Autocar India
Suzuki Motor Corporation has unveiled the production version of the Maruti eVX concept in Milan, today. Dubbed the Suzuki e Vitara, it is the Japanese brand’s first born-electric’ midsize SUV globally. It will compete with the likes of the Tata Curvv EV, MG ZS EV and the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV and Mahindra BE ...
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Suzuki Motor Corporation has unveiled the production version of the Maruti eVX concept in Milan, today. Dubbed the Suzuki e Vitara, it is the Japanese brand’s first born-electric’ midsize SUV globally. It will compete with the likes of the Tata Curvv EV, MG ZS EV and the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV and Mahindra BE 05 in India.
The e Vitara will be produced at the Suzuki Motor Gujarat plant not only for domestic sales but also for exports, with 50% of the production being earmarked for Japan and Europe. This explains why the global debut toook place in Italy and not in India.
However, e-Vitara will first go on sale in India in March 2025 after its Indian debut at the Bharat Mobility Show in January 2025, in New Delhi. This will be followed by a European launch around June 2025.
It’s surprising how similar the production-ready e Vitara looks to both versions of the eVX concept – the first shown at the Auto Expo in January 2023 and the second at the Japan Mobility Show in October 2023 – especially given Suzuki’s typically conservative approach to design.
Some of the sharper angles and cuts have been sanded down, but the muscular nature of the bodywork has been retained. A big part of this is the generous use of dark cladding around the base of the vehicle, imparting the requisite rugged look. It is that, unlike some BEVs, the e Vitara’s conventional two-box design doesn’t appear to have been defined by aerodynamics, and could work just as well on an ICE product.
Details that return from the concepts are the tri-slash LED daytime running lights at the front and rear, charging ports on the front flanks, and the prominent bulge over the rear wheel arch. The e Vitara wheel size goes up to a chunky 225/50 R19 on the AWD version, with lesser models getting 18-inch alloys, and interestingly, the rear door handle has moved up to the C-pillar, much like in the old Swift.
The length, width and height of 4,275mm, 1,800mm and 1,635mm remain true to earlier reports, and put it right on par with something like the Hyundai Creta EV. More interesting, however, is its 2,700mm wheelbase, which is longer than the Creta’s, to accommodate a large battery pack and also points to a spacious interior for this born electric vehicle.
The e Vitara’s ground clearance stands at 180mm which is elevated enough for most Indian road conditions and the kerb weight is 1,702kg to 1,899kg across variants which, given its size and big battery pack, isn’t overtly heavy.
The Maruti e Vitara (codename: YY8) is not based on any existing product and instead is built on an all-new skateboard platform dubbed Heartect-e, which the company claims combines “the advanced feel of a BEV and the robust nature of an SUV”. It incorporates what Suzuki calls eAxles, which combines the motor and inverter.
This all-new ‘skateboard’ or dedicated EV platform (codename: 40PL) was jointly developed with Toyota, and will spawn a sister SUV from the allied Japanese brand, which could be revealed later in 2025.
The e Vitara will be available with two battery options – 49kWh and 61kWh, the larger of which will get an option dual-motor AWD, which Suzuki has dubbed AllGrip-e. The batteries use LFP (Lithium Iron-phosphate) ‘blade’ cells from Chinese battery giant BYD. However, unlike most domestic EV manufacturers that import just the battery cells for local pack assembly, Maruti-Suzuki will be importing the entire battery pack from BYD instead of assembling it in-house.
The AllGrip-e system on the AWD model includes a Trail mode, in which the e Vitara will apply the brakes on tyres that don’t have traction, while apportioning torque to the remaining tyres, essentially simulating a limited-slip differential.
While there is no official word on the range, it was earlier revealed that the larger 61kWh battery is expected to deliver upwards of 500km on global test cycles.
As for power, the 49kWh battery with its single motor on the front axle produces 144hp, while the larger 61kWh battery in single-motor guise ups that to 174hp. Both these versions produce 189Nm of torque, which is on the lower side for this size of the car; for reference, a Curvv EV has 215Nm.
However, moving up to the e-AllGrip AWD version adds a 65hp motor on the rear axle, for a total output of 184hp and 300Nm, which is far more substantial.
Where the e Vitara appears to really move the game forward for Maruti and Suzuki is in the interior, which looks like a big upgrade from existing models. The design is contemporary, with a floating dual-screen infotainment and instrumentation console, the shelf-like horizontally stacked dashboard and the floating centre console finished in gloss black, under which sits a storage area with USB ports.
Interesting details are the twin-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, the rectangular AC vents with their brushed silver surrounds, the rotary drive state selector and the part fabric, part leatherette upholstery. It’s also good to see big door pockets and physical AC controls.
Maruti e Vitara features that can be spotted include an electronic parking brake with auto hold, drive modes including ‘Trail’ for AWD versions, hill descent control, single-zone auto climate control, wireless phone charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, side and curtain airbags, heated mirrors, and some ADAS features like Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. Let’s hope Maruti brings most of these to India.
There also appears to be a new operating system or user interface for the dual screens, which not only features a simpler layout for the touchscreen, but also puts a lot more information in the digital dials than the current SmartPlay Pro+ system.
There’s little we can say about the rear seat at this time, other than that it gets a split-folding arrangement, adjustable headrests and three-point seatbelts for all passengers and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The high roof and long wheelbase point to generous headroom and legroom but it remains to be seen how well Suzuki engineers have balanced the e Vitara’s high ground clearance and the packaging of the underfloor battery pack to keep the cabin floor as low as possible for a comfortable seating position.
The e Vitara’s original launch date of October 2024 was pushed forward by six months due to technical delays in the development process. Sources say that Suzuki faced a steep learning curve, especially with software in the development of its first EV. In fact, Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki said in a statement, that the electric SUV was “developed through repeated trial and error to create an easy-to-use BEV for our customers.” Unlike EV market leader Tata Motors which of late has picked up a reputation for reliability issues and quality bugs, Maruti-Suzuki wants to get it first time right and offer the company’s same ideals of no-nonsense, reliable and easy motoring.
With the Maruti e Vitara India launch pushed to March 2025, apart from the already launched Tata Curvv EV, it will have two additional rivals, the Mahindra BE 05 and Hyundai Creta EV, both of which are expected to be launched in January.
The Maruti e Vitara price in India is expected to start at around Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base 49 kWh model which is on par with the MG ZS EV (Rs 18.98 lakh, ex-showroom). The price for the 61kWh 2WD version with the higher powered motor could climb to Rs 25 lakh with the e-Allgrip AWD version moving close to the Rs 30 lakh mark.
What also remains to be seen is if the e Vitara flies that other Maruti Suzuki flag – efficiency, though if its 500km+ range certification is on the MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle), it’s a good sign.
The Suzuki e Vitara is the first of a family of EVs built on the new Heartect-e, platform that will include an Innova sized all-electric MPV which again, will have a Toyota counterpart. With India’s No. 1 carmaker launching its first-ever EV, its game on, in the race for electric dominance.