Living With Maruti Grand Vitara Hybrid — Review And Mileage Test

The Grand Vitara is a serious threat to current players because it brings something new to the table in the form of fantastic efficiency, refinement while also doing well in other departments.

Maruti Grand Vitara

Is EV the way to go? Well, we have to walk before we run and while Electric Vehicles (EVs) are indeed catching up, it is still a long way before they can be called mainstream. Hybrid, as previously also written by me, is the immediate solution as it boosts fuel efficiency and reduces fuel consumption while not being a burden on the grid nor giving you range anxiety. You do not need to charge the Grand Vitara Hybrid or any strong hybrid but you can cruise around in electric silence — a win-win situation?

Having spent quite a few days with the Grand Vitara Hybrid being stuck in traffic for hours and battling monsoon-scarred roads, the answer is that hybrids are indeed the solution for the time being and both, EVs plus hybrids can co-exist. That leads me to wonder why hybrids are not promoted and a jump from petrol/diesel straight to EV is not going to be smooth, hence, might as well go the hybrid way for now?

Charging infrastructure is scarce in my neighbourhood and being stuck in traffic during the worst rainfall that Delhi got in this year, would have given me a range anxiety. Not so much in the Grand Vitara Hybrid which only displayed an efficiency figure of 21kmpl. Yes, in a big compact SUV, I got 21-22 kmpl with careful driving while it only ever dipped to 20 kmpl.

That not only does reduce our fuel bills but it also makes for less polluting SUVs without the need for charging infrastructure. Back to the Grand Vitara hybrid and this Toyota powertrain develops 116hp in total which does not sound a lot but in the real world, the combination of electric plus petrol makes it a smooth driving experience. Silence greets you as you start in EV mode. Depending on the charge, you can cruise around in electric mode for quite a while before the 1.5l comes in. It is a seamless transition but you do sense the engine, however, it is not too loud. The big USP of the Grand Vitara Hybrid is the low-speed smoothness and most of the time, you can see the EV mode flashing on the digital instrument cluster.

Electric mode is not limited to speed and can also come up at higher speeds when driving with light throttle input. There is a dedicated EV mode button that works depending on the charge and drive modes including eco. We chose eco for most of the time as here the EV mode came up more along with greater fuel efficiency-plus it is not slow too. Overtaking in traffic or progress is easy in eco mode and you use the power mode with the engine doing more when you need to go quicker or in the hills etc. Here, the engine comes in and if pushed hard, it is a bit audible but at low speeds, overall NVH is superb.

The Grand Vitara Hybrid is not as quick as turbo-petrol rivals but also unlike rivals you are getting double the efficiency along with the silence of an electric car for most of the time. What surprised me was the overall driving experience as the Grand Vitara is easily the most fun Maruti car to drive with its steering which is Maruti light but weighs up at higher speeds while the suspension is brilliantly suited to our roads. While it is easy to drive, it does not crash into potholes, and ground clearance is also perfect which I discovered when while driving through monsoon craters on our roads.

I also like the interior, having spent many hours inside the car thanks to the traffic. The cabin quality is a big leap forward for Maruti but I am not comparing it to its other cars but rivals. The gold accents, faux leather inserts, and overall design is premium save for some of the plastics occupying the lower half of the dashboard. The hybrid gets a fully digital instrument cluster with hybrid-specific info. There are loads of features in this top-end trim including a heads-up display, massive double pane sunroof, ventilated seats, 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone connectivity and charging, connected car tech, 6 airbags etc.

I did notice the sunroof letting in some light which might make the cabin hot during summers but it does give an airy feeling. The seats are comfortable and rear passengers have nothing to complain about in terms of legroom but headroom is a bit tight for very tall passengers and it is a four-seater only. The hybrid version also seriously compromises on boot space but with this kind of efficiency, I do not think owners will mind.

The Grand Vitara is the best Maruti car I have seen or driven and a serious threat to current players because it brings something new to the table in the form of fantastic efficiency, refinement while also doing well in other departments. No wonder the Grand Vitara has already got so many bookings and I am not surprised that the hybrid is one of the most popular versions. 

What we like- Hybrid powertrain, efficiency, ride and handling, features, looks

What we do not- Boot space and rear seat headroom