Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Review: Variants, Range, Dimensions

The e Vitara is based on the Heartect e platform while the proportions are different too with many EV specific cues. The front-end for example has a different LED DRL signature

There are 10 colours on offer with four dualtone options while the trims include Delta, Zeta and Alpha

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

The new e Vitara is the first pure electric Maruti Suzuki and it comes at a very important time for the carmaker as it enters the EV space. Unveiled at the Auto Expo, the launch would be later in this year towards the first half while it would be retailed via the Nexa sales outlets. We spent an hour with the car and had a good look at it so here is our first look review.

How Does It Look?

The e Vitara is based on the Heartect e platform while the proportions are different too with many EV specific cues. The front-end for example has a different LED DRL signature while a large logo is placed on a blanked off grille. There is healthy cladding which gives that SUV stance while there are large 18-inch aerodynamic alloys. The side profile meanwhile has a character line which sweeps above with the rear door handle placed above on the B Pillar as like on the previous Swift. The rear continues with the 3 point Matrix LED tail-lamps. Paint quality is excellent and it looks distinctive while it has a length of 4275mm along with a ground clearance of 185mm (unladen) plus a width of 1800mm. Plus look closer and there are active grille shutters too which help in air flow along with aerodynamics.

What About The Interiors?

Ingress and egress is easy while the interior is what surprises because it is easily one of the most premium in its class along with not sharing a single design with other Maruti cars. There is a large centre console with a round gear selector (shift by wire) while there are new door pad switches to a new instrument cluster too. The touch screen layout is all new and the display/functions are well laid out. We liked the air con vent design to the soft touch dashboard. The feature list is large too with ambient lighting, 7 airbags standard, one pedal driving mode, sunroof with fixed glass, tlt and telescopic adjustment for the steering, ventilated seats, air filter, climate control, 360 degree camera, 10 way power adjust for the driver, ADAS and more. The front seats are accommodating while the rear seats have good leg room while headroom is just about ok for tall passengers but there is a sliding/recline option too. Notably, the Heartect e platform means a flat floor and there are three headrests at the back too. There is also an Infinity audio system which sounds good.

What About Power And Range?

There are two battery packs with a 49kwh and a 61kwh battery pack while the claimed range for the 61 kwh expectedly is 500km. Both battery pack options gets a single motor while the 49kwh version has less power at 141bhp while the more powerful 61kwh battery pack makes 171bhp. 2WD is on offer standard. There are drive modes plus regen/snow modes but there are no steering paddles for regen while there is a one pedal option. ADAS level 2 features means Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive High Beam System, Blind Spot Monitoring, among others. Turning radius is measured at 5.2m.

What Are The Variants?

There are 10 colours on offer with four dualtone options while the trims include Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

Vs Competition?

Maruti Suzuki certainly has worked on the premium elements with the interior most notably plus the features while the range is also on point. Considering their vast network expect more chargers too while top 100 cities are expected to get chargers per 5/10 km. We expect aggressive pricing but the top-end e Vitara would be more expensive than the hybrid Grand Vitara while the looks, packaging and features will justify that. Compared to rivals, the range, features and the interior is impressive.