What is it?
Maruti Suzuki has introduced its first-ever all-electric production-ready model, the e Vitara at the EICMA in Milan. This is the brand’s first electric model globally and it is set to make its India debut in mid-2025. This new SUV was first showcased as the eVX, a pre-production concept at the Auto Expo 2023. Followed by a display at the Bharat Mobility Expo a year later. Now, the SUV is in its final production-ready phase and is all set to be launched in the global markets in the coming year.
Exterior styling
Well in its early concept stage, the eVX looked futuristic and modern with angular cuts and creases all over the body along with the pop-out door handles for an added touch of modernism. Now, the e Vitara is a major step up in terms of design from all the Maruti’s on sale currently. But it somehow looks like a typical Maruti.With thick cladding all around, chunky wheel arches, and a busy front fascia along with a thick rear bumper, the e Vitara surely tries to establish a more rugged stance and approach.
That said, the headlamps up front get Y-shaped LED DRLs housed inside the cluster, front parking sensors, camera, and even a radar module mounted slightly above the usual. There are two sizes of wheels on offer: 18 inches and 19 inches finished in a dark paint scheme.
Interestingly, the charging port is mounted on the front left fender and it extends over the wheel arch. Now, the door handles for the front doors are pull-type and positioned on the doors themselves.However, the rear door handles are housed in the C-pillar, giving the rear door panel a clean look.
At the back, the e Vitara gets a floating roofline effect with an extended roof spoiler and side cowls. The rear windscreen area appears to be small with a wiper. However, the best design element of the rear profile is the connected taillamps, which add to the modern aesthetics of the e Vitara.
Interior and features
Now, where the e Vitara truly shines is the interior. The dashboard of this new electric SUV is possibly one of the nicest-looking of any Maruti car.
The screens are embedded in a single housing with vertical AC vents underneath. The dual-tone black and tan brown theme is rather pleasing and looks premium.
Coming to the features, Suzuki has not shared a feature list, but what we can tell is that this will probably be the most feature-rich SUV from the automaker.
There’s a new two-spoke steering wheel, digital instrument panel, automatic climate control, 360-degree camera, ADAS suite, electronic parking brake with auto hold function, ventilated front seats, and more.
Technical specifications
Based on the new HEARTECT-e platform, the Maruti e Vitara will be bundled with two battery pack options a 49kWh and a 61kWh unit. While the former will only be offered in 2WD configuration, the latter will get two drivetrains – 2WD and 4WD with the brand’s proprietary ALLGRIP-e 4WD system.
Having said that, the driving range is still a mystery but we can expect the e Vitara, at least with the larger battery pack, to offer a driving range of north of 500km on a single charge.
| Battery Capacity | 49kWh | 61kWh | 61kWh |
| Drivetrain | 2WD | 2WD | 4WD |
| Power output | 142bhp | 172bhp | 181bhp |
| Torque | 189Nm | 189Nm | 300Nm |
Expected price and competition
Now the launch timeline is anticipated to be around mid-2025. By that time, Hyundai would have entered the segment with the Creta EV and apart from that, there are plenty of competitors already in the market like the Tata Curvv EV, MG ZS EV, and the BYD Atto 3, which the Maruti e Vitara will have to face. Mahindra is also in the league with two new EVs, the XEV 9e and the BE 6e. So something that Maruti Suzuki has to watch out for.
As for the prices, the first-ever electric vehicle from Maruti Suzuki is expected to carry a price tag of Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh, for the top-of-the-line AWD version.
