Maruti e Vitara: The long wait is now over and Maruti Suzuki has finally unveiled its eagerly awaited electric SUV, the e-Vitara, thus making a strong foray into the burgeoning electric vehicle segment in the country.
With the launch of this ahead of its time inaugural product, Maruti confirms that it is not just upping its own game but actually making a statement with one of the most technologically advanced compact SUV that redefined segment benchmarks.
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Maruti e Vitara Evolution of Design through Electric DNA
It doesn’t manage to strike the perfect balance between showcasing the pointy nose of the Vitara and promising a futuristic design that an electric vehicle should fill in your eyes.
It has a unique blocked off front grille with sharp looking LED headlamps that are bridged across by an illuminated light bar.
In the wind tunnel the aerodynamically designed body panels cut the drag coefficient down to 0.28, which will mean greater distances per charge, but without straying from the boxy, upright look SUV lovers savor.
The flush door handles, aero-optimised wheels and discreet blue accents around the exterior do much to subtly hint at the car’s electric drivetrain, without overshadowing the classic Vitara shape and style.
At the back, there’s a joined LED taillight setup stretching across the tailgate that makes for a specific light pattern that makes the car recognizable at night.
Next-Gen Tech, Generous Space Inside
On the inside the e-Vitara introduces a first for Maruti: a simple feature-rich cabin. The focal point is a floating 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system as well as a fully digital instrument cluster.
Powering the new SmartPlay Studio is Maruti’s latest SmartPlay Pro+ interface, which also controls wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a more robust voice recognition system that understands other Indian languages and dialects.
The materials inside can also be in line with sustainability requirement, green fabrics with recycled yarns and eco-tanned genuine synthetic leathers instead of the usual upholstery.
The large panoramic garden roof bathes the cabin in natural light and after sunset, ambient lights can be customized for an extraordinary luxury feel.
Powertrains and Performance
For the start, the e-Vitara is introduced with two batteries, which are designed for various driving demands and budgets.
the standard version comes fitted with a 52kW lithium-ion battery, offering 380 kilometers of range on a single charge (ARAI certified).
The long-range version comes packing a 72kWh battery and adds range in excess of 500 kilometers, so much for solving the range-anxiety that the EVs in India suffer.
Performance isn’t compromised either, the base model does 145 bhp and 310 Nm of instant torque and goes from 0-100 km/h sub 9 seconds.
The higher-output variant meanwhile ups the ante with 215 bhp and 350 Nm of torque, shaving the 0-100 km/h time to 7.2 seconds – competition-stiffening numbers that erase the preconception of affordable EVs being devoid of driving thrills.
ADAS – (Advanced Driver Aids)
The most radical new element in the e-Vitara is its suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that represents Maruti’s first step down the road of semi-autonomous driving.
The pack comprises adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.
[Further reading: Ready or not, here (they) come: A city-by-city look at 4 spinning dockless scooter and bike systems ] The Level 2 autonomy functions are aided by a 360-degree camera system that overlays AR navigation information onto vehicle camera feeds, making it more intuitive to navigate through cluttered city streets.
Infrastructure and Charging Solutions
While we were always worried about charging infrastructure, Maruti will address the concern inseveral ways, as part of the e-Vitara’s (anticipated) launch.
Each car has is a 7.2 kW AC wallbox charger, meaning you’ll be able to charge the battery overnight.
For public charging, the e-Vitara is compatible with DC fast charging using up to 150 kW of power, and it will gain about 200 km of range in 20 minutes in ideal conditions.
At the same time, Maruti has declared tie-ups with leading charging infrastructure companies and intends to set up fast-charging stations at locations which are strategic to its vast dealer network.
The phone app also lets users check in real time if a charge point is available and manage charges remotely.
Competitive Pricing Strategy
The most shocking is Maruti’s strategy to price the car even more aggressively. The e-Vitara’s base version comes at a price from ₹21.5 lakhs (ex-showroom) while the long-range model costs ₹25.75 lakhs.
That the prices of the e-Vitara also happen to be that much lower than what one would pay for internal combustion engines, and for much lower running costs, will make the e-Vitara look like an irresistible value proposition against electric or fossil-fuel SUVs in the segment.
The company is also enticing customers with an 8-year/160,000 km warranty, applied to the battery pack and electric drive unit, and providing peace of mind and assurance of the costs of future replacements.
Maruti e Vitara Market impact and implications for the future
According to industry analysts, e-Vitara will give a major fillip to the penetration of EV in Indian mass market, considering Maruti Suzuki’s unmatched sales and service network and reliability of its vehicles.
The company’s target to roll-out 50,000 vehicles in the first year indicate their confidence in the market, which is reportedly ready for electric mobility.
The e-Vitara is just the tip of Maruti’s electric future, as company heads have already started teasing out a full-fledged electric line-up from the company, across different segments in the next five years.
This shift in strategy from India’s biggest automaker can potentially transform the country’s automotive space, and this time ensure that the electric mobility will finally be within the reach of the masses.
Initial bookings for the car will be open next week at Maruti’s NEXA dealerships and all the works at the car maker will keep their eyes peeled on the consumer response to this groundbreaking launch that meshes Maruti’s established name with state of the art electric technology.
