Grand intent low impact

Maruti Suzuki fails to repeat the SX4 trick, delivers a dampener in Grand Vitara

The new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara couldn8217;t have been launched at a better time. After all, Maruti is on a high with the success of SX4. With this, the company has taken the first step of shedding its tag of being a small-car manufacturer. A repeat with the SUV would be like icing on the cake. We drove the SUV over three days to check if it qualifies as icing.

Exterior
Vitara looks a lot more compact than the other SUVs8212;Endeavour, CR-V, Tucson. It has muscular arches that accentuate the masculine look without making it seem too flabby. It has Swift written all over it, and the front grille is inspired by it. The wrap-around headlamps further the compactness of the car. Compared to the huge bonnet and grille, the windscreen appears small, and once inside, one feels overwhelmed.
The dimensions of the car are less than that of the competition and there is no third row of seats. So the rear overhang is perceptibly lesser. The spare wheel at the centre and the inverted triangular tail lamps are in tune with the norm, but what destroys the look, to an extent, are the Swift-like windows at the back.

Interiors
The black and silver lend a regal look, but the quality of plastic is below par for a car of this size and price. At the front, space is intelligently utilised and ergonomical features are top notch. You will find space for most stuff, the leg room is ample and you need not slide the seat backwards. All the good at the front leaves very little space for innovation at the back. There8217;s lack of space and the seats too are not as comfortable as those in a CR-V.

Engine/Powertrain
Vitara8217;s performance is one of its high points. The 2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine with power of 120 bhp and a high torque of 170 Nm make it genuinely faster than the other SUVs on the short haul. After the failure of the older version, criticised for its insufficient power, Maruti has done well to rectify the biggest flaw. The engine noise is an area of concern, but it does not increase proportionately with the speed. Another plus is Vitara8217;s considerable offroading capabilities. The high ground clearance came in handy as the car went for the trenches, and apart from the occasional grunts, the engine passed all tests.
On the flip side, Maruti8217;s problems with the gearbox, absent in SX4, are back with the Vitara. The gears often get stuck between the first and second and second and third, and while one does not mind second attempts on a highway, city driving often becomes tricky.

Fuel Economy
If engine is Vitara8217;s high point, fuel economy is surprisingly the lowest. Coming from the stables of Suzuki, we expected a fuel economy of around 9 km/litre that would have put it at par with the CR-V. But over a minimum stretch of 10 km, we got a high of 7.4 km/litre and a low of 5.7 km/litre during offroading. The Vitara is a real fuel guzzler.

Last Word: Value for Money
Vitara is the cheapest SUV in its class, and at Rs 13.8 lakh ex-showroom price in Delhi, it is Rs 90,000 cheaper than its nearest competitor, Endeavour. But the petrol engine gives a below par mileage, which means higher running costs. Maruti8217;s exemplary after-sales service network gives it an edge, but as this is a CBU, spare parts will not be as cheap. On refinement, CR-V is way ahead, on practicality, the Endeavour, and Tucson make more sense because of its diesel engine. Maruti says they are not looking for numbers with the Vitara. Neither are we.