After a rather long wait, Maruti Suzuki India will finally launch its maiden battery electric vehicle (BEV), the e Vitara, in the country. The e Vitara has been showcased on multiple occasions at different events. We have even reviewed the electric SUV, but it was restricted by the fact that Maruti Suzuki e Vitara prices were not revealed by then. However, the prices will be announced today, marking the formal entry of the country's largest carmaker in India's nascent electric car market.
The e Vitara is a mid-size electric SUV. Taking into account the segment and price of the rivals, we expect the e Vitara price to start at around Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 24 lakh (ex-showroom).
The mid-size SUV segment is getting crowded, be it in the EV space or the internal combustion engine (ICE) space. Almost all the carmakers are present here with their respective models, giving buyers plenty of options to choose from.
For the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara, competition will come from the likes of the Mahindra BE 6, Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella, Hyundai Creta Electric, Tata Curvv.ev, MG ZS EV and VinFast VF6.
The e Vitara is built on an all-new dedicated EV platform called HEARTECT-e. It will be offered with two battery options -- 49kWh and 61kWh -- based on Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry.
The electric SUV uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 105.8kW (49kWh battery) and 128kW (61kWh battery), with peak torque of 192.5Nm in both cases.
For the larger 61kWh battery pack, Maruti Suzuki claims a driving range of 543km, while it is 440km for the smaller 49kWh battery pack. The model has been tested across extreme temperatures ranging from -30°C to 60°C.
The e Vitara has secured a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. It scored 31.49 out of 32 for adult occupant protection and 43.00 out of 49 for child occupant protection. Maruti Suzuki is providing seven airbags, including a driver-side knee airbag, as standard across variants, which speaks volumes about the carmaker's intent to make the vehicle safe for occupants. Additionally, the e Vitara has electronic safety control, all-disc brakes, electronic parking brake, TPMS and Level 2 ADAS.
The e Vitara has taken a more understated approach when it comes to the exterior design. It is not flashy at all. The electric SUV gets 3-point Matrix LED DRLs, LED projector headlamps and LED taillamps. There are 18-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels shod with low-resistance MRF Wanderer tyres, aimed at improving efficiency. A roof-end spoiler is also part of the exterior package.
The interior features a digital cockpit comprising a 10.1-inch central display and a 10.25-inch multi-information display, along with ventilated front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, sliding and reclining rear seats with a 40:20:40 split, a fixed-glass sunroof and an Infinity by Harman audio system. Connectivity is supported by Suzuki Connect with over 60 features. There are multiple drive and regen modes.
To support EV adoption, Maruti Suzuki has rolled out a comprehensive charging ecosystem under the 'e for me' platform. The company has established over 2,000 exclusive charging points across its sales and service network in over 1,100 cities, and has also signed collaboration agreements with 13 charge point operators. In the long term, it plans to enable more than 1 lakh public charging points by 2030.
Maruti Suzuki has claimed that it has invested nearly Rs 250 crore for establishing the charging infrastructure ahead of the e Vitara launch.
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