With the prices of the Grand Vitara out, we see how it fares against its competition.
Maruti Suzuki has just announced the prices for all variants of the Grand Vitara, while prices for its cousin from Toyota, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, were revealed on September 9. The two midsize hybrid SUVs are quite similar to each other, yet have differentiating factors.
- Grand Vitara is the most expensive midsize SUV
- Strong hybrid Hyryder undercuts strong hybrid Grand Vitara by Rs 50,000
The prices for the Grand Vitara range from Rs 10.45 lakh to Rs 19.49 lakh. On the other hand, Toyota only announced the prices of the strong-hybrid variants and the mild-hybrid V AT variant, which fall in the range of Rs 15.11 lakh to Rs 18.99 lakh.
Since prices for all variants of the Hyryder haven’t been announced yet, it becomes slightly difficult to accurately depict how it stacks up against its rivals. The prices of the remaining mild-hybrid variants of the Hyryder are expected to be announced in early October.
Also see: Strong hybrid Hyryder price likely to undercut Grand Vitara
Also see: Maruti Grand Vitara 4WD variants make up 5-7 percent of total bookings
The segment can be divided into two parts on the basis of the powertrain – mild-hybrid with entry-level petrol engines and strong-hybrid with higher-level petrol and diesel engines – with the categorisation based on the power they develop, their fuel efficiency and their price.
In the lower half of the segment, we can compare the mild-hybrid powertrain with the naturally aspirated ones of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks and MG Astor, as well as the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engines of the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. Similarly, in the upper half of the segment, the strong-hybrid powertrains are comparable to the turbo-petrol and diesel powertrains.
Grand Vitara mild-hybrid vs rivals: Creta 1.5 NA most expensive
| Grand Vitara mild-hybrid vs rivals | |
|---|---|
| Models | Price |
| Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara (mild-hybrid petrol) | Rs 10.45 lakh-Rs 16.89 lakh |
| Hyundai Creta (1.5 NA petrol) | Rs 10.44 lakh-Rs 17.22 lakh |
| Kia Seltos (1.5 NA petrol) | Rs 10.49 lakh-Rs 15.45 lakh |
| Volkswagen Taigun (1.0 TSI) | Rs 11.40 lakh-Rs 16.90 lakh |
| Skoda Kushaq (1.0 TSI) | Rs 11.29 lakh-Rs 16.09 lakh |
| MG Astor (1.5 NA petrol) | Rs 10.32 lakh-Rs 16.60 lakh |
| Nissan Kicks (1.5 NA petrol) | Rs 9.50 lakh-Rs 10.00 lakh |
| Toyota Hyryder (mild-hybrid petrol) | Rs 17.09 lakh |
Here, the most expensive midsize SUV is the top-spec variant of the Hyundai Creta, which, priced at Rs 17.22 lakh, is Rs 33,000 more expensive than the top-spec mild-hybrid variant of the Grand Vitara.
The cheapest of the lot, by far, is the Nissan Kicks, with the price of its entry-level variant starting at Rs 9.50 lakh – the only one to have a sub-Rs 10 lakh starting price. The second most affordable car in the range is the MG Astor, which has a starting price of Rs 10.32 lakh.
However, it cannot be definitively said which car will have the most expensive starting price, since the Toyota Hyryder is the only one which hasn’t had some of its variant prices announced. However, going by the difference of Rs 20,000 between the top automatic variants of the two mild-hybrid SUVs, the Hyryder may have a higher starting price of the two.
Grand Vitara strong-hybrid vs rivals: Kicks, Hyryder most affordable
| Grand Vitara strong-hybrid vs rivals | |
|---|---|
| Models | Price |
| Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara (strong-hybrid petrol) | Rs 17.99 lakh-Rs 19.49 lakh |
| Toyota Hyryder (strong-hybrid petrol) | Rs 15.11 lakh-Rs 18.99 lakh |
| Hyundai Creta (1.4 Turbo petrol) | Rs 15.58 lakh-Rs 18.15 lakh |
| Hyundai Creta (1.5 Diesel) | Rs 10.94 lakh-Rs 18.24 lakh |
| Kia Seltos (1.4 Turbo petrol) | Rs 16.05 lakh-Rs 18.29 lakh |
| Kia Seltos (1.5 Diesel) | Rs 11.39 lakh-Rs 18.65 lakh |
| VW Taigun (1.5 TSI) | Rs 15.80 lakh-Rs 18.60 lakh |
| Skoda Kushaq (1.5 TSI) | Rs 17.19 lakh-Rs 17.79 lakh |
| MG Astor (1.3 Turbo petrol) | Rs 16.58 lakh-Rs 18.23 lakh |
| Nissan Kicks (1.3 Turbo petrol) | Rs 12.30 lakh-Rs 14.90 lakh |
The strong-hybrid Grand Vitara’s top variant is now the most expensive midsize SUV in the segment, a crown it took from its cousin. Both strong-hybrids remain the most expensive in the segment and also claim to have the highest fuel efficiency.
While the higher-level powertrain of the Nissan Kicks still remains the most affordable of the lot, the Hyryder strong-hybrid’s lowest variant is the second most affordable one here, with prices starting at Rs 15.11 lakh. This makes the strong-hybrid Hyryder’s powertrain one of the most affordable higher-level ones in the segment, since it is offered with the second-from-base variant, while its rivals offer their higher-level powertrains on top-spec variants.
A point to note is that Kia and Hyundai also offer diesel powertrains on their SUVs. Since diesels and strong-hybrids are not directly comparable, we are considering them solely based on their fuel efficiency. Maruti Suzuki and Toyota claim that the strong-hybrid variants of their respective models have a fuel efficiency figure of 27.97kpl, which is more than the claimed fuel efficiency of the Seltos and Creta.
Despite the prices of the Grand Vitara just being announced, the hybrid SUV has already amassed over 50,000 bookings.
*All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi
Which midsize SUV will you select? Let us know in the comments below.
Also see:
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara vs rivals: specifications comparison