Maruti says this technology is designed to help keep drivers and pedestrians safe by alerting them to the presence of a vehicle.
Maruti Suzuki has added another safety feature to its popular Grand Vitara SUV line-up. The company has announced that the Grand Vitara Hybrid now comes with unique “Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System”. Prices for the Grand Vitara variants, equipped with this tech are up by Rs 4,000.
- Grand Vitara Hybrid gets AVAS pedestrian safety tech
- Upgrade in-line with government regulations
- More hybrid, pure electric vehicles could get this feature
Maruti Grand Vitara: now with AVAS Pedestrian safety alarm
According to Maruti, this system works by emitting a low-level alert sound that can be heard upto five feet away from the vehicle, giving pedestrians and or other nearby drivers a heads up that a vehicle is nearby. The addition of AVAS or Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System is in line with the AIS 173 standard which is required for approval of Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV) with regards to their reduced audibility.
What are Quiet Road Transport Vehicles?
According to the AIS 173 draft notification, Quiet Road Transport Vehicles, or QRTV’s are vehicles that have atleast one electric motor or an electric motor generator. This would include pure EV’s, Hybrid electric vehicles like the Grand Vitara hybrid, Fuel cell vehicles and also fuel cell hybrid vehicles.
While the Grand Vitara Hybrid is the first vehicle to get this feature, expect more vehicles to get updated with this system soon.
Maruti Grand Vitara prices up by Rs 4,000
Thanks to the addition to this safety feature, prices for the Grand Vitara Hybrid have been raised by Rs 4,000. The Grand Vitara hybrid now starts at Rs 18.29 lakh going upto Rs 19.79 lakh (ex-showroom). The non-hybrid Grand Vitara prices remain the same.