Maruti e Vitara India launch on December 2

Maruti Suzuki will launch the much-anticipated e Vitara SUV on December 2, as per our sources. This comes after the company’s MD and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, confirmed the e Vitara’s launch month at a press conference in October, but did not specify an exact date. The Maruti e Vitara’s price announcement was expected earlier this year, but it has been delayed several times due to battery supply and software challenges.

1. Maruti e Vitara to rival Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta Electric, and other models
2. 61kWh FWD version with over 500km ARAI range to arrive first
3. AWD variant expected to be introduced later 

The midsize SUV is the Japanese carmaker’s first EV for India, and it’s produced exclusively at its Hansalpur factory in Gujarat. About 7,000 units of the e Vitara have been shipped overseas since exports commenced in August, with the United Kingdom being its top importer.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara range and battery specs

49kWh 2WD: 144hp, 344km

61kWh 2WD: 174hp, 428km

61kWh AWD: 184hp, 394km

In international car markets, the Suzuki e Vitara gets two battery options – 49kWh and 61kWh. These batteries power an electric motor at the front, but the larger unit can also be optioned with a dual-motor setup enabling AWD, which Suzuki has dubbed AllGrip-e. The e Vitara FWD makes 144hp with the 49kWh unit and 174hp with the 61kWh battery, and the range-topping AWD version adds an electric motor to the rear axle, making a combined 184hp. 

FWD motor setup of the upcoming e Vitara.

On the WLTP cycle, the e Vitara 61kWh FWD returns the highest range – 428km, followed by the AWD version’s 394km. The entry-level 49kWh FWD variant has a 344km range. As reported earlier, the FWD e Vitara will initially arrive in India with the larger battery pack, offering over 500km of ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India)-rated range; the twin-motor version is only expected to come later.

Maruti e Vitara price expectations and rivals

Rs 20 lakh-25 lakh initially

We expect Maruti to price the 61kWh 2WD version with the higher-powered motor at Rs 25 lakh. The base 49kWh variant, expected to be launched alongside it in December, may carry a Rs 20 lakh price tag. The Maruti e Vitara will enter a hotly contested segment comprising the Tata Curvv EV (Rs 17.49 lakh-22.24 lakh), MG ZS EV (Rs 17.99 lakh-20.50 lakh), Hyundai Creta Electric (Rs 18.02 lakh-24.40 lakh) and Mahindra BE 6 (Rs 18.9 lakh-27.65 lakh). 

If the expected e Vitara pricing holds, it’ll sit in a similar price bracket as the Vinfast VF7 (Rs 20.89 lakh-25.49 lakh), though the latter has a larger overall footprint. In terms of size, the 4.2-metre-long Vinfast VF6 lines up as a more fitting competitor to the e Vitara, and it is aggressively priced from Rs 16.49 lakh to Rs 18.29 lakh.

Ex-showroom car prices mentioned above.