Maruti Suzuki is set to launch a new ICE SUV around the festive season, and it will most likely be called Escudo, our sister publication Autocar Professional has learned. Codenamed Y17, the upcoming Maruti car will likely be positioned above the Brezza but below the Grand Vitara. The Y17 SUV, earlier conceived as a three-row, 7-seater version of the Vitara, is now understood to feature two rows and five seats due to a shift in its market scope, as per sources.
- Maruti to sell the Escudo via Arena showrooms
- To rival Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos SUVs
New Maruti SUV repositioning explained
Will likely be longer than the standard Grand Vitara
People in the know said that the repositioning has been done to target the high-volume midsize SUV segment, currently led by the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. Compared to the Grand Vitara, the upcoming SUV is expected to be more accessible price-wise, explaining Maruti’s decision to retail it through Arena showrooms instead of its premium Nexa network. Despite not featuring a third row, it will likely be longer than the 4,345mm-long Grand Vitara, and may offer more boot space than the latter’s maximum 373-litre capacity.
Maruti SUV powertrain expectations
May borrow Vitara's powertrains
As reported earlier, the Y17 will sit on the same Global-C platform as the standard Grand Vitara. It’s also expected to carry forward the same 1.5-litre engines – 104hp naturally aspirated petrol, 88hp with the CNG, and 116hp with the hybrid. The manual and automatic gearbox options, as well as the AWD system, are also likely to be carried over from the Vitara.
Escudo nameplate not new
Suzuki Vitara called Escudo in Japan
Notably, Maruti trademarked the Escudo name in India last year. Suzuki uses the Escudo nameplate for the Vitara SUV in Japan. If retained here, the Escudo will be one of Maruti’s two SUVs scheduled for launch in 2025, the other being the all-electric e Vitara. “[More] details will be shared later,” a company spokesperson said, without confirming specific launch timelines or model names.
The Maruti Y17 could target buyers looking for an SUV slightly longer than the Grand Vitara, which, for reference, sits between the Creta (4,330mm) and Seltos (4,365mm) in terms of length. An incremental output of up to 2,00,000 units is likely, with volumes spread between Maruti, Toyota and exports. The new SUV may also help Maruti move closer towards attaining its growth target of 5-6 percent in the current financial year.
WITH INPUTS FROM AKBAR MERCHANT AND UDAY SINGH.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
