Milinda Moragoda, Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India received a brand new Grand Vitara as a gift from Maruti Suzuki; The mid-size SUV comes with a mild hybrid and strong hybrid powertrain along with AWD.
Maruti Suzuki has a buyer in every part of the country and to be precise, every household in India has been a customer of the country’s best-selling automobile brand. In the latest development, Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India, Mr. Milinda Moragoda has become a proud owner of a brand new Grand Vitara. A big Maruti fan, the high commissioner owns a Gypsy and played a key role in introducing the Japanese brand to his home country. Apart from the Gypsy, he is also a proud owner of Hindustan Ambassador. The key to the brand new vehicle was handed over to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner by Mr. R C Bhargava, Chairman Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) at the High Commission of Sri Lanka, New Delhi. Reportedly, Mr. Milinda Moragoda has opted for the top-of-the-line strong hybrid version of the mid-size SUV.
Talking about the vehicle, the Grand Vitara is the flagship product from Maruti Suzuki in India and was launched on September 26. With a price range starting from Rs. 10.45 lakh (ex-showroom) and going all the way up to Rs. 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom), the mid-size SUV comes equipped with Suzuki’s All-Grip AWD technology. It is available in a total of 6 variants, namely Sigma, Delta, Zeta, Alpha, Zeta+ and Alpha+. The latter two top-spec trims are only available with a strong hybrid powertrain, while the initial four trims come with a mild hybrid powertrain.
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Powering the Grand Vitara strong hybrid is a 1.5-litre three-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine paired with an electric motor producing a combined power output of 115bhp. The electric motor makes use of a 177.6 V lithium-ion battery pack and it is a self-charging type system. The set-up leverages enough power to make the car run on EV-only mode along with assisting the engine during acceleration, thereby resulting in lesser fuel consumption. The setup is mated to an e-CVT gearbox and it returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 27.97 kmpl. The mild hybrid engine option uses a 1.5 litre K15C four-cylinder petrol motor churning out 103 bhp and 137 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
In terms of features, the Grand Vitara gets all the modern bells and whistles such as a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree parking camera, heads-up display, ventilated seats, next-gen Suzuki Connect, Smart PlayPro+ infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Safety features onboard the mid-size SUV include 6 airbags, ESC (electronic stability program), TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System), Hill Hold Assist, Hill Descent Control and more.
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