Maruti Grand Vitara To Get All-wheel Drive Automatic Option In South Africa

• AWD option limited to mild-hybrid Grand Vitara in the Rainbow Nation too. 

• Compact SUV gets Suzuki-built 1.5-litre petrol engine with 103PS and 137Nm. 

• AWD available with 5-speed manual in India, 6-speed AT in South Africa. 

• The AWD-AT option could be introduced in India at a later date. 

Suzuki has unveiled the Grand Vitara as its flagship SUV in South Africa with an all-wheel drive (AWD) automatic drivetrain. In India, Maruti Suzuki is set to launch the compact SUV in September, but it’ll only get the AWD system paired with the manual transmission variant with the mild-hybrid engine. 

South Africa-spec Suzuki Grand Vitara for reference

The Maruti Grand Vitara gets two powertrain options – a Suzuki-built mild-hybrid with optional AWD and a Toyota-derived strong-hybrid with an e-CVT that’s exclusively front-wheel drive. 

The 1.5-litre Suzuki K15C engine is tuned for 103PS and 137Nm and is assisted by a 12-volt mild-hybrid system. It comes with two transmission options, a 5-speed manual and a new 6-speed torque converter automatic which comes with paddle shifters.

Similar to its overseas predecessor, the Vitara, the Grand Vitara gets Suzuki’s AllGrip Select AWD system that offers ‘Auto’, ‘Sport’, ‘Lock’ and ‘Snow’ modes for different conditions.

• New Maruti Grand Vitara's All Grip All-wheel Drive System Explained

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Suzuki Grand Vitara interior in South Africa 

Other than the drivetrain changes, the South Africa-spec Grand Vitara looks identical to the Indian version and it has a similar set of standard features such as push button start/stop and automatic climate control. The South Africa-spec model will additionally get six airbags, cruise control and LED projector headlights as standard. 

Also read: 

• Advantages Of Strong Hybrid Over Mild Hybrid

• 2022 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Compact SUV Breaks Cover Launch Likely In September

Depending on the popularity of the AWD Grand Vitara, Maruti could introduce an AWD-AT variant of the compact SUV in India at a later date. Similar to its platform cousin, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, the Grand Vitara is the only compact SUV in the segment that’s currently available with an AWD option.  

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