Maruti Suzuki is planning to re-launch its high-end Maruti Grand Vitara SUV with a more powerful 2400 cc engine in order to create an impact in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) market.
The Maruti Grand Vitara is expected to be priced higher than the existing model worth Rs 14 lakh well-known as GV 2.4 in India, is pitted against Chevrolet Captiva, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Endeavour, Mitsubishi Pajero and Outlander, as well as the yet-to-be launched Skoda Yeti and Toyota Fortuner.
The new SUV will be launched next month, says a person familiar with developments at Maruti, while the company spokesman did not comment on the launch.
The third generation 5-seater Maruti Grand Vitara sales drop down to 270 vehicles in this year against the 795 units in the previous year. Every year more than 25k SUVs whose price is over Rs 10 lakh are sold in India.
The new Grand Vitara on top of the bigger engine will also have small changes in the design of exteriors as well as interiors than the older version.
Once upon a time, Maruti was a major player in the domestic SUV segment due to its Maruti Gypsy in the entry-level.