Published : 30 November 2024
Read Time : 5 min
Author: Mahesh Yadav
In this variant explained article, you'll find out which variant of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara petrol you should buy based on variant-wise features while prioritising functionality and usability. Here we compare and analyse the Grand Vitara's petrol variants and their features to figure out which variant will offer a balanced ownership experience. Then we will compare the engine specs, dimensions of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara with its competitors and other petrol-powered C-segment SUVs like Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Maruti Nexa S-Cross, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq.

Updated (Nov 30, 2024): This update of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara variants explained includes some changes in the Vitara’s features and our recommendation based on the features changes.
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The pros or advantages of Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara petrol are:
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:
The Nexa Grand Vitara is available in 4 variants. The mild-hybrid petrol-manual powertrain is available in all 4 variants and costs between Rs. 10.99 lakh and Rs. 17.01 lakh. This engine is also available with a torque converter automatic for an additional Rs. 1.40 lakh in the higher 3 variants.
The top 2 variants with the hybrid powertrain get the ‘Plus’ name in the variant moniker. The Grand Vitara hybrid Zeta Plus and Alpha Plus variants cost Rs. 18.43 lakh and Rs. 19.93 lakh. These prices are Rs. 3.02 lakh higher than the comparable mild-hybrid petrol-automatic variants. The top variant also gets a 4WD option for an additional Rs. 1.40 lakh with the petrol-manual powertrain.
The base Sigma variant of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV only comes with the 1.5L mild-hybrid petrol engine and a manual transmission. It costs Rs. 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and gets the following notable features of the new Grand Vitara’s Sigma base model are:
The base variant seems to have most of the must-have features we expect from a base variant of a modern C-segment SUV. You might only miss a few features such as:
We’ll suggest budget-conscious buyers to buy the base Sigma variant and add some aftermarket accessories. The Delta doesn’t offer enough features to justify an upgrade. So, even if you have the budget for the Delta variant, we’ll recommend the base Sigma variant with some aftermarket accessories. Only the music system and a rear camera seem like the biggest missing features in the base model of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Both of these features are very easy to install from the aftermarket or you can get these from the dealer so that your car is ready from day 1.
The Delta variant of the Grand Vitara is available with mild-hybrid manual and automatic powertrains. With the manual transmission, it costs Rs. Rs. 12.20 lakh, which is Rs. 1.21 lakh higher than the Sigma. The Delta automatic is another Rs. 1.40 lakh pricier and costs RS. 13.60 lakh.
Over the base Sigma variant, the Delta variant adds the following notable features:
This variant misses out on the following features:
On the feature front, the Delta variant seems to offer a very nice balance of good-to-have and must-have features. However, it offers poor value for money. So, we’ll not suggest buying the Delta variant. Instead, you should consider buying the base Sigma variant and adding aftermarket accessories. If you’re interested in the automatic transmission, then you should consider stretching your budget for a higher variant to get better value and more features.
Besides the mild-hybrid petrol-manual and automatic, the Zeta variant also gets hybrid powertrain option. The mild-hybrid petrol-manual, petrol-automatic and hybrid petrol-automatic powertrains of the Zeta variant cost Rs. 14.01 lakh, Rs. 15.41 lakh and Rs. 18.43 lakh, respectively. The Zeta variant costs Rs. 1.81 lakh more than the lower Delta variant. The hybrid powertrain costs Rs. 3.02 lakh more than the Zeta mild-hybrid automatic. It’s worth noting that besides the features of the Zeta variant and the hybrid powertrain, it also gets a few extra features.
The Grand Vitara Zeta adds the following notable features over the Delta:
You may miss the following features in the Zeta variant:
If you don’t want to stretch your budget any further, then you can consider buying the Zeta variant. It’s still an expensive upgrade and it too doesn't justify the incremental cost over the base Sigma variant. For Grand Vitara automatic buyers, this is a better option than the lower Delta variant.
If you’re interested in the hybrid powertrain, then this is a far better option in terms of value for money than the lower variants because of its higher value-for-money score. Although, even with some exclusive high-value features like panoramic sunroof and head-up display, this variant also doesn’t have enough features and performance improvements to warrant an upgrade.
In addition to the hybrid automatic, mild-hybrid manual and mild-hybrid automatic, the Alpha variant also gets the option of 4-wheel drive with the mild-hybrid manual powertrain. The Alpha hybrid manual and automatic powetrains cost Rs. 15.51 lakh and Rs. 16.91 lakh, respectively. These prices are Rs. 1.40 lakh With the 4-wheel drive manual, it costs Rs. 17.01 lakh, which is Rs. 1.40 lakh higher than the 2WD manual. The Grand Vitara’s Alpha variant with the hybrid petrol-automatic powertrain costs Rs. 19.93 lakh, which is again, Rs. 3.02 lakh higher than the mild-hybrid automatic.
It offers the following notable features over the lower Zeta variant:
Even in this variant, you may miss features like::
If you want nothing short of a fully-loaded variant, then you should buy the Alpha variant. The Alpha variant with the mild-hybrid powertrain offers better value than the Delta and Zeta variants. This recommendation is valid for manual as well as automatic buyers.
With the hybrid powertrain, the Alpha Plus variant doesn’t add enough features to justify the upgrade over the Zeta Plus. So, you should consider this variant only if you’re willing to compromise on the value front.
Let’s start with the base mild hybrid petrol engine and manual transmission combination. The base Sigma variant seems like a reasonably-loaded option and has most of the must-have features for a budget-conscious buyer. It also has the best value for money score and it’s our top recommendation for budget and value-conscious buyers.
The Delta variant has a balanced feature set but it offers a poor value proposition. So, we’ll not recommend buying the Grand Vitara Delta.
The Zeta variant seems like it has a decent number of features. So, if you want a more upmarket ownership experience, then you can buy the Zeta variant. However, you can also consider upgrading to the Alpha for some of its feel-good features like panoramic sunroof.
For Grand Vitara 4WD buyers, there’s only one choice – the Alpha variant with mild hybrid petrol engine and manual transmission. Thankfully, it offers better value than the Alpha 2WD and it’s worth buying if you drive on low-traction surfaces.
If you’re interested in the Nexa Grand Vitara petrol-automatic with the mild-hybrid engine, then the Delta variant seems like a suitable option only if you can’t stretch your budget any further. If you can, then the Zeta variant is worth considering. However, the upgrade to Alpha is also worth the incremental cost because of high-value features like the sunroof.
For the Maruti Grand Vitara hybrid petrol-automatic powertrain buyers, the Zeta Plus variant seems like a suitable choice even though it doesn’t completely justify the incremental cost over the base Sigma variant. The top-spec Alpha Plus variant doesn’t add valuable features justify the upgrade and is not recommended.
If we compare the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara with other C-segment petrol SUVs, then we can notice that it’s one of the few cars with a 5-speed manual transmission. Creta, Seltos, Kushaq and Taigun offer a 6-speed manual transmission.
The Creta and Seltos also have the option of auto-clutch manual transmission in specific variants. These transmissions manage the clutch and make driving in stop-and-go traffic almost as convenient as an automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the Kushaq and Taigun’s 1.0L turbo petrol engines offer better bottom and mid-range torque to improve the city driving experience.
The other disadvantage of this Grand Vitara’s petrol engine is its low power and torque output figures. Although, its mild hybrid tech will add some bottom-end torque, which the peak torque figures don't convey.
The mileage details of the Grand Vitara aren’t available right now but we expect it to offer slightly better mileage figures than the S-Cross, which also has the same petrol engine.
The star of the show, though, is the strong hybrid engine, which promises a mileage of almost 21kmpl, which is unheard of from a petrol engine. It doesn’t shine with outright power figures but we’re sure that it’ll offer good performance and drivability in the city and on the highway. Moreover, given that this engine comes from Toyota, we can expect solid long-term reliability as well. Toyota have more than 2 decades of experience making reliable and fuel efficient hybrid petrol engines.
You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.
In terms of dimensions, the Grand Vitara is on par with its rivals for the most part. It has a class-leading ground clearance of 210mm. The other notable standout aspect of the Grand Vitara is its tyre size. While other SUVs also offer 17-inch wheels with 215-section tyres, the Grand Vitara and Hyryder are the only 2 C-segment SUVs, which offer 17-inch wheels right from the base variant.
The most notable issue with the Grand Vitara’s dimensions is the boot space, which measures 373 litres in the mild-hybrid variants. This is already the lowest in class and with the hybrid powertrain, the figure drops to a hatchback-like 265 litres.
*Estimated
Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:
10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car
The Grand Vitara is available in the following 6 monotone colour options:
It also has the following 2 dual-tone colour options:
Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.
You can read more about vehicle segmentation at the following link: