Is Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid a better choice than Rivals?

 

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Toyota Hyryder which are similar cars being shared by Toyota and Maruti Suzuki are winning buyers’ attention. The reason is that both of these SUVs offer an option for a hybrid variant which until now none of their rivals has offered.

Undoubtedly, the hybrid vehicle is better for the environment as it emits lesser greenhouse gases as compared to traditional fuel-burning cars. Also, hybrid cars are more fuel efficient.

However, the above-mentioned positive factors of the hybrid car are not something that every buyer relies on. In this blog, we will tell you whether buying a hybrid car is overall a good decision or it’s just a new trend that most follow without digging down to reality.

Cost Comparison between a Hybrid and Regular Car:

Due to the battery pack, an additional electric motor and other hardware together inflate the cost of a hybrid car. For reference have a look at the below table.

Car Model/Variant	Honda City Hybrid	Honda City Petrol (top model AT)	Hyundai Verna Petrol (top model AT)
Price (Ex-showroom)	19.90 lakhs	15.60 lakhs	14.50 lakhs

Now the other example is of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. The non-hybrid or mild-hybrid top variant Alpha is priced at around 15.30 lakhs ex-showroom. Where else the hybrid variant will cost you around 19.50 lakhs ex-showroom.

Now one will say that hybrid cars are more fuel efficient, so let’s take fuel efficiency into consideration.

Fuel efficiency/economy of Hybrid and Regular Car:    

In India, a lot of car buyers consider fuel efficiency as one of the major factors when choosing a car.

Let’s say you are someone who wants to buy a sedan with good fuel economy. The below table will help you make a wise decision. 

Car Model/Variant	Honda City Hybrid	Honda City Diesel (top model MT)	Hyundai Verna Diesel (top model AT)
Claimed Mileage (kmpl)	26.5	24.1	21.3
Per Kilometre cost	4	3.7	4.2

 Now Let’s take an example considering an SUV.

Car Model/Variant	Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid	Kia Seltos Diesel (top model AT)	Hyundai Creta Diesel (top model AT)
Claimed Mileage (kmpl)	27.97	20	19
Per Kilometre cost	3.7	4.5	4.7

Even if you take the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Hyundai Creta to calculate the price difference because they have the maximum variation in per kilometre cost, the result wouldn’t be too much. Let’s say your car’s monthly running is 500 Km, the hybrid Grand Vitara and the Hyundai Creta will cost you 1850 and 2350 rupees respectively.

Here someone might say that even if the difference is just 500 rupees a month still the hybrid is sounding like a better deal for me. Well, ahead we will tell you how this small saving of 500 bucks might cost you massively.

Also, the Lithium-ion battery that has been installed in a hybrid car will start to lose its potential with time resulting in mileage drop, and what about the cost that you will have to pay while replacing the fully degraded battery with a new one?

Practicality Comparison between Hybrid and Regular Cars: 

If you are someone who loads the boot of your car with lots of stuff then a hybrid car isn’t for you. The hybrid Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder have a boot space of 265 litres which is similar to the Maruti Suzuki Swift, while the rivals have a boot space of around 450 litres. Also, the space on the rear seat isn’t as good as in the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. The hybrid Honda City also have around 25 percent smaller boot compared to a regular City.

 This adjustment is due to the battery pack that has been installed in hybrid cars.

Power and Engine Comparison between Hybrid and Regular Cars:

The power delivery in hybrid cars is comparatively lesser when compared to the petrol and diesel rivals.

Car Model/Variant	Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid	Hyundai Creta Petrol	Hyundai Creta Diesel
Max Power (bhp)	91	113	114
Max Torque (Nm)	122	144	250

The above comparison table clearly shows that diesel engines are way too much powerful when compared to a hybrid cars. The diesel Hyundai Creta is equipped to generate twice the torque in numbers, compared to the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid. Also, the price of both of these SUVs is almost similar.

So, if you are someone who likes to enjoy the pleasure of driving on highways and on hilly roads more often without compromising on power then a hybrid car isn’t for you.

Flexibility across Engines and Gearbox Options:

I am assuming that most of you might be knowing that all hybrid cars come with only petrol engine options. Apart from this, all hybrid cars come only with an automatic transmission.

So even if you choose to opt for the base variant of the hybrid Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara it will cost you 18 lakhs ex-showroom. While the petrol and diesel base variants of Hyundai Creta will cost 10.5 and 12 lakhs ex-showroom, respectively.

Other than this the non-hybrid rivals offer numerous transmission options like the manual, dual-clutch(DCT), CVT and Torque convertor(TC).

Conclusion:

I know most of you might be thinking that either I am against hybrid cars, or am in favour of diesel and petrol cars. But in reality, I have just stated factors that you should consider before choosing the right vehicle for you, making every penny you invested worth as per your requirement.