New Grand Vitara as seen by a long term owner of the old Grand Vitara

In the Smart Hybrid range, the AllGrip is the one to go for to live the Grand Vitara lineage

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I made a chance visit to the local Nexa showroom along with bhpians @aaggoswami and @Vishy76 to look at the latest Maruti Mean Machine. The variant on display was the 1.5 Alpha AllGrip MT. Here is a summary of my encounter:

Likes:

• Very well appointed and built
• Muscular stance and pleasing ageless looks
• All bells and whistles that one could ask for in one package
• Airy engine bay which technicians would love
• Air intake Resonator
• Engine underside is partly shielded, with insulation to prevent inadvertent touching of the hot exhaust when accessing from beneath
• Insulation to cut the radiant heat from the exhaust silencer can from affecting the floor of the car
• AWD
• Firm seats - yes, they could have been wider for the wider folks, but still good enough
• Massive sunroof which lends a touch of class to the vehicle
• Efficient" small differential - much smaller than what I've seen on any UV till date
• Muscular door stoppers
• Acceptable build quality by today's standards
• Steering wheel was just right - some might feel it looks small

What could have been better:

• Boot space could have been better
• Rear seat could have been designed for five instead of four and a half
• Getting in and out of the rear seat isn't as smooth as it seems, courtesy B-pillar coming in the way

Since a test drive vehicle was not available, BHPians @aaggoswami and @Vishy76 took turns to test drive an XL6 to get a feel of the engine. They reported it to be perfect for the city, but imperfect for the performance oriented.

Here are some pics to help us appreciate the finer points described above.

My three cents

1. In the Smart Hybrid range, the AllGrip is the one to go for to live the Grand Vitara lineage
2. For regulars, the Sigma variant comes across as excellent value for money with a lot on offer
3. For a current Grand Vitara owner like me, I'm happy to be with the old flame!

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