Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: India’s Most Important Electric Debut?

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review

Viewed from any angle, the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara carries enormous expectations. This is the brand’s first all-electric offering, and Maruti Suzuki hasn’t rushed into the segment. After years of waiting, the big question remains — has India’s most trusted carmaker finally cracked the EV formula with the e Vitara?

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Design – Breaking Away From Tradition

Design has never been Maruti Suzuki’s strongest talking point, largely because the brand prefers safe and inoffensive styling. The e Vitara, however, marks a noticeable departure from that philosophy. With its bold stance, sharp creases and chunky proportions, Maruti’s first EV has a visual presence that’s hard to miss — something you couldn’t always say about its previous models.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Side Profile

That said, Maruti’s conservative mindset hasn’t completely disappeared. Instead of going all-out with dramatic lighting signatures, the e Vitara opts for chunky-looking headlights and neatly styled tail lamps that feel contemporary without being excessive. While it looks fresh and confident, it still doesn’t quite have the intimidating road presence that forces other drivers to make way instantly.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Interior & Features – A Clear Leap Forward

The biggest surprise with the e Vitara reveals itself the moment you step inside. Simply put, Maruti Suzuki has made a noticeable jump in cabin quality. The interiors feel far more premium than anything we’ve seen from the brand before.

e Vitara With 18-Inch Aero Wheel Design

The dashboard features a layered layout, with soft-touch materials used prominently across the mid-section. Vertical AC vents framed with silver accents add a modern touch, while the seats — both front and rear — strike an excellent balance between comfort and support. It’s evident that Maruti has put serious effort into ensuring the e Vitara’s cabin experience feels special, and not just familiar.

e Vitara On Road Presence

When it comes to features, the e Vitara gets a twin-screen setup housed within a single panel. However, the difference in screen sizes and the thick, uneven bezels between them slightly spoil the visual appeal. There’s also a fixed glass roof instead of a conventional sunroof. Ventilated seats are included, but they can only be operated through the touchscreen.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Performance – Tuned for Ease, Not Excitement

Before diving into performance, a quick clarification — our test car was equipped with a single electric motor driving the front wheels. Maruti Suzuki hasn’t yet disclosed full technical details or the exact variant lineup for India, which makes this first drive a bit unconventional.

Claimed Range Of Up To 543 Km In e Vitara

Looking at international markets like the UK, the e Vitara is offered with both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options. Since our test unit was front-wheel drive, we believe it produces outputs similar to the UK-spec model — roughly 174 PS and 192 Nm.

On paper, those figures may not sound thrilling, and I initially had reservations about the torque. In reality, the e Vitara feels more than adequate in both city traffic and on highways. Acceleration is smooth and effortless, with the powertrain clearly calibrated for relaxed driving. Regenerative braking is adjustable across three modes, though changes can only be made via the touchscreen and only when the car is stationary.

The e Vitara also gets Level 2 ADAS

Ride comfort follows the familiar Maruti Suzuki formula. The suspension absorbs bumps well, though you can occasionally hear it working over rough patches. Handling is predictable and safe, but the steering lacks feedback, which takes away some confidence when pushing the car through corners.

The e Vitara also gets Level 2 ADAS. From our limited time behind the wheel, features like Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist appeared to function smoothly, but a longer test would be needed for a definitive assessment.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Verdict – A Sensible Electric Family Car

Maruti Suzuki’s cautious approach to EVs seems to have paid off. The e Vitara leaves a strong first impression as a comfortable, easy-going electric SUV. During our drive, we managed around 150 km while using 50 percent of the battery — achieved under test conditions and not representative of everyday driving. Based on this, a real-world range of close to 400 km seems achievable with a gentle driving style.

e Vitara Rear Design

That makes the e Vitara not just comfortable to drive, but also practical enough for daily use. However, the final verdict will hinge on pricing, which is expected to be announced in January 2026. If Maruti Suzuki sticks to its trademark aggressive pricing strategy, the e Vitara could very well secure a strong foothold in India’s growing EV space.

Dhruv Paliwal is the Assistant Editor at Times Drive. With a decade of automotive journalism experience under his belt, Dhruv has worked across televi…

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