Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: The Perfect EV for India?

Depending on how you look at it, the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara has a lot riding on its shoulders. It’s the first pure electric vehicle from India’s leading carmaker, and Maruti Suzuki has taken its time. So, with it being Maruti Suzuki’s first EV, is the e Vitara finally the perfect EV for Indian buyers?

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When it comes to design, Maruti Suzuki usually plays it safe as they generally steer away from polarising designs - that changes with the e Vitara. Maruti’s first EV features a funky design with muscular proportions and sharp lines making it literally impossible to ignore on the road, like you could with some other Maruti Suzuki’s.

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That said, Maruti’s sensible approach to everything does lurk in the background. The Indian carmaker could have gone over the top with flashy LED elements for the headlights and taillights, but they have instead opted for a chunky yet modern design for the headlights and an equally handsome design for the tail lamps. But overall, does it command the kind of aura that would compel you to change lanes when you see it in your rear-view mirror? I think not.

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Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Interior & Features - The Real Step Up

The exterior is not the only big step up from Maruti Suzuki when it comes to the e Vitara. This was proven the moment I opened the door and stepped inside the passenger cabin. There are no two ways to say this - Maruti Suzuki has upped their game when it comes to interior quality.

Maruti has introduced a triple layer dashboard design with the use of soft-touch material sandwiched in the middle. The vertical air vents are accented by silver shrouds. Both front and rear seats feature great cushioning which strikes a great balance between being too hard or soft. All in all, Maruti Suzuki has clearly put in effort to ensure that the interior experience of the e Vitara is unlike any other Maruti before it, and it shows.

On the features front, the e Vitara has a dual screen set up, and they are both placed in the same housing. However, the screens are of different sizes, and thick, uneven bezels are present between them, giving the whole setup an untidy look. There is a glass panel in the roof which does not open like a typical sunroof would. The e Vitara also features ventilated seats which can only be operated from the touchscreen – not the most convenient.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Performance – A Comfortable Affair

Starting with a disclaimer, or rather a note - our test unit had a single electric motor that powered the front wheels. Why the disclaimer or the note, you ask? While Maruti Suzuki did give the car to us for a first drive impression, they did not share the exact specifications or details about the variant lineup, leaving us in a rather unusual spot.

But if we look at the variants that are on sale in the UK market, the e Vitara gets two powertrain options – one with an all-wheel drive setup and the other with just a front–wheel drive. And given our test unit was a front wheel drive car, we suspect that the corresponding output would be 174 PS and 192 Nm – as is the case with the UK model.

Going by the UK numbers, I have to confess, that initially I had concerns that the torque would prove to be insufficient, but I was quickly proven wrong. We drove it in an urban environment and on highways, and in both places, the electric powertrain proved to be capable. It has no problem getting up to speed, and the power delivery is tuned for comfort. There are three regen modes on offer, but you can only access the different settings through the screen and can be changed only when the car is parked.

The ride quality of the e Vitara has been set up like most other Maruti Suzuki cars. The suspension does a good job of soaking up most of the undulations, although you can hear it at work sometimes. On the handling front, the e Vitara can carve out corners respectably, but it is the lack of steering feedback that lets it down - ultimately robbing you of the confidence to hustle it around corners.

The e Vitara also packs in Level 2 ADAS (not sure if it is standard) and from what I could gauge in our brief time with the car, the Automatic Emergency Braking and the Lane Keep Assist feature work well. However, it is only an initial impression, and I would want to test it out more before passing a final judgement.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara First Drive Review: Verdict – A Comfortable Family EV

Maruti Suzuki has taken their time in giving us the e Vitara and the initial driving impressions are that it is a comfortable EV on every front. During our time with the car, we also did an impromptu range test. We were able to drive 150 km while consuming 50% battery, but you should bear in mind that we were driving to test, and it is not representative of real-world driving habits. In my estimate, if driven gently, the e Vitara could offer a range of 400 km in the real world. So not only is the e Vitara comfortable to drive, but also gets a good enough range for most driving requirements. However, everything will ultimately depend on the price of the e Vitara which will be revealed in January, 2026. If Maruti prices it aggressively – as they always do – then the e Vitara will surely carve out a piece of the EV pie for itself.