Maruti’s first-ever electric SUV (Codename: YV8) has been spied testing in the wild for the first time. The eVX – touted to be Maruti Suzuki’s answer to the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV – was showcased at the last Auto Expo as a concept, previewing the brand’s first born-electric SUV.
- Maruti eVX SUV is being jointly developed with Toyota
- Will get two battery and range options
- Will also have a Toyota version
Maruti eVX: from India to the world
Maruti Suzuki’s born EV has been seen on the streets nearly two years before its market launch. While the SUV will be made in India and is likely to go on sale here first, these spy shots have been taken in Krakow, Poland. This new EV is being jointly developed with Toyota, which will also have its own version. Interestingly, Toyota has a vehicle manufacturing plant in Poland.
The Maruti Suzuki eVX mule seen in these spy shots is heavily covered in black camouflage wrapping but seems near production-ready. The overall design seems to be quite similar to the concept, especially from the rear, but it has been toned down in some areas. This is something that’s not usual with most Suzuki concepts as the final product ends up looking much different from the original concept.
Maruti eVX concept shown at Auto Expo earlier this year.
In production spec, the eVX EV SUV will be around 4.3 metres long and will have a 2,700mm wheelbase. Upfront, it gets a flat bonnet, an upright nose flanked by large headlamps – which, however, look temporary – and a big closed-off grille. The handle for the rear door seems to be on the C-pillar.
The eVX, overall, has a wide stance with muscular shoulder lines, especially behind the rear doors, neatly merging with the tailgate, similar to the concept. It will also likely feature a connected LED tial light treatment. It has a roofline that neatly tapers down towards the back, giving it a coupe-SUV look.
The production version doesn’t seem to have strayed too far from the concept.
The interior, too, has been spotted. The dashboard looks quite tall and features a twin-screen setup similar to the Mahindra XUV700. The AC vents are positioned vertically, there’s a floating centre console with a rotary dial that liberates more storage space, and a horizontal stack of physical buttons and knobs right in the center. The steering wheel also has an unique two-spoke design.
This SUV seems to have nothing from the Maruti parts bin, especially on the inside, and in fact, the power window switches, the buttons for adjustable power seats and a few other bits look like they have been lifted from the Toyota parts bin. What can also be confirmed is that the SUV has a 360-degree camera, a frameless rearview mirror and will come with ADAS tech as well.
Maruti eVX powertrain, battery, range
This new SUV sits on a fresh born-EV platform that will spawn a range of Toyota-Maruti EVs. The production-spec Maruti YV8 SUV and its Toyota counterpart will be manufactured in Gujarat for domestic as well as international sales.
As far as the powertrain goes, Maruti had announced a 60kWh battery and a 550km range for the concept. As we’ve reported before, the production version of this SUV is expected to have a similar capacity battery with a real-world range of around 500km. There will be an entry-level variant too that will come with a smaller battery of around 48kWh and around 400km of real-world range.
Maruti eVX: launch timeline
Expect more details on Maruti’s first born-EV SUV (and its Toyota counterpart) to surface in the coming months as both models inch closer to their global debuts by 2025.
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