Maruti mid-size electric SUV – when is it coming?
EVs are quickly catching up steam across the world. In India too, we are seeing the change due to the evolving emission norms and rising fuel prices. New buyers have started considering EVs as their next car. This has forced manufacturers like Maruti and Toyota to work on EVs as well. Both manufacturers have been quite slow in approaching the EV segment. However, both the brands are now sensing the change and have already started working on their electric cars for the country. Earlier Maruti was expected to be working on a compact EV, but it is now known that the brand is instead working on a mid-size electric SUV. This mid-size EV is internally codenamed YY8. So when can we expect it? In today’s article, we will talk about this Maruti mid-size electric SUV.
Launch timeline
Diving straight into the launch details, Maruti and Toyota are still in the early stages of developing these cars. Reportedly, Maruti will mostly launch the mid-size EV in 2025. For now, Maruti and Toyota are working on hybrids and CNG options for the Indian market. What about the pricing? Maruti’s biggest strength has been pricing and we expect Maruti to price the YY8 very competitively.
Dimensions
Maruti and Toyota are not looking to build a compact EV as speculated earlier. The YY8 will instead be a long electric SUV. For reference, dimensions-wise, it is expected to be bigger and wider than the Hyundai Creta. It might be similar in dimensions to the newly-unveiled Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser HyRyder. Like all ground-up EVs, it will come with a long wheelbase to fit in the battery packs on the floor.
Maruti mid-size electric SUV – Specifications
According to reports, the YY8 will come in two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive options. The two-wheel-drive option are expected to come with a single motor and a 48kWh battery pack, which will give it an approx range of 400km. On the other hand, the all-wheel-drive variant could come with a dual motor and a larger 59kWh battery pack, giving it an approx range of 500km. What about the Toyota iteration? It is also expected to get similar specifications.
The YY8 will have a high level of localisation. According to reports, Maruti will also locally manufacture lithium-ion battery packs. For this purpose, Maruti and Toyota have set up a large-scale battery manufacturing unit in Gujarat. However, the lithium-ion cells would still be imported from BYD. But even the local assembling of the imported battery packs will give a major cost advantage to Maruti.
If you have car buying doubts click here to ask! Get the lowest price for car insurance here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook, and Twitter. Also, follow us on Flipboard and Reddit where we have a discussion community.
Comments