The 2025 festive season is shaping up to be a colourful one for Maruti Suzuki fans. A company source in New Delhi casually confirmed last week that the Escudo compact SUV will roll into showrooms just ahead of Diwali.
Exact price tags are still under wraps, but insiders say the new model will slot neatly between the Brezza and Grand Vitara. Shoppers after extra room, fresh tech, and a five-seater format should feel right at home.
Suzuki is placing the Escudo on its Global-C chassis, a base already proven abroad. Dimensions floating around the office hint at roughly 4,345 millimetres from nose to tail, making it one of the longest entries in the compact class.
Cabin space benefits immediately: rear passengers should enjoy generous knee clearance, and the boot has been stretched to swallow weekend luggage without a fight. A styling storyboard seen by this reporter mixes city polish with trail-ready muscle-LED clusters up front, a pronounced shoulder line, and meaty wheel wells ready for rugged rubber.
A Modern Cabin and Tech Upgrades
Inside the Escudo, Arena brand retirees will find the freshest layout Maruti has put on offer to date. A wide dashboard sweeps across the front row and on top pairs with a 10-plus-inch infotainment panel that reads finger taps almost before they land. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a fully digital driver display complete the tech diet while automatic climate retains a human touch. Shoppers willing to step up the trims may opt for a panoramic glass roof, enjoy ventilated seats, lounge in an ambient glow after dark, keep a phone plugged in, and since the rear AC draft arrives like a summer breeze. First-time users of Arena can wave goodbye to dead spots – door-connected car features step in late in the year.
Powertrain: Proven Engines, No Strong Hybrid Yet
Beneath the Escudos skin, Maruti slots its familiar 1.5-litre petrol heart that rumbles out 103-104 bhp and 138 Nm of torque on tap; that tidy torque figure never quits even at modest throttle. Drivers may shift gears via a 5-speed stick or permit a 6-speed torque-converter automatic to handle the driving in city traffic. Rumours suggest a CNG variant will be available soon after launch, although the headline-grabbing strong hybrid will not be included in the list; riches will remain with the Grand Vitara—mild-hybrid tricks lurk among top-spec trims, trimming fuel bills without stretching sticker feverishly.
Safety and Advanced Features
Maruti is reportedly assembling quite a safety kit for the Escudo. Word on the street is that six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill-hold assist, and a full-disc-brake setup will be standard across the range. At the top end, a 360-degree camera and the latest ADAS suite could slip into the mix, making this only the second car Maruti has launched in India with such hardware. The company is targeting a five-star score in Global NCAP and Bharat NCAP crash tests.
Market Positioning and Pricing
Aiming straight for the crown of its Arena showrooms, the Escudo may start at roughly ₹9.75 lakh ex-showroom. That puts it face-to-face with heavy hitters like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Skoda Kushaq.
Anticipation Builds Ahead of Launch
Thanks to a longer wheelbase and a checklist of upmarket touches, Maruti hopes the Escudo will charm buyers seeking both polish and practicality as the festive season begins. An official debut, along with the complete specification sheet, is rumoured to arrive in the next few months, a move Maruti hopes will shift the compact SUV benchmark yet again.
As the new Escudo rolls into dealerships, rival brands are bracing themselves, and a fresh yardstick for roomy family SUVs in India now feels just around the corner.
Read: New Two-Wheeler Safety Rules – Dual Helmets and ABS Required from 2026
