Maruti YY8 Electric SUV to be unveiled in Auto Expo 2023 in India

Maruti Suzuki to unveil its first electric YY8 SUV at the Auto Expo 2023 in India. The car is expected to have a range of 500 kms.

Maruti Suzuki's global unveiling of an all-electric SUV concept at the Auto Expo 2023 is expected to be one of the show stoppers and the first sign of the company's EV aspirations for the Indian market. India's largest manufacturer is yet to produce an EV and has been significantly tardy in India's fast-growing electric car industry, where Tata Motors has captured an 84 percent share in less than four years.

Highlights

• Maruti YY8 SUV will be nearly as huge as a Creta
• Two battery pack configurations are expected, with a range of up to 500km.
• Will be backed by the 27PL born-electric skateboard architecture

Maruti to launch its first EV by 2025

The EV concept Maruti Suzuki will be displaying is of particular relevance as it will preview the Japanese automaker's first all-electric car (code: YY8). This model will be available in January-February 2025, marking the beginning of the company's EV adventure. This EV will be Maruti Suzuki's hero idea for 2023, much like the Futuro-e was in 2020 and the Future-S in 2018.

In February, we exclusively reported on the Maruti YY8 midsize SUV. It will be co-developed with Toyota, who will also have its own version of this car. The YY8 will be a worldwide product, developed for both domestic and foreign markets, with approximately half of the output destined for overseas markets. Suzuki's Gujarat facility will produce the YY8 for both the local and overseas markets.

Maruti YY8 SUV: As Big As Creta

The YY8 concept, in true EV form, is likely to showcase a bold and futuristic design language that'll be radically distinct from the company's current crop of ICE cars. It will measure over 4.2 metres in length - roughly the size of a Creta - and will have a wheelbase of 2,700mm, greater than even the MG ZS EV.

The YY8 is based on the 27PL platform, which is a variant of Toyota's 40PL worldwide platform. Its long wheelbase allows for a big battery pack and a spacious interior. The YY8 will feature low overhangs and wheels pushed to the edges as much as possible to maximise space without the packaging limitations of a standard ICE car, as is the trend.

Maruti YY8 SUV will have up to 500km range

The YY8 SUV will be available with two battery pack options: 48kWh and 59kWh. Under regular test circumstances, the former is predicted to have a range of around 400km, while the latter is expected to have a range of approximately 500km. BYD, a Chinese battery company, will supply Maruti-Suzuki with LFP blade cell batteries. Blade cell technology offers significant weight, packaging, and range improvements, and Maruti Suzuki expects that its blade cells will give the YY8 a competitive advantage, particularly against Tata Motors' enormously popular series of EVs, which employ traditional (but inefficient) LFP cylindrical cells.

The term "responsibility" refers to the act of determining whether or not a person is responsible for his or her own actions. Power outputs are predicted to be in the 138hp to 170hp range.

Maruti YY8 SUV Price in India

The Maruti Suzuki YY8 electric SUV, as well as its Toyota equivalent, are slated to arrive in India in early 2025. According to sources, the business is aiming for a pricing range of Rs 13 lakh-15 lakh, which translates to an MG ZS EV-sized SUV for the price of a Tata Nexon EV. Maruti Suzuki may have been late to the EV party, but based on the YY8's features (and pricing), this may be the vehicle that breaks Tata Motors' party.

Maruti Suzuki YY8 at Auto Expo

In addition to the YY8 concept, Maruti Suzuki is expected to reveal production versions of the YTB SUV and the 5-door Jimny. Maruti is also anticipated to show off the Wagon R's flex fuel prototype, which was recently shown off in Delhi.

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