The 4m plus compact SUV segment has lots of competition and Maruti Suzuki itself has the Grand Vitara but where will the Escudo fit in? The Escudo and Grand Vitara would be siblings but the Grand Vitara would be the more premium offering for Nexa sales channel while the Escudo would be for Arena. The Escudo is a popular nameplate for Suzuki overseas and would again come to India.

The difference between the Grand Vitara and Escudo would be the styling and length where the Escudo could be longer while having a different styling over the Grand Vitara. The front-end would be all new and the same goes for the alloys as well as the rear styling. The interiors of the Escudo would also be different from the Grand Vitara but the touchscreen size would be the same while space could be marginally more.

The Escudo would be cheaper for sure than the Grand Vitara being sold through Arena outlets while it will get the same 1.5l NA petrol with automatic and manual along with a CNG option. It remains to be seen if the Escudo would also come with the same strong hybrid option as seen on the Grand Vitara or will only come with a smart hybrid 1.5 NA to differentiate it with the more premium Nexa sibling.

Hence, the Escudo will be cheaper but have more space than the Grand Vitara but possibly less features and maybe not have the hybrid too. The Escudo will be launched in the first week of September and will compete with the Hyundai Creta amongst others in this competitive 4m plus SUV space.