Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki has built India's most extensive hybrid portfolio by combining Suzuki's proprietary Intelligent Electric Hybrid (strong-hybrid) system with its own mild-hybrid SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology. The strong-hybrid system — shared with Toyota under their long-standing India alliance — pairs a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine with a lithium-ion battery and motor-generator unit, enabling EV-only low-speed driving and claimed fuel efficiency of up to 28 kmpl. This powertrain underpins the Grand Vitara Hybrid, the Victoris Hybrid (a rebadged Hyryder), the Invicto (a rebadged Innova Hycross), and the recently introduced Fronx Strong Hybrid, making Maruti the brand with the widest strong-hybrid SUV and MPV range in the mass-market segment.

At the more affordable end, Maruti deploys its SHVS mild-hybrid system across high-volume models including the Ertiga, Brezza, XL6, and Fronx Turbo. SHVS uses a belt-integrated starter-generator (BISG) and a small lithium-ion battery to enable idle stop-start, brake energy regeneration, and torque assist, delivering a modest but meaningful efficiency improvement over pure-ICE equivalents. These mild-hybrid models are priced accessibly and account for a large share of Maruti's overall sales volume, helping the brand meet fleet-average fuel-economy norms.

The hybrid technology for the strong-hybrid models originates from Toyota's THS-derived system, adapted and localised through the Suzuki–Toyota partnership. Maruti assembles these vehicles at its Hansalpur (Gujarat) and Manesar (Haryana) plants. The company has positioned strong hybrids as a pragmatic bridge technology for Indian buyers who want significantly better fuel economy without the range anxiety or charging-infrastructure concerns associated with full EVs.

Looking ahead, Maruti is pursuing a parallel electrification roadmap: the e Vitara BEV launched in late 2025, with five further EVs planned by FY2031. However, the company has publicly stated that hybrids will remain central to its India strategy through the decade, given the country's fuel-price sensitivity, limited public charging infrastructure outside metros, and the strong total-cost-of-ownership case that strong hybrids present for high-mileage urban and inter-city drivers.