Suzuki ushers in its first SUV EV, the eVitara

The compact-sized battery crossover will originally debut in India with three powertrains to choose from, and will later ship worldwide.

The new Suzuki eVitara runs on Heartect-EV underpinnings and is 4,275 mm (167 inches) long with 2,700 mm (105.5 inches) of wheelbase. The most basic version of it uses a 144-PS (142-hp / 106-kW) motor to drive the front wheels and a 49-kWh battery pack. Paying extra gets you a middle spec with 174 PS (172 hp / 128 kW) and 61 kWh of power storage. The top spec features one motor per axle in an AWD setup and a combined 184 PS (181 hp / 135 kW) with 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque.

Aside from dual motors, the eVitara flagship will come equipped with a system called Allgrip-e. It can imitate differential locks by braking individual skidding wheels.

The production is set to start this spring. Over the next year, Suzuki plans to launch sales in India, Japan and Europe. Toyota may later incorporate the EV into its own bZ luneup.