The Maruti Suzuki Victoris enters one of the most fiercely contested segments in our market – midsize SUVs, currently ruled by the venerable Hyundai Creta. The Victoris aims to take on the Creta by offering a wide range of powertrains, a sharp design and, in a first for Maruti, ADAS features.
And even though Maruti does have the Grand Vitara in this space, the Victoris will be retailed through the brand’s more widespread Arena retail channel as opposed to Nexa, thus enabling it to reach a wider consumer base. The Victoris will also be exported from India to over 100 countries, signalling just how important this product is to India’s No. 1 carmaker. Let’s see if it’s up to the task.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris design and engineering – 8/10
Sharp new design language, segmented LED lights make an impression; based on the same platform as the Grand Vitara.
The Victoris makes a very good first impression with its design. Sharp and distinctive, it borrows cues from the upcoming e Vitara SUV, and it also has some resemblance to the smaller Brezza. Up front, it has segmented LED daytime running lamps and a chiselled bumper, with a wide air dam and a skid plate element lower down. Then, there are strong character lines along the sides and squared-off wheel arches with plastic cladding, which help give it a muscular stance.
Though attractive and par for the segment in size, the 17-inch dual-tone alloys and their weedy tyres look small in the large wheel arches; meanwhile, the blacked-out roof and pillars help enhance the SUV’s length. The raked rear windscreen also gives it a coupe-SUV vibe and makes it appear longer than it is. Out back, it gets a striking, segmented LED light bar with a flat tailgate, and it’s from this angle that the Victoris doesn’t appear cohesive. Still, on the whole, it’s an attractive-looking SUV, and it can be had in as many as seven colours.
Like the Grand Vitara, the Victoris is based on Suzuki’s Global C platform, which Maruti has dubbed ‘Suzuki Tect’. As for dimensions, it is 4,360mm long, 1,795mm wide and 1,655mm high, with a 2,600mm wheelbase, which makes it more or less as big as the Grand Vitara.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris interior space and comfort – 8/10
Layered dash is attractive, and it gets two upholstery colour options.
Practicality is good, too, with large door bins, a sizeable glove box, a cubby under the front armrest, two cup holders, a dedicated wireless phone charging pad and some additional space ahead of the gear lever. Boot space depends on which version you opt for. The petrol gets the most space, which includes a circular recess under the boot floor, while the CNG misses out on this recess thanks to an underbody-mounted CNG tank. The strong hybrid, meanwhile, has a raised boot floor thanks to the battery pack placed underneath. What is a downer, however, is that no versions come with a spare tyre, and you only get a puncture-repair kit instead. Buyers can opt to buy the spare wheel separately at the time of purchase.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris features and safety – 9/10
Gets Maruti’s new infotainment touchscreen and a powered tailgate; digital cluster and ADAS features are a Maruti-first; has a 5-star safety rating.
And it’s a similar story with the safety kit too. The Victoris’s safety suite comprises six airbags, traction control, brake assist, hill hold control, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, and more as standard. Higher variants also get a 360-degree camera, a tyre-pressure monitoring system and, as a first for a Maruti model, Level 2 ADAS (Petrol AT only). Moreover, the Victoris has also received a full 5-star safety rating from Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP, furthering its safety credentials.
The Victoris’s Level 2 ADAS includes features like autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, and more. And what’s nice is that it’s well-suited to Indian road conditions. The AEB isn’t too sensitive and provides adequate warning before applying the brakes, the lane-keep assist isn’t very intrusive, and the adaptive cruise control, too, worked as intended.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris performance and refinement – 7/10
Powertrains are refined but not for the performance-oriented; tyre and road noise is audible inside.
One of the Victoris’s strong points is the number of powertrain options available. Sure, there’s no diesel or turbo-petrol, but you can choose between a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol, a 1.5-litre CNG and a 1.5-litre strong hybrid. The CNG comes with a 5-speed manual, and the strong hybrid gets an eCVT only, but the 1.5 NA petrol engine can be had with either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic; the latter also comes with Suzuki’s AllGrip AWD system.
We got to experience the strong hybrid and the AWD versions of the Victoris on our drive. Starting with the 1.5 petrol mild hybrid, this engine is a familiar one that does duty in a number of Maruti models like the Grand Vitara and Brezza. Output stands at 103hp and 139Nm, and despite it weighing only around 1,300kg, the Victoris petrol-AT AWD feels underpowered, and its clear focus is on efficiency. This especially comes to the fore when you want to make a quick overtake on the highway, where you’re left wanting more.
Selecting Sport mode heightens the response, which does help matters a bit, but there’s no escaping this engine’s lack of grunt. But what impresses is its refinement, and paired with the smooth torque-converter gearbox, it makes for a near-seamless drive experience. You also get paddle shifters, which do their bit to add engagement.
A special off-road course also successfully demonstrated the Victoris AWD’s off-tarmac prowess. It packs modes like Snow, Sport and Auto, and even has a Lock function that’ll split power 50:50 front/rear, and it comes with hill-descent control for greater control. The Victoris AWD tackled the articulation, rough roads and steep decline obstacles with ease, and as such, this will be a good option for those living in hilly areas with poor road conditions.
But what is undoubtedly the powertrain to go for is the strong hybrid. This is also a familiar one, as it is shared with the Grand Vitara, and as such, the combined output stands at the same 116hp. This powertrain uses a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine, along with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery.
The strong hybrid starts off in EV mode, and as long as you’re light with your throttle inputs and the battery has juice, it will stay in that mode, which makes for a smooth and soothing drive experience. When you prod the throttle harder or if the battery is low, the engine comes to life to boost performance and charge the battery. This unit is smooth as far as 3-cylinder units go but is audible when you rev it hard. In hybrid mode (engine + motor), the Victoris responds keenly from the get-go, and the instant torque from the electric motor makes overtaking easy.
You also get drive modes with the strong hybrid – Eco and Power – which have a corresponding effect on the powertrain’s response. And complementing it is a smooth CVT gearbox, which makes the drive seamless. While the powertrains are refined, what does filter through to the cabin is tyre and road noise, especially at higher speeds.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris mileage – 9/10
Strong hybrid delivers an impressive 28.56kpl, while the AWD returns 19.07kpl (ARAI).
On our short drive, we didn’t get to test the Victoris’ fuel efficiency, but rather unsurprisingly, the strong hybrid is claimed to be the most efficient, delivering 28.65kpl (ARAI). Meanwhile, the AWD AT is said to return 19.07kpl (ARAI). This makes the Victoris more fuel-efficient than the Grand Vitara, and that’s down to better aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris ride comfort and handling – 8/10
Ride is on the firmer side, but it deals with broken roads well.
The Victoris also strikes a good balance between ride comfort and handling. The ride, especially on the strong hybrid owing to its higher kerb weight, does feel a bit firm at lower speeds, but that means it feels composed and mature at higher speeds and while tackling the rough stuff. Furthermore, it should also get more pliant when fully loaded. What’s also nice is that the suspension also works silently.
The steering, too, has the right amount of weight, which means it’s light and easy enough to twirl in traffic yet reassuring at higher speeds. It also feels direct enough; that, along with good body control, means the Victoris feels agile and predictable around bends. In conclusion, the Victoris has impressive road manners, although, as is the case with its powertrains, you aren’t presented with an engaging or exciting experience.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris price and verdict – 8/10
Priced well, packed with features, and has a wide range of powertrains.
The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is priced from Rs 10.49 lakh for the base petrol manual up to Rs 19.99 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom, India) for the range-topping strong hybrid. This comes across as competitive in its segment and, considering all that it packs, makes the Victoris a value-for-money choice.
It may not be a lot different from the Grand Vitara; it doesn’t get punchy diesel and turbo-petrol options, and it’s not the most spacious at the rear. On the surface, then, it may appear a bit too vanilla, but it has exactly what level-headed buyers are looking for – efficient powertrains, a lengthy feature list and a comfy cabin, and it’s backed up by Maruti’s widespread service network.
It also excels in the ride and handling department, has a number of firsts for a Maruti and is proven to be safe, too. While Maruti may market it as an ideal choice for the youth, the Victoris actually represents a very good buy for the family-oriented. As such, the Victoris is a more than worthy midsize SUV that should be a good foil to the Hyundai Creta.
