This festive season, Maruti Suzuki is banking on its biggest launch of the year – the Victoris. Codenamed ‘Saber’, this SUV is based on the same platform as the Grand Vitara, which is sold through Maruti's more premium Nexa network. The Victoris will be sold via the Arena retail chain, which has a much wider reach across India.
Also Read: New Maruti Suzuki Victoris Unveil Highlights: Features, Specifications, Images
The five-seat SUV (with a boot bigger than the Grand Vitara) is as big as its sibling, except it looks shorter in height. Ground clearance is the same, and it rides on 17-inch wheels. Designed in India, the SUV is seen as an upgrade for existing Brezza and even Swift owners.
The Victoris doesn’t have the height of a Grand Vitara and appears less boxy, although we feel the jury will be split. The design tries to draw inspiration from Maruti’s other cars, such as the eVitara concept from two years ago and even the smaller Brezza and taller Grand Vitara. The front is more minimalist with flush fit headlights and a minimalist grille. The rear looks funkier with a big, rounded hatch and connected tail lamps. From the side, the SUV features a high waistline, squared wheel arches and a significantly sloping roof. It looks a bit bulbous, too.
The Victoris has the same engine and gearbox options as the Grand Vitara. So under the hood is the 1.5-litre petrol, which can also be had with a strong hybrid system, borrowed from Toyota, or with CNG, mated to a six-speed manual or a torque converter automatic. It also offers the All-Grip AWD system in both manual and automatic guise. Interestingly, Maruti engineers have managed to design a hidden CNG tank, which means it will have a full-size boot as well. On the demo units, we saw a puncture repair kit as an option instead of a spare tyre or even a space saver.
The new Maruti Suzuki SUV measures 4,360 mm in length, 1,795 mm in width, and 1,655 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,600 mm. It rides on 215/60 R17 tyres. The 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine (Smart Hybrid) puts out 101.6 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 139 Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm. A strong hybrid variant with a 1.5-litre engine produces around 91.7 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 122 Nm of torque between 3,800 and 4,800 rpm.
Fuel efficiency figures vary; the petrol manual claims 21.18 km/l, while the automatic offers 21.06 km/l. The ALLGRIP AWD automatic variant is rated at 19.07 km/l. The CNG-powered version offers a claimed efficiency of 27.02 km/kg, and the strong hybrid variant (eCVT) is rated at 28.65 km/l. Fuel tank capacities stand at 45 litres for petrol variants and 55 litres for the CNG version.
Another first for a Maruti, Victoris gets Level 2, radar-based ADAS. Other new bits include a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a new interface, and a new 10.1-inch all-digital instrument display that can be customised.
The Victoris is feature-packed with front ventilated seats, ambient lighting (although not very expansive), a head-up display (similar to the one in the Baleno) and an Infinity music system with Dolby. Other features include wireless charging at the front. Victoris also gets two type C charging ports at the front as well as the rear. There are rear AC vents too with directional flaps but no blower controls. A panoramic sunroof is also on offer.
Seats seem plush and well bolstered. Adjustable headrests with three-point seatbelts are standard for all five. Legroom at the rear is adequate but headroom at the rear isn’t as generous as the more upright Grand Vitara. It also feels a bit too cozy for three.
The Victoris comes across as a well-thought-out SUV that addresses the needs of a demanding Indian car customer. The feature list is quite impressive, and we love the fact that Maruti isn’t holding back on all the drive options that it offers on the more premium Grand Vitara. If anything, it looks more feature-packed. Bookings are now open, requiring a token amount of Rs 11,000, while we expect prices to be announced in the coming days.
We will be getting behind the wheel of the new Maruti Suzuki in town. Watch out for our review.
