Maruti Suzuki Victoris SUV Unveiled: Gets L2 ADAS, 5-Star BNCAP Rating

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. Fuel efficiency should be similar to the Grand Vitara's, which is in the 13-20 kmpl range.

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 instruments 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.  Watch out for our drive review in a few weeks time.

This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for more details.