City Report
The Victoris has been with me for a little over a month now. My daily routine with it has been fairly brief, an 8 to 10km office and home run through the usual city chaos. That short commute did give me a glimpse of its character, but not enough to truly understand what it is like to live with. The real test arrived when my family volunteered, or rather assigned, chauffeur duties to me for a wedding function in one of the most congested parts of Mumbai. Weekend traffic, dressed-up family and a boot full of gifts, this sounded like the perfect urban exam for the Victoris.
When the morning arrived, the family was excited about the function, and I was silently calculating the number of red lights on the way. Still, I was curious to see how the Victoris would behave with a full house and typical Indian family expectations.
The first win came even before we set off. I was handed almost all the gift boxes to load, and that is when the gesture-operated tailgate proved its worth. A simple swipe of the foot and the boot opened smoothly every single time. For those who find such features gimmicky, there is a button on the dashboard to turn it off, but honestly, I enjoyed the convenience.
Dad quickly claimed the front passenger seat. Partly to monitor my driving skills and partly to enjoy the cooled seats while wearing a rather heavy kurta. The seat ventilation is genuinely effective and, unlike some rivals, it works without making a loud whirring noise.
The 10.1-inch touchscreen is a big step for Maruti and feels simple and intuitive to use. I connected my phone hotspot and used the built-in apps to keep everyone entertained. The system responded well and there were no awkward freezes. My mom was more fascinated by the single-digit AQI reading on the screen. That became the perfect moment for me to show off the onboard air purifier. With air quality getting worse every year, this feature actually feels meaningful rather than a marketing gimmick.
Music is usually my stress buster in traffic, but the eight-speaker Infinity system with Dolby Atmos left me underwhelmed. I tried different sound modes and played around with the equaliser, yet the output felt flat and lacking punch.
City traffic also exposed a few irritants. The idle start/stop system tends to shut the engine a second before the car comes to a complete halt. In crawling bumper-to-bumper conditions, this feels odd and sometimes even annoying.
ADAS behaviour too remains inconsistent. If you prefer driving with it switched off, you need to remember to do it every single time you start the car as the system resets with each ignition cycle. A small change in the software could make life much easier.
On our return journey, another reality of family life hit me. Mom noticed marks on the light coloured door pads and immediately gave me the look. I have started keeping a cleaning solution in the car, but the bright interior theme clearly demands more attention than darker cabins.
After the wedding and the endless photo sessions, we headed back home, covering around 42km in total, out of which nearly 17km was pure traffic torture. The MID showed 12.5kmpl for the trip. Over the last month my overall city efficiency has ranged between 12.3kmpl and 13.5kmpl across 2,100km. The number is decent for the conditions, though the Maruti badge always makes you expect a little more. It has also motivated me to put the Victoris through a proper CarWale real-world mileage test soon.
The 102bhp petrol motor feels relaxed for most city duties. Throttle response is smooth and the gearbox behaves predictably, but quick gaps in traffic sometimes require a firm push. I am eager to see on the highway leg whether the paddle shifters will tempt me to extract more performance.
That family outing summed up the Victoris quite well. It kept everyone comfortable with space, clever features, and a calm driving experience. Small annoyances like the early acting start/stop system, average audio quality, and stain-prone interiors do remind you that perfection is still some distance away. Yet as an everyday urban companion, it fits into family life rather easily.
Next on the agenda is a long intercity drive where I expect the mileage figure to look happier and the engine to stretch its legs. Until then, the Victoris continues its duty as a friendly city runner.
Make: Maruti Suzuki
Model: Victoris
Trim: ZXi Plus (O) 1.5 AT AWD
Fuel: Petrol
Kilometres this month: 2,319km
Fuel efficiency: 12.5kmpl (MID-indicated)
Price when tested: Rs. 22.92 lakh, OTR, Mumbai
Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi
