Introduction
“Same Same, But Different.”
That was my first thought when I saw the Maruti Victoris parked in our office lot. Yes, it’s built on the Grand Vitara, yes, it uses the same powertrains, and yes, it sits in the same heavily fought mid-size SUV space. But somehow, it manages to look like something else, different enough for people to stop and look, and apparently different enough for people to buy too, considering how it has already overtaken the Grand Vitara and is now closing in on the Creta in monthly sales charts.
And now, it’s mine to live with for the next few months.
The Way It Looks
I got the keys first, and the blue-coloured back panel instantly told me this isn’t a Nexa car but an Arena product. A small detail, but for someone who has seen many Maruti keys over the years, it set the tone. It came finished in Maruti’s signature red with a contrasting black roof, and the design immediately pulls you in because it doesn’t follow trends. Instead of the now-predictable full-width LED DRL across the bonnet, the Victoris sticks to segmented DRLs inside the headlamp cluster. The side profile is what I never expected to appreciate this much. The Victoris almost blurs the line between an SUV and an estate, with the blacked-out pillars visually stretching the roof and glasshouse, making the silhouette look longer and more wagon-like rather than the upright, boxy stance we usually associate with mid-size SUVs. Even the clear-lens tail lamps deviate from the usual Maruti playbook and complement its broad stance perfectly.
Life on the Inside
Step inside and the feeling continues. Maruti rarely experiments with interior palettes, yet the Victoris offers two. The hybrid versions get an all-black cabin, while the other powertrains - including ours - come with a black and ivory combination that feels smart and upmarket. What I’m more excited about is how the Maruti-first features will feel in day-to-day life. The new and larger 10.1-inch infotainment system, better-looking steering wheel that thankfully skips the previous generation's flat-bottom design, and the small touches like configurable ambient lighting and the convenience of a powered tailgate.
Safety has already made an impression, though. The Victoris is Maruti’s first model to offer Level 2 ADAS, and it gets six airbags as standard, along with a 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, and the reassuring achievement of a five-star G-NCAP and B-NCAP crash-test rating.
The AWD Factor
While most people gravitate towards CNGs and hybrids, ours uses the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine producing 102bhp and 139Nm, paired with a six-speed torque-converter automatic. In normal driving, it’s front-wheel drive, but twist the AllGrip dial and power can be sent to the rear when things get slippery. The Victoris remains the only AWD SUV in the segment, discounting the Grand Vitara, and that alone makes it interesting to live with. At Rs. 19.37 lakh, ex-showroom, it’s about Rs. 61,000 cheaper than the top-spec hybrid trim as it swaps battery-efficiency bragging rights for the ability to go that little bit further off the beaten path.
What’s Coming Next
The next few months will tell us whether the Victoris is more than just a feature-rich, good-looking SUV. It will spend long days crawling through Mumbai traffic to test its frugal nature, carry people and luggage on weekend runs, and head out for light off-road excursions to see if that circular terrain mode dial is more than just a talking point. Along the way, I’ll figure out the things that make daily life easier, the things that annoy me, and the things I didn’t expect at all.
Make: Maruti Suzuki
Model: Victoris
Trim: ZXi Plus (O) 1.5 AT AWD
Fuel: Petrol
Kilometres this month: 187km
Fuel efficiency: 10.9kmpl (MID-indicated)
Price when tested: Rs. 22.92 lakh, OTR, Mumbai
Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi
