Maruti takes a leap in terms of technology with features like ADAS, a 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, a powered tailgate, audio system with Dolby Atmos and much more.
While Maruti Suzuki is the undisputed king of the Indian car market, the compact SUV crown till now has belonged to the Hyundai Creta which continues to have a huge fan following post its facelift last year.
The Creta remains the most popular midsize SUV around and even became India's best-selling car on a few occasions.
For Maruti Suzuki, having one contender was clearly not enough and with an eye on increasing its SUV segment market share, it recently launched the Victoris SUV which would be sold through the Arena sales channel.
From the launch floor, here is a detailed first look at how the Victoris stands out in this densely populated compact SUV space.
Same proportions as Grand Vitara but with a different look
With a wheelbase of 2600 mm, the Victoris shares the dimensions with its Nexa sibling, the Grand Vitara, while having a clearly differentiated look.
Maruti Suzuki has changed nearly every body-panel and went for a modern yet minimalist design.
The design language is very much influenced by the eVitara electric car with the generous use of body-coloured panels for the grille along with the slim DRLs.
There are a lot of flat panels and lack of design flourishes like flush door handles but there is cladding all around along with a boxy stance.
The rear styling especially stands out with the pattern-like connected tail-lamp treatment which gives it a different look when viewed at night.
Equipped with 17-inch wheels, the Victoris looks low and wide along with a more purposeful stance than the Grand Vitara.
Features laden interior but short on space
The Victoris has the plushest looking cabin yet from a Maruti Suzuki thanks to pattern ambient lighting, a flowing dashboard design and redesigned touchscreen along with a new digital instrument cluster.
The larger 10.1-inch touchscreen is easy to use and is not complicated while there are enough buttons below for the main functions.
Soft touch materials have been liberally used all over, although the window switches along with the key design could have been more premium.
The big change is the fact that Maruti Suzuki takes a leap in terms of technology with features like ADAS, a 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, a powered tailgate, audio system with Dolby Atmos and much more.
Even the manual handbrake has been removed in favour of an electric one. The seats themselves are supportive and the driver’s seat has power adjustment.
Along with the obligatory panoramic sunroof, the Victoris also has 64-colour ambient lighting, an air filter and standard 6 airbags.
That said, cabin space seems a bit restricted with headroom being a bit lacking for tall passengers and only having adequate legroom.
Even the boot space on offer is not the largest but the CNG version has an innovative solution in terms of packaging the cylinder as it is underneath the car to save boot space.
Multiple powertrains ranging from hybrid to CNG
The Victoris has come to battle with a well packed arsenal of multiple powertrains, including a strong hybrid option and a CNG version.
The standard engine though is a 1.5-litre petrol which comes with both manual as well as automatic options while there is the addition of even an AWD 'All Grip' version.
Available with a 6-speed automatic, this AWD system improves grip and comes with Auto, Snow, Sport, and Lock drive modes.
The strong hybrid variant though has the limelight grabbing class best 28.65 kmpl claimed efficiency thanks to a larger electric motor being paired to the petrol engine.
You can also drive the Victoris hybrid in full electric mode for a short distance. The CNG version meanwhile has a claimed efficiency of 27.02 km/kg but does not come in automatic form.
Pricing would be less than the Grand Vitara
We expect Maruti Suzuki to price the Victoris less than the Grand Vitara with an estimated starting price of Rs 11 lakh while the top-end hybrid version could be a shade above Rs 20 lakh.
With the Victoris, Maruti Suzuki has clearly gone beyond its conventional strengths of fuel efficiency and practicality as it plans to woo the compact SUV buyer with more technology and features.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
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