Maruti Victoris Unveiled: Premium Mid-Size SUV with 5-Star BNCAP Safety & ADAS

Presenting to you from the Maruti Victoris’ launch event, there is a lot of excitement for the very new mid-size SUV as one of the flagship products from the esteemed carmaker. The Victoris is positioned between the Maruti Brezza and the Maruti Grand Vitara, with modern features to offer along with fresh designs and fuel options such as petrol, strong hybrid and CNG. Another highlight of the mid-size SUV is its 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, making it the second car after the Dzire to achieve this grade. The Victoris is also said to be likely Maruti’s first product with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.

Design

From what I have inferred, the Victoris carries a sleek, small, and cool appearance. A modern and upright SUV silhouette marks the front fascia of the car. While looking at the side profile of the car, the stretched beltline elongation adds an athletic stance. The car is equipped with all-new LED headlamps integrated with striking eyebrow-cut connected to the bonnet line DRLs at the front, as well as slim connected LED lighting elements at the rear, both functioning as a dual-purpose unit for the submerged dynamic swipe LED side blinkers and LED fog lamps with cornering function. The Victoris can be purchased in 10 colour palettes (3 monotone and 7 dual-tone). The dimensions are 4,360 mm in length, 1,655 mm in width, and 1,795 mm in height, accompanied by a wheelbase measuring 2,600 mm. 

The mid-size SUV is arched by all-new 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels calibrated to all four discs. These alloy wheels are encapsulated with a machined dual-tone grey cladding and a painted monotone design. The roofline has a subtle and sleek aerodynamic enrichment at the rear, incorporated by blacked-out OVRMs and roof rails with a floating roof effect.

Interiors

The Victoris’ 3-layered interiors have been graced by a 10.25-inch floating Smart Play Pro Plus touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are synced to a set of 40 connected car features, including the vehicle diagnostics, embedded telematics, geofencing, and a GPS receiver. In addition, a similarly sized fully digital driver’s display, a voice-controlled panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting with 64 selectable colours (being called VIBGRAM by the manufacturer), a PM 2.5 air purification system integrated into a dual-zone automatic climate control, a 60 W charging dock alongside a wireless charging pad in the driver’s cockpit, an auto-dimming IRVM, a cooled and illuminated glovebox, ventilated front seats with 6-way driver and 4-way co-passenger electronic adjustments, and a head-up display carried over from the Brezza.

To add more on to the fray, features such as a powered tailgate with gesture control, Dolby Atmos with 8 Harman Kardon speakers as labelled by Maruti’s ‘theatre-like experience’, Alexa integration, and Level 2 ADAS are to be offered on the higher variants.

Engine & Specifications

The customers can choose suitable engines for the new Victoris. The options are the 1.5-litre K15 (naturally aspirated) 4-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol, the 1.5-litre three-cylinder strong hybrid petrol that works on the Atkinson cycle, and a petrol-CNG dual-fuel engine, incorporating a concealed tank to not let the boot space of the mid-size SUV be compromised.

The mid-size SUV is available in both manual and automatic gearboxes.

The Maruti Victoris is available in variants across FWD and 4WD configurations, namely LXi, VXi, ZXi, ZXi (O), ZXi+, ZXi+ (O), ZXi+ 4WD, and ZXi+ (O) 4WD. The transmission options are 5-speed MT, 6-speed AT (torque converter) assisted by paddle shifters, and an eCVT (strong hybrid). Also to be noted, there are also four terrain and three driving modes (Auto, Snow, Sport, and Lock-Drive).

The K15 mild hybrid engine generates a power output of 103 hp. The additionally strong hybrid churns out 115 hp. The Victoris also comes with a 4-wheel drivetrain, also known as the AllGrip off-road mechanism, under a non-hybrid powertrain on some of the top-tier variants. The ARAI claimed mileage figures of all the mentioned engine options are as follows:

• ​The 1.5L NA petrol motor delivers 21.18 km/l with the manual gearbox and 21.06 km/l with the automatic gearbox.
  
• The 4-wheel drive option steps down to 19.07 km/l. 
• The CNG variants offer a claimed mileage of 27.02 km/kg.
  
• The strong-hybrid variants will offer a 28.65 km/l mileage.
  

Safety Features

The Victoris has basic safety features in all models, such as six airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), traction control, brake assist, hill hold control, seat belt pretensioners with load limiters, ISOFIX child seat mounts, other systems to protect pedestrians, and seat belt reminders along with an electronic parking brake with auto-hold assist for added safety. The few ADAS highlights within the Victoris include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Departure Warning, which is a first for Maruti Suzuki.

Furthermore, advanced high-strength steel construction and strategic crumple zones boost occupant protection, which has resulted in a 5-star BNCAP rating, scoring 31.66 out of 32 for adult occupant protection, followed by 43 out of 49 points for child occupant protection, while standard ESC ensures optimal vehicle dynamics. Higher variants add a tyre pressure monitoring system and a 360-degree camera.

Another specific on the crash test is that the Victoris scored 15.66 of 16 points in the Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test and 16 of 16 points in the Side Movable Deformable Barrier Test. Coming to the child occupant's protection, a DUALFIX 5Z with Vario Base was utilised; 8/8 (front) and 4/4 (side) for an 18-month-old child, with the same scores for a three-year-old child.

Conclusion

To conclude, although some important elements have not been revealed as of yet, such as dimensions, boot space, fuel efficiency and range, warranty, and the most important, “pricing”. However, it is confirmed that the Victoris, a 5-seater flagship mid-size SUV sitting in the mid-size segment, will be the first premium SUV from the house of Maruti Suzuki Arena. Moreover, the overall disclosed package under a booking amount of INR 11,000 promises a significant offering in the competition, retaining the trust and reliability of India’s number one auto manufacturer.