Fastest To 1.5 Lakh: Why The Maruti Suzuki Victoris Has Become India's Favourite New SUV

Every year brings a wave of new SUVs to the Indian market, but very few of them become a phenomenon. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is one of them. When it went on sale a year ago, Maruti Suzuki promised an SUV that had it all: bold design, a tech-packed cabin, top-tier safety and a powertrain for every kind of buyer. Twelve months later, the sales charts show that Indian buyers agreed.

The Victoris has set the record for the highest first-year sales by any new model in India’s passenger vehicle category. It is also the fastest passenger vehicle in the country to cross both the 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh sales milestones, and all three achievements are certified by JATO Dynamics. 

The awards have been just as plentiful. The Victoris was named Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2026 and also picked up Car of the Year honours from various automotive publications and automotive influencer choice recognitions in India, as well as across the globe!

So what has made more than a lakh Indians bring one home? We look back at the qualities buyers have embraced most, and at the golden new chapter that marks the Victoris’ first birthday.

A Powertrain For Every Kind Of Buyer

Most SUVs in this segment ask you to adjust your needs to fit their engine line-up. The Victoris does the opposite. It offers four distinct powertrain choices, each aimed at a different kind of driver, with prices starting at Rs 10.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

MT: Manual Transmission | AT: Automatic Transmission | 4x4: Four-by-Four off-road tech| eCVT: Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission 

For most buyers, the starting point is the 1.5-litre Smart Hybrid petrol engine. This four-cylinder unit produces 103 PS and 139 Nm. It feels refined and peppy in the city and settles into a relaxed cruise on the highway. You can choose a 5-speed manual for more involvement or a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters for convenience, and both return a claimed fuel efficiency of over 21 kmpl.

If low running costs are your priority, the factory-fitted S-CNG version delivers a claimed 27.02 km/kg. Its biggest strength is clever packaging. Maruti Suzuki has placed the CNG tank underneath the car, behind the rear bumper, so it doesn’t eat into the boot the way conventional CNG cylinders do. You get the savings of CNG without the usual sacrifice in luggage space, which is exactly why owners have embraced it for family duties and long trips.

For buyers who want the very best efficiency, there’s the 1.5-litre Strong Hybrid. It pairs a petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery pack to produce a combined 116 PS and 141 Nm, sent through a smooth eCVT. The system is self-charging, so there’s never any need to plug in. At city speeds, the Victoris can drive in silent, fuel-free EV mode, and the electric motor delivers instant torque whenever you need to overtake. A claimed fuel efficiency of 28.65 kmpl makes it one of the most efficient SUVs you can buy in India.

Finally, for buyers whose weekends lead beyond the tarmac, the Victoris offers ALLGRIP SELECT 4x4 with the 6-speed automatic. Few rivals offer anything like it, and it lets the Victoris take broken trails, slippery hill roads and light off-roading in its stride.

Mild hybrid, strong hybrid, CNG or all-wheel drive: whatever kind of buyer you are, there’s a Victoris built around the way you drive.

A Design That Turns Heads

The Victoris doesn’t look like any Maruti Suzuki that came before it, and buyers have noticed. Its chiselled front end has an upright nose and a muscular bonnet, with bold-cut LED DRLs and headlamps that blend neatly into the grille. Horizontal elements stress its width, and a chunky bumper adds to its road presence. 

In profile, a gently sloping roofline gives it a sporty edge, while 17-inch aero-cut alloy wheels fill the arches nicely. 

At the rear, a full-width segmented LED tail lamp gives the Victoris a signature look that’s instantly recognisable after dark.

The Victoris measures 4,360 mm long, 1,795 mm wide and 1,655 mm tall, with a 2,600 mm wheelbase.

These proportions give it genuine SUV presence and a roomy cabin. A tight 5.4-metre turning radius keeps it nimble in crowded city streets and parking lots. It has a 45-litre fuel tank, and the CNG version gets a 55-litre (water equivalent) CNG tank, so long journeys between refills are easy.

Buyers get plenty of choice in colours too. The Victoris comes in seven monotone shades: Eternal Blue, Sizzling Red, Mystic Green, Bluish Black, Splendid Silver, Magma Grey and Pearl Arctic White. Three of them, Eternal Blue, Sizzling Red and Splendid Silver, are also offered as dual-tone options with a Bluish Black roof, bringing the total to 10 colour choices.

The Most Feature-Rich Maruti Suzuki Ever

If there’s one thing that explains the Victoris’ popularity, it’s how much car buyers get for their money. It is the most feature-loaded model Maruti Suzuki has ever built, and it introduced several technologies that are firsts for the brand.

The cabin sets the tone. A layered three-tier dashboard with gloss black elements, leatherette upholstery and soft-touch padding comes together in the most premium interior Maruti Suzuki has offered. As night falls, 64-colour ambient lighting lets you set the mood for every drive.

The 10.1-inch SmartPlay Pro X touchscreen is the largest screen ever fitted to a Maruti Suzuki. It runs a smooth new interface with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an in-built app store with more than 35 apps, and Alexa Auto voice AI with over 40 functions. Alongside it sits Maruti Suzuki’s first fully digital 10.25-inch driver’s display, and a head-up display puts key information right in your line of sight.

Music lovers get an 8-speaker Infinity by Harman sound system with Dolby Atmos, delivering a surround-sound experience that is rare in this segment. The comfort features are just as generous. There are ventilated front seats, an 8-way powered driver’s seat and a panoramic sunroof. A cooled wireless phone charger keeps your device from overheating, and a powered tailgate opens with a simple gesture when your hands are full.

Next-gen Suzuki Connect with e-Call keeps you linked to the car even when you’re away from it. From your phone or smartwatch, you can lock and unlock the doors, check the battery health and headlight status, and switch on the hazard lights. You can also monitor cabin air quality through the PM2.5 sensor and see how your driving ranks on a shareable leaderboard.

Practicality hasn’t been forgotten either. Rear passengers enjoy generous legroom and some of the best under-thigh support in the segment, and every row gets USB Type-C charging. There are sensible storage spaces throughout the cabin, and Maruti Suzuki’s trademark plush ride quality smooths over potholes and broken roads. It’s no surprise that owners consistently rank space and comfort among the Victoris’ biggest strengths.

5-Star Safety, Twice Over

For many families, safety settled the decision. The Victoris became the first Maruti Suzuki SUV to earn a 5-star crash test rating from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP, making it one of the safest SUVs in its class.

That protection starts with the Suzuki TECT platform, built using high-strength steel, and continues with a strong list of standard safety features. Every Victoris comes with six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program, traction control, hill hold assist, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat anchors. The range also offers tyre pressure monitoring and an electronic parking brake with auto hold. A 360-degree HD camera with 11 views works with front parking sensors that switch the camera on automatically, which makes tight parking spots far less stressful. The Victoris also offers Level 2 ADAS, a suite of driver assistance features that includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and high beam assist.

Put simply, the Victoris doesn’t ask buyers to choose between features and safety. It delivers both.

The Peace Of Mind Of Owning A Maruti Suzuki

A great SUV is only part of the story, because the ownership experience matters just as much. Here, the Victoris benefits from something no rival can easily match: Maruti Suzuki’s vast sales and service network. Whether you live in a metro or a small town, a Maruti Suzuki Arena showroom and service centre is rarely far away, and genuine parts are readily available.

Owning a Victoris is also easy on the wallet over the long run, as its efficient powertrains keep fuel bills in check. Maruti Suzuki’s ownership programmes add to the reassurance:

• Extended warranty

• Smart Maintenance Plan

• Maruti Suzuki Smart Finance for easy car loans

• Maruti Suzuki Subscribe, for those who would rather not buy outright

• True Value, for a hassle-free exchange of your old car

For buyers stepping up from a hatchback or sedan, this familiar, worry-free ownership is a big part of why the Victoris feels like such an easy decision.

The Golden Chapter: Victoris Aurum Edition

To celebrate a first year few cars have ever matched, Maruti Suzuki has launched the Victoris Aurum Edition. Aurum is Latin for gold, a fitting name for an SUV that has had a golden debut. Maruti Suzuki presents it as a thank-you to the buyers who made the Victoris a success, and as the newest and most stylish way to own the SUV that started it all.

The Aurum Edition is offered exclusively with the strong hybrid powertrain, so its extra style comes with the most efficient Victoris you can buy. It is available in two rich colours, Mystic Green and Bluish Black, both of which show off its copper detailing beautifully. The centrepiece is a set of grey skid plates with copper-coloured inserts that frame the SUV at the front, sides and rear, with matching copper accents on the wheel arches. Chrome garnishes highlight the grille, bumpers, fenders and body sides, and door visors, and a dark chrome insert completes the exterior.

Inside, all-weather 3D cabin mats, a 3D boot mat and a rear trunk sill guard keep the interior looking new for longer. The copper theme also pairs nicely with the strong hybrid’s all-black cabin and its gold highlights, so the colour story flows naturally from the outside in.

The real highlight is the value. The 13-piece Aurum kit is priced at Rs 22,990. Bought separately, the same accessories would cost Rs 29,318, so Aurum buyers save Rs 6,328 while getting a Victoris that looks more distinctive without going over the top.

The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is priced from Rs 10.49 lakh to Rs 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The Aurum Edition kit adds Rs 22,990 to the strong hybrid. Both are available now at Maruti Suzuki Arena showrooms across India, where you can book a test drive and experience the Victoris for yourself.

CarDekho Says...

The Victoris’ record-breaking first year is no accident. It gives buyers a rare amount of choice, with four powertrains to suit every budget and driving style. It backs that up with the most feature-rich cabin Maruti Suzuki has ever built, double 5-star safety and the reassurance of the country’s widest sales and service network. It truly is an SUV with something for everyone, which is exactly why so many Indians have chosen it.

What stands out most is how well the Victoris balances the head and the heart. On the practical side, it brings efficient engines, low running costs, a comfortable ride and the dependability buyers expect from a Maruti. On the emotional side, there’s a design that turns heads, a cabin that feels genuinely premium and tech that rivals SUVs costing far more. With record sales and a cabinet full of awards from India’s leading automotive voices, buyers and experts clearly agree that this blend works.

The Aurum Edition adds one more reason to the list. It takes the already well-equipped Victoris and gives it a tasteful golden touch, at a price that offers genuine value. If the Victoris has been on your shortlist, there’s no better time to head to your nearest Maruti Suzuki Arena showroom and see for yourself why it has become India’s favourite new SUV.