Maruti Victoris Long Term Introduction: New Beginnings!

Can Maruti’s new compact SUV be victorious over our hearts?

The Victoris is Maruti’s latest attempt at the compact SUV segment and it follows the same recipe as the Maruti Grand Vitara, but with fresher ingredients and spices that give it a different taste. With such fierce competition, especially with the arrival of the new Tata Sierra, Maruti’s latest contender might have a tough time being victorious in the segment and that is something only time will tell. But can it be victorious over our hearts?

Well, we have plenty of time to find an answer as the Maruti Victoris has just joined the CarDekho garage for three months. And after my time with the Kia Syros, I needed a steed. So it’s not just new beginnings for Maruti (with the Victoris), but also me. 

Let’s take a look at the spec.

The Spec

I’m a strong believer that the world is losing colours and vibrancy. Everything is going minimalistic and sober in search of aesthetics. But for the next three months, I’ll be glad knowing that I’ll at least do my part to bring back some of that brightness to the world driving around in this Maruti Victoris and its bright Sizzling Red colour. It is one of the seven hues that Maruti offers with the Victoris and undeniably the loudest one too. 

Personally, I’m not exactly fond of how the Victoris looks, but the colour and the contrasting black elements do help its case. As for the variant, Maruti has sent us the top-spec ZXI+ (O) variant packing the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid, naturally aspirated (NA), petrol automatic powertrain with all-wheel drive (AllGrip Select). My wallet would’ve preferred the strong-hybrid and its highest ever claimed fuel efficiency for a Maruti, but I’m looking forward to experiencing this powertrain too.

First Impressions

In all honesty, with all the new launches and reveals happening in the automotive industry, latest updates of which you’ll find in our news section, I haven’t really had the time to put some proper miles on the car. My commutes have been restricted to and fro from the office and this is what I’ve noticed so far.

Maruti has absolutely nailed the ergonomics of the car, as they do so often. They haven’t sacrificed physical buttons and toggles in search of a typical modern-day cabin design, and yet, the dashboard looks properly stylish. 

In the first couple of drives, the overall treatment felt really premium inside. Maybe it is the combination of the dual tone finish, the piano black elements or just the overall design that had me smitten. But as I started interacting with the different features, that premium quotient dropped significantly. There are no issues in terms of fitments, but the finish left me wanting for more.

The plastics could be smoother for the price, the leatherette dashboard could be softer, and the buttons should’ve had better dampening. The volume knob just feels outright flimsy and the power window switches are in a desperate need of an upgrade. All of this is not a dealbreaker in any sense, but given how the segment has moved on, Maruti should’ve worked on finishing these finer details a little better. 

I’ll reserve myself from commenting on the 8-speaker Infinity-tuned sound system for now, but everything else functions as intended. A great infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, crisp and easy-to-navigate driver’s display, strong ventilated seats and a huge panoramic sunroof are some of the highlights of its package so far. 

I haven’t used the autonomous driving assistance (ADAS) features yet, but I do miss the presence of a blind-view monitor. When there are cameras all around the car, why not provide a feed for the blind spot too?

As for the powertrain impressions, my experience for now is limited to intra city runs and I have three observations.

1. I would’ve wanted the NVH levels to be more refined while accelerating. It is not as silent as the Creta’s or Seltos’ 1.5-litre NA petrol engine and the sound does make its way inside the cabin.

2. The transmission is a smooth operator. It functions jerk-free and responds to manual downshifts via the paddle shifters fairly quickly.

3. Performance is perfect for the city – smooth in bumper to bumper traffic, linear when building speed and responsive enough for a quick overtake.

What’s next?

Apart from the mundane office commutes, the Victoris is going to see more than a few Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai trips. Moreover, I plan to put its all-wheel drivetrain to an interesting off-road test soon, so stay tuned for that!

Side note: I’m genuinely looking forward to spending some serious time behind the wheel of the Victoris because my parents drive a Toyota Hyryder (rebadged Grand Vitara) and given the similarities between the two cars, it’ll be interesting to see how and where they differentiate.

Positives: Bright exterior colours, great ergonomics, smooth engine and transmission

Negatives: Quality of buttons and plastics feels light, no blind view monitor

Date When Received: 18th November 2025

Kilometres When Received: 390 km

Kilometres Till Date: 1042 km