Last week, Maruti Suzuki unveiled yet another mid-size compact SUV called the Victoris, which will join a rather crowded segment of mid-size compact SUV, which is dominated by cars like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, and Maruti’s own Grand Vitara among other players.
Now we are all thinking the same thing – why would Maruti Suzuki want to bring a new entrant in a segment where it already has a fairly popular car in the market? Well the answer to this could be two-fold.
First is that Maruti Suzuki has two channels to sell cars in India – the Maruti Suzuki Arena, which sells mainstream cars like the Swift Dzire, WagonR and the likes, and the Nexa, which is a more premium dealership network, selling cars like the Grand Vitara, Maruti Jimny, Baleno, and the likes. While the Grand Vitara is selling well for the Nexa dealerships, Maruti is now looking to sell SUVs via its Arena dealerships now.
The second reason for this could be to introduce the brand’s new design language, which we have already seen on the upcoming e-Vitara, which will be the brand’s first EV in the market. It is being said that this is the new design language and all cars from this point on will look similar, going away from the brand’s current, more aggressive design that we have seen on cars like the new Baleno, Grand Vitara, or the Maruti Suzuki Fronx.
But these are just assumptions. The fact of the matter is that this segment is very crowded and arguably the most popular in the country right now. So let us take a look at what the Maruti Suzuki Victoris is against. In this article, we will compare the Victoris with the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, VW Taigun, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, and Maruti’s own Grand Vitara. Let’s go:
Maruti Suzuki Victoris vs Competition: Price
Now, pricing for the Maruti Suzuki Victoris has not been unveiled yet, but reports are suggesting a starting price of under ₹12 lakh. Now, this is exactly the price point where the market is extremely competitive.
Hyundai Creta, the most popular car in this segment, starts at a price of ₹11.11 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to ₹20.92 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Kia Seltos is also priced similarly, starting at ₹11.19 lakh (ex-showroom) and going up to ₹20.56 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant.
Honda’s Elevate comes with less trims, but the entry-level variant is priced similarly, starting at ₹11.91 lakh, with the top-end variant starting at ₹16.83 lakh (ex-showroom).
A favourite among the enthusiasts, the Volkswagen Taigun is priced at ₹11.80 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards, going up to 19.83 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant.
Coming to the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, this is pretty much the same car as the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, starting at a price of ₹11.34 lakh (ex-showroom), going up to ₹20.19 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-spec variant.
Given the pricing of competitors, it can be assumed that the Maruti Suzuki Victoris will be launched around a ₹12 lakh price tag. Given the competition’s pricing, you can expect Maruti to launch this under a ₹12 lakh starting price.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris vs Competition: Engines and Powertrain
The Maruti Suzuki Victoris will come with the same engine and powertrain options as the Maruti Grand Vitara. We will get a 1.5-litre 4 cylinder engine with mild hybrid, a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder engine with strong hybrid powertrain, and a third 1.5 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine with CNG. In terms of competition, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara comes with the same underpinnings but let us take a look at what the competition has to offer:
The Kia Seltos comes with the same three engine options – a 1.5-litre diesel, and two 1.5-litre petrol options. The diesel option is a 4 cylinder turbocharged CRDi engine which produces 114 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque, along with a fuel efficiency of up to 20.7 kmpl. In petrol, we get one 4-cylinder naturally aspirated MPi engine which produces 113 bhp power and 144Nm of torque. The second petrol engine is also a 4-cylinder option but this is a turbo charged GDi unit which is good for 157.8 bhp of power and 253 Nm of torque.
The Hyundai Creta also gets the same three engine options. The first is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine which makes 113 bhp of power and 144 Nm of torque. Next, we have the 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, producing 114 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque, with a fuel efficiency figure of up to 21.8 kmpl. Finally, Hyundai also offers a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged GDi petrol engine that delivers 157.8 bhp of power and 253 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful motor in the Creta lineup.
The Honda Elevate keeps things simple with a single engine option. It comes with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engine, producing 119 bhp of power and 145 Nm of torque. While it doesn’t get a turbocharged option or a diesel powertrain like some of its rivals, the naturally aspirated motor is known for its refinement and smooth power delivery, paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission.
The Volkswagen Taigun offers two petrol engine options. The first is a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder TSI turbocharged engine, good for 114 bhp of power and 178 Nm of torque. The second is a larger 1.5-litre 4-cylinder TSI turbocharged engine, which produces 148 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque. Both engines deliver strong mid-range performance, with the 1.5 TSI also featuring Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) for better fuel efficiency during light-load conditions.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder comes with similar engine options as the Maruti Suzuki Victoris and the Grand Vitara. First is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine, which produces 102 bhp of power and 137 Nm of torque. Then we have a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder strong-hybrid petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined power output of 114 bhp. The third option is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol-CNG engine, producing 87 bhp of power and 121.5 Nm of torque in CNG mode.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris vs Competition: Safety and Comfort Features
The Maruti Suzuki Victoris will share its feature list with the Grand Vitara. In terms of comfort, it gets features like a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, wireless charger, automatic climate control, and a digital driver’s display. On the safety front, it comes equipped with up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, 360-degree camera, ESP, hill-hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
The Kia Seltos is one of the most feature-rich SUVs in this segment. Comfort features include dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with connected car tech, ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof, heads-up display, and Bose premium sound system. Safety has also been a big focus with up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, hill-start assist, 360-degree camera, blind view monitor, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like lane keep assist and forward collision warning in higher variants.
The Hyundai Creta packs in plenty of creature comforts such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected car features, ventilated front seats, Bose sound system, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, and a fully digital instrument cluster. Safety kit includes up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, VSM, hill-start assist, rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, and ADAS features in the latest facelift model.
The Honda Elevate focuses on practicality while offering a comfortable experience. It gets features like a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, single-pane sunroof, automatic climate control, wireless charger, and leatherette upholstery on higher trims. In terms of safety, it comes with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, hill-start assist, rearview camera, and Honda’s ADAS suite — Honda Sensing — which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and collision mitigation braking system.
The Volkswagen Taigun emphasizes a premium cabin feel with features like ventilated front seats, 10-inch infotainment system, wireless smartphone connectivity, digital cockpit, automatic climate control, and an electric sunroof. Safety has been given priority with up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC as standard across variants, hill-hold assist, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Being part of the India 2.0 project, the Taigun also scored highly in global crash safety ratings.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder offers a comfortable cabin with features such as a 9-inch infotainment system, ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, automatic climate control, and premium leatherette upholstery. On the safety front, it gets up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, hill-hold assist, 360-degree camera, TPMS, and ISOFIX mounts. Being a Toyota, reliability and long-term durability of its safety systems are also a key highlight.
