Maruti Suzuki has tasted pretty good success with its sub-compact SUV Brezza and mid-size SUV Grand Vitara. Now, the automaker has launched its latest SUV Victoris in the mid-size segment.
With this new model, the carmaker is gunning for the leadership position in the mid-size segment of the Indian passenger vehicle market, where the South Korean auto giant Hyundai currently reigns with its Creta.
Maruti Suzuki is betting big on the Victoris SUV to grab the leading spot in the mid-size SUV segment as well as an even larger chunk of the bulging Indian utility vehicle pie. The automaker launched the Victoris at an introductory price range of ₹10.15 lakh – ₹19.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Slated to be sold through the Arena retail network, the Victoris will target a wider range of consumers, especially Gen Z customers, revealed Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India.
Banerjee stated that the mid-size SUV space in India is the only segment where Maruti Suzuki is not the leader. “That is our endeavour. We want to be the market leader in the mid-size SUV segment,” he said. The Victoris comes available in 21 variants, including strong hybrid, four-wheel drive, CNG and smart hybrid choices. It received five-star safety ratings from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP.
However, the Maruti Suzuki official declined to put a timeline to achieve the target. “There are three segments (in SUVs). There is entry, mid and the premium. In the entry segment, we are the market leaders. In mid-SUV, we are not the market leaders. Our aspiration is to become the market leader there, and in premium SUV, right now, we don’t operate,” Banerjee said, while also adding, “We are looking forward to having a niche segment, typically targeting the Gen Z customers, which is a huge segment. We want to cater to that.”
Maruti Suzuki Victoris clocked about 10,000 bookings
Maruti Suzuki Victoris is slated to go on sale across India from September 22. The carmaker has already started accepting bookings for this new SUV. The company claims to have been receiving almost 1,000 bookings per day since the bookings commenced. So far, the SUV claims to have received almost 10,000 bookings.
Fiery battle ahead for Maruti Suzuki Victoris
Despite Maruti Suzuki’s ambition to grab the top spot in the mid-size SUV segment, it is not going to be an easy task for Victoris. The segment clocked total sales of around 10 lakh units in FY25. Hyundai Creta is the leader in this space, and it registered overall sales of 194,871 units in the last fiscal. Maruti Suzuki currently has its presence in this category with the Grand Vitara, but that is retailed through the premium chain Nexa. The Grand Vitara clocked sales of 1.23 lakh units in FY25. The segment also has a strong presence of models like Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, etc.