Victoris arrives with 1,000 bookings a day, aims to propel Maruti to mid-SUV segment leadership

The Victoris has scored a 5-star safety rating at Bharat NCAP as well as Global NCAP.

With the new Victoris, which garnered 1,000 bookings per day, Maruti Suzuki India is looking to take the leadership position in the mid-size SUV segment, according to a senior company official.

The Victoris is Maruti's second mid-size SUV after the Grand Vitara in its current passenger vehicle (PV) line-up. The carmaker's share in this space stood at 20.3% with just a single model in FY25.

Maruti revealed the Victoris and opened its bookings on September 3. While the new mid-size SUV is being offered via the company's Arena channel, it can be booked for a token amount of Rs 11,000.

Priced between Rs 10,49,900 and Rs 19,98,900 (introductory ex-showroom), the Maruti Suzuki Victoris rivals the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.

According to industry data, the SUV segment clocked handsome volumes of 23,66,272 units in FY25, accounting for 54.3% of the total PV sales. At 6,09,516 units, the mid-size SUVs made up 25.8% of the total SUV market.

The mid-size SUV segment is currently dominated by the Hyundai Creta, which registered its highest-ever annual sales of 1,94,871 units in FY25. It was followed by the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara (1,23,946 units), Kia Seltos (72,618 units), and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder (60,388 units).

During a select media briefing at the Victoris price announcement, Maruti's Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, Partho Banerjee, said: "We are the market leader in entry-SUV. In mid-SUV, we are not the market leader. But we aspire to become the market leader."

The Victoris has received 1,000 bookings per day, he said, adding that its dispatches to the dealerships started today, while the retail sales will begin on September 22.

Banerjee claimed that Maruti is providing a different experience with the Victoris to the customers, particularly the Gen Z. According to him, the Gen Z customers are looking at the overall styling of the vehicle, digital experience and contemporary features.

"The Victoris as a product has got everything that the target customer is looking for. Be it in terms of safety, styling, space, or digital systems, it has got everything. Now, in terms of price also, it has got it all," he said.

For reference, the Victoris has scored a 5-star safety rating at Bharat NCAP as well as Global NCAP.

Till now, Maruti has sold its relatively premium models via the Nexa channel. However, the Victoris is, arguably, Maruti's most technologically advanced car, boasting features like Level-2 ADAS, Dolby Atmos and a powered tailgate with gesture control.

When asked the reason behind the Victoris being offered from the Arena channel and not the Nexa channel, Banerjee said: "We have put it in the Arena channel based on the target customer. It is designed for the young Indian customer, and the Arena channel is for the young Indian customer."

Maruti has over 4,000 Arena showrooms across the country, in comparison to more than 700 Nexa showrooms.

Among the Arena models are the Alto K10, S-Presso, Eeco, Celerio, WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Brezza, Ertiga and Victoris. The Nexa models include the Ignis, Baleno, Fronx, Jimny, Grand Vitara, XL6 and Invicto.