Suzuki doesn’t really make big cars. If anything, its range doesn’t go beyond subcompact models. The last time the company tried to make something remotely larger, it was far from a sales success. Remember the Kizashi? No? Exactly.
With that, the Japanese automaker has been finding more success in subcompact crossovers recently. And while we’re anticipating the official launch of the Fronx in the Philippines, there’s another all-new model that’s debuted elsewhere.
It’s called the Suzuki Victoris, and it just made its world premiere over in India. It’s based on the Grand Vitara, but as a lower cost alternative of sorts. Its potential main rivals include the Toyota Yaris Cross and Honda HR-V.
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While it looks larger than your average Suzuki product in photos, the tale of the tape tells a different story. It measures 4,360mm long, 1,795mm wide, and 1,655mm tall. The Victoris then rides on a 2,600mm wheelbase, relatively long for the segment. The generous glass area and long hood add to the impression of it being a bigger vehicle.
Inside, there’s a wide dashboard that’s mostly dominated by horizontal lines. Present here is a digital instrument cluster and a floating infotainment screen that measures 10.1 inches, at least for the more expensive versions. Higher trim levels also get more soft-touch interior panels, as well as leatherette seats.
There are other neat features reserved for the top trim levels. There’s the panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable seats, head-up display, and wireless charger with active cooling. Plus, there’s ventilated front seats to keep things a little cooler inside.
Advanced driver assists are reserved for the top trim level, and includes everything you expect in such a system. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and more. Other neat additions include a 360-degree camera (select variants), tire pressure monitoring (most variants), and six airbags (all variants).
Three powertrain options are available for the Suzuki Victoris. It kicks off with a 1.5-liter engine that makes 103hp and 139Nm. With India still being perhaps the biggest market for CNG-powered vehicles, there’s also a natural-gas version of the same 1.5-liter engine with 100hp and 137Nm.
But the highlight here is the hybrid version as it’s not a mild system. Yes, it’s a full hybrid, and it pairs a 1.5-liter engine to a single motor. The engine alone makes 91hp and further assisted by the 80hp motor. Meanwhile, the motor can churn out 141Nm of torque. Combined output wasn’t given, but we reckon that about 120hp would be a safe bet.
All-wheel drive is an option, but only for the gas-fed model. The CNG-powered models and the hybrid stick to front-wheel drive. As for transmissions, the gas model can be mated to a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The CNG models are five-speed manual only, while the hybrid uses an e-CVT.
With the Fronx now in the Philippines, would the Victoris make sense in the local market? The thing is, this subcompact crossover is a five-seater, and those looking for more capacity might just go straight to the Ertiga or XL7. At the same time, Suzuki Philippines hasn’t had a successor to the Vitara for quite some time already. Perhaps it’s time to bring the Victoris here, especially with a hybrid engine.
