The Maruti Victoris has arrived to shake up the compact SUV scene in India, and the VXi variant—second from the base—is perhaps the sweet spot for many buyers. It’s the first variant that gives you options for an automatic gearbox and Maruti’s strong-hybrid powertrain. So if you want more than just the basics, VXi strides that middle ground well.
From the outside, the VXi shares a lot with the base LXi. If you glance head-on, you’ll see the same halogen projector headlights, halogen positioning lamps, a chrome bar spanning between the headlight clusters, and a silver skid plate set into the stout black bumper. But step back a little or move around to the side, and the differences start to become more evident—body-coloured door handles and ORVMs (mirrors), roof rails, and preserved but chunkier body-cladding and muscular wheel arches. The wheels remain 17-inch steels with covers, which hints it’s not aiming for top-luxury but for rugged good value.
At the rear, the Victoris VXi introduces a connected LED tail-light strip—a styling upgrade over the base model. You still get the roof spoiler and shark-fin antenna, plus that same chunky black bumper with a silver skid plate. What’s missing: no rear wiper or rear washer, which are present in more premium trims. However, there is a rear defogger carried over from the base variant.
Inside, the core cabin theme remains dual-tone (black & ivory), with lots of silver accents, piano-black inserts on dashboard and doors, black fabric upholstery, a front centre armrest (with storage), and adjustable headrests for all seats. But stepping up to VXi gives you some nicer touches: chrome finish on door handles, footwell lighting, an illuminated glovebox, seat-back pockets, and a vanity mirror for front occupants. On practical fronts, rear passengers gain something useful: two 45W Type-C USB chargers, plus the AC vents, rear armrest with cup-holders, etc., are all well thought out.
Feature-wise, things get more interesting in VXi. Across all powertrains you still get essentials like automatic climate control, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment, connected car tech (including Alexa), front tweeters, and electrically adjustable mirrors. If you go for the strong-hybrid version, you get a 10.25-inch digital driver display; the milder hybrid and CNG trims keep an analogue cluster with a multi-info display. Safety is not neglected—six airbags, ISOFIX anchors, electronic stability programme (ESP) are standard. Further, the AT (automatic transmission) versions get features like electronic parking brake with auto-hold, rear parking camera, and tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS). The strong-hybrid adds an acoustic vehicle alert system (for pedestrian safety), which is a thoughtful inclusion.
Mechanically, the VXi offers three powertrain options:
- A 1.5-litre mild hybrid petrol (MT or AT)
- A 1.5-litre strong hybrid
- And a petrol + CNG option
Performance figures vary depending on the option but the strong hybrid gives higher combined output. Also, the VXi provides selectable driving modes—Eco, Normal, Sport—but the Sport mode is available only with the strong-hybrid powertrain. Note, VXi doesn’t offer all-wheel drive; that remains restricted to higher variants in the line.
As for pricing, the VXi is placed between about ₹11.80 lakh to ₹16.38 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India), depending on the powertrain and transmission. The range brackets both above and below this for other trims provide choices depending on how much features or performance you want. As rivals, Victoris VXi lines up against the likes of Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, Maruti Grand Vitara, Tata Curvv, MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, and others in the compact SUV / crossover category.