Maruti Victoris vs Toyota Hyryder: Which Compact SUV To Pick Between The Two?

While both the SUVs have the same set of powertrain choices and a nearly equal set of features, we decided to stack them up against each other to see which one comes out on top, at least on paper

The Maruti Victoris, which was revealed recently, is the Indian carmaker’s second take at the hotly contested compact SUV segment after the Grand Vitara. It slots between the Brezza and Grand Vitara in Maruti’s SUV lineup, and will be sold via the Arena showrooms. While we already have compared its specifications with those of the Grand Vitara, in this story, we thought of putting it up against the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, which is essentially the Grand Vitara with some minor cosmetic and badge differences. Before we dive into the detailed technical specifications of the two SUVs, let’s check out their prices:

All prices are ex-showroom Although the prices of the Victoris are yet to be announced, we expect Maruti to price the SUV aggressively with a starting price of around Rs 9.75 lakh (ex-showroom), which will undercut the Hyryder’s base-spec E variant by a big margin.

We also expect the fully loaded variants of both the compact SUVs to have some price difference, with the Victoris being slightly more affordable, given that it will be sold via the carmaker’s Arena chain of dealerships.

When the dimensions of the two SUVs are considered, it’s only the length of the Victoris that is lesser than that of the Hyryder (by 5 mm).

Both the Maruti and Toyota SUVs are equally wide and have an equally long wheelbase.

That said, the Victoris is taller by 10 mm than Toyota’s compact SUV.

One thing that you must make a note of while deciding between these two SUVs is that the Victoris gets an underbody placement for the CNG kit that offers the full boot space capacity. On the other hand, the Hyryder’s CNG tank is placed in the boot itself, thereby obstructing the storage loading area.

*e-CVT - Electronically continuously variable transmission, AT - Torque converter automatic transmission

^FWD - Front wheel drivetrain, AWD - All wheel drivetrain

Given that the Victoris shares its powertrain options with the Grand Vitara – which is essentially a platform sibling of the Toyota Hyryder – the Toyota SUV also gets the same choices.

There are three powertrains to choose from, including a strong-hybrid setup. With the mild-hybrid petrol engine, both the Victoris and Hyryder come with an optional AWD setup too, although only with the automatic gearbox.

The Victoris has a slightly higher claimed fuel efficiency with all the engine-gearbox combinations compared to the Hyryder, save for the AWD AT setup.

Even the CNG version of the Victoris is promising to be a little more frugal than that of the Toyota SUV, but the difference is likely to be marginal in the real world.

Both the SUVs get different styling inside and out. While both come with two interior themes (depending on the variant chosen), it’s the Victoris whose cabin will feel much airier and roomier, thanks to its Black and Ivory dual-tone theme.

Although both SUVs are almost equally packed in terms of features, the Victoris edges out the Hyryder with better amenities in the form of a larger touchscreen infotainment unit, 64-colour ambient lighting, a bigger all-digital driver’s display, and even a powered tailgate with gesture control.

Even the safety suite is slightly better on the Victoris thanks to the provision of ADAS and the 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP crash tests. However, do note that the Toyota SUV hasn’t been put through any sort of crash tests.

Overall, the Victoris promises to be a good all-rounder with the right approach towards performance and occupant safety and comfort. Its more modern looks and features set along with the slightly better safety kit and crash-test rating, the Victoris surely looks to be the better deal here.

That said, if you are in immediate need of a compact SUV with a strong-hybrid powertrain or a well-equipped features set and can’t wait for the price reveal of the Victoris, you can definitely check out the Toyota Hyryder. It has the same powertrain choices as the Grand Vitara and is decently priced for what it offers.

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