REAL WORLD BATTLES

The latest challenger to the Hyundai Creta's sheer dominance, the new Maruti Suzuki Victoris has arrived - but can it be victorious?

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THIS IS THE BIG ONE. The one that all automakers who enter the compact SUV segment tremble about. The Hyundai Creta has long been the dominant force in this space and for good reason. It literally is the perfect SUV for India - drives well, looks good, has more features on it than your latest phone and offers a plethora of engine and gearbox options. The latest entrant in this segment, the new Maruti Suzuki Victoris, does the same but without as many engine options. One engine offering, though, does overlap. Not only in size, but also in other metrics, including being the most popular one in the sales charts. So today's comparison test isn't about turbos, isn't about hybrids but about the 'roti sabzi' of the engine lineup – the naturally aspirated petrols. And because we are in 2025 and the automatic is the gearbox of choice for everyone who seems to ask, that combination is what we are going to sample.