Maruti Suzuki has marked one year of the Victoris with an Aurum Edition, and the number doing the rounds needs a clarification before you read anything else into it. The Rs 22,990 being quoted is the price of an accessory kit, not the price of a car.
What Rs 22,990 actually buys
The Aurum Edition is a dealer-fitted accessory package for the Victoris Strong Hybrid. It adds copper-coloured exterior accents along with a set of cabin and boot accessories. Fitted to the top ZXi Plus (O) 2WD Strong Hybrid, which lists at Rs 19.99 lakh ex-showroom, the combined figure comes to Rs 20.22 lakh. That is the number some listing sites are now showing as an Aurum Edition variant.
In other words, this is a cosmetic and accessory pack, not a new trim with its own mechanical specification. Nothing changes under the bonnet: it is the same 1.5-litre strong hybrid with the e-CVT.
The sales milestone
Maruti has tied the edition to the Victoris crossing 1.5 lakh cumulative sales. Read that figure carefully too. Volumes through September stood at 1,47,602 units, and the 1.5 lakh mark is reached once October sales to date are included. Maruti says the Victoris got to both 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh faster than any other passenger vehicle in India.
Where the Victoris sits now
The range runs from Rs 10.50 lakh for the LXi petrol manual to Rs 19.99 lakh for the ZXi Plus (O) strong hybrid, across six trims. Petrol, CNG and strong hybrid powertrains are all offered, with the hybrid available from VXi upward.
Our take
An accessory pack launched on an anniversary is a marketing moment rather than a product change, and it is worth knowing that before you walk into a showroom expecting a new variant. If you want the copper detailing, it is Rs 22,990 on top of the hybrid you were buying anyway. If you do not, nothing about the car has changed this week.