Gujarat, India – The first batch of Suzuki’s new flagship SUV, the Victoris, has begun its journey to South Africa and other international markets. The vehicles departed from the Mundra and Pipavav ports on 16 January 2026, with around 450 units shipped to destinations across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Although the vehicle will be sold as the “Across” in export markets, including South Africa, it shares the same name as the rebadged version of the previous-generation Toyota RAV4 sold in Europe since 2020.
Maruti Suzuki’s Managing Director and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, spoke on the export journey, stating, “Maruti Suzuki’s export journey is guided by the vision of Made in India, Make for the World. We emerged as India’s number one passenger vehicle exporter for the fifth year in a row. If we look at the growth of India’s passenger vehicle exports in the past five years from 2020 to 2025, while the rest of the industry grew by 1.43 times, Maruti Suzuki exports grew by 4.67 times. The addition of Victoris will further support our export ambitions, and we are hopeful it will be well received in international markets.”
The Across is set to become Suzuki Auto South Africa’s new flagship, positioned above the Grand Vitara. The Grand Vitara underwent a quiet restructuring in November 2025, removing the hybrid variant and the conventional petrol-engined GLX with the manual gearbox.
In India, the Victoris offers two engine options: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine producing 76kW and 139Nm, and a Toyota-sourced 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid generating 68kW and 141Nm. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, with the AllGrip all-wheel-drive system available only in combination with the automatic gearbox. The hybrid variant drives only the front wheels through a CVT.
While Suzuki has yet to finalise local pricing for the Across, the Indian pricing ranges from Rs 1,049,900 to Rs 1,998,900, which is equivalent to between R194,525 and R370,355 when converted directly. Given that the range-topping Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX auto is priced at R453,900 in South Africa, the Across is expected to retail from around R470,000 to R480,000, making it the only Suzuki vehicle priced above R500,000 for higher trim levels.
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