WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN! By the time you read this in 2026, the hangovers have worn out, work is back in full swing and we as a race have survived another year around the flaming orb that gives us warmth and life. This year has also been great for cars, and I have driven a LOT of really really fast things. But when it comes to the daily grind and the commute, the normality of a seemingly pedestrian SUV is unbeatable. One that takes me through traffic, potholes, garbage roads and people, and general daily grind and does so, comfortably and under the radar - and that is exactly what the Victoris has been for me these last few months. Maruti’s new greatest hits album, as I like to call it, has been flawless. It chugs along peacefully, albeit a little slowly, does things it 118is supposed to do quietly and without complaint, all while sipping on fuel slower than an hourglass consumes sand. It has taken me and my family on a road trip - if you can call a Mumbai-Pune trip that, proving once again why people buy these no-nonsense, sensible cars like a bear to honey. It even turned into a rescue ranger when one of my other older and more temperamental cars broke down one morning, offering up some of its battery juice to jumpstart my 61 year old Fiat 1100, again without a hint of complaint.
The only thing really that is left to test out on the version we have is the all-wheel-drive setup. Now if I was a resident of the NCR, I would have gladly packed my friends into the car one random night and headed ‘to the hills’ in search for some snow and ice but sadly, the only snow and ice we see in Mumbai is at an ice cream store. But soon one day, that will be tested too and as fate would have it, it will be recorded, posted and of course printed, to be a part of history. For now, as it has been a faithful
companion to me and served me well, I hope 2026 is a faithful companion to you and serve you well. And remember, like and subscribe
(had to do it!).
