This is the first time the roles are reversed between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota. Did it sound cryptic? Let’s explain it then. After swapping the Maruti Suzuki badges of the Baleno and the erstwhile Vitara Brezza to the Toyota Glanza and the debunked Urban Cruiser, the Engage will be the first vehicle in the Suzuki-Toyota alliance which is originally a Toyota product. The Engage will be sold under Maruti Suzuki’s premium Nexa brand and will be the company’s most expensive vehicle in its portfolio.
Maruti Suzuki Engage: Design
Based on the best-seller Toyota Innova Hycross, Maruti Suzuki is all set to join the full-size MPV segment in July. The Engage will be the third MPV in Maruti Suzuki’s lineup after the Ertiga and the XL6. Like the Grand Vitara, the Engage will also be manufactured in the Toyota plant but will get different exterior styling to differentiate it from the Innova Hycross.Â
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Being a Nexa product, the Engage will sport the signature honeycomb front grille with chrome finish borders and a metal strip running across the all-black mesh. Maruti Suzuki will redesign the LED headlamps and will get three-LED DRLs in a claw-like shape like in the Grand Vitara. While the Hycross gets all-black faux skid plates, the Maruti Suzuki MPV will sport aluminium-finished ones similar to the Grand Vitara. At the rear, the tail lamps will get a three-pod LED design similar to the Fronx.
Maruti Suzuki Engage: Interiors and Features
Expect the Engage to offer a lounge-like cabin just as the Innova Hycross does. The second-row seats could offer luxurious Ottoman seats with extendable footrests. If so, it will be completely electrically adjustable.
It will be equipped with independent climate control including temperature and the speed of the fan settings for the rear passengers. Along with a panoramic sunroof, the Engage like the Innova Hycross will get AC vents on the side for both the second and third-row passengers. Like the Toyota MPV, the Engage will provide adjustable headrests and three-point seat belts for all passengers.
Being the premium MPV, the top layer of the dashboard will be leather finish and get a floating infotainment touch screen, ventilated front seats, an all-digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch screen, multi-zone ac controls, electrochromic rearview mirror, an electric tailgate and a premium JBL 9 speaker music system.
Maruti Suzuki Engage: Safety and Connected Tech
The Engage will come packed with features like an autonomous driver assistance system (ADAS) including a blindspot monitor, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam assist, lane keep assist, lane departure alert and rear cross alert. The MPV will get six airbags and disc brakes on all four wheels.
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The Suzuki Connect feature will also be offered in the Engage. This tech offers more than 40 functions including remotely controlling the air-conditioner, unlocking doors, getting real-time vehicle status, security, and safety alerts.
Maruti Suzuki Engage: Engine Specs
Engage could be powered by both the 2-litre petrol engine paired with a hybrid system and the 2-litre standard ICE engine. The hybrid version has an output of 184bhp and with a combined torque of 206Nm while the latter churns out 173bhp and 209Nm. The petrol trim is mated to a CVT gearbox while the strong hybrid comes with eCVT and offers three driving modes —Eco, Normal and Power.Â
Watch Video | Toyota Innova Hycross review:
Maruti Suzuki Engage: MPV Competition
No prize in guessing that the Maruti Suzuki Engage will compete with the Toyota Innova Hycross along with other vehicles like the Mahindra XUV700, Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus and Jeep Meridian.Â
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