Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Maruti Suzuki Invicto is the flagship vehicle of the company’s. Based on the Toyota Innova Hycross, the Maruti Suzuki MPV is available in two seat layout options — a 7 seater and an 8 seater. The Invicto is powered by a 2-litre petrol hybrid engine with an output of 150 bhp and 188 Nm of torque. It come in two variants and is paired with an eCVT gearbox. The Invicto is equipped with loads of features, a spacious cabin and comfortable ride quality. 

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Price

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is under the Nexa brand and has three variants —  Invicto Strong Hybrid Zeta+ 7S, Invicto Strong Hybrid Zeta+ 8S and Invicto Strong Hybrid Alpha+ 7S. The MPV starts from Rs 25.21 lakh to Rs 28.92 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Engine Specifications

Maruti Suzuki Invicto is based on the Innova Hycross and therefore it uses the hybrid technology from Toyota. The 1987 cc powertrain has 150 bhp at 6000 rpm and 188 Nm at 4400-5200 rpm and is paired to eCVT automatic transmission. Unlike the Toyota Innova Hycross, the Invicto only comes with a single engine option. It offers multiple drive modes — Eco, Normal and Power. 

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Mileage

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is a full-sized MPV but it is fuel efficient vehicle due to the hybrid petrol machine. The electric motor offers a crucial 11 bhp and 2066 Nm of torque. 

• Hybrid eCVT: 23.24 kmpl

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Features

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is packed with all LED lights including the indicators and roof end spoiler high mount stop lamp. The top variant sports a panoramic sunroof, soft touch door panels, leatherette seats, front ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustable driver seat with memory function, tyre pressure monitoring system, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and a 10.5-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay. 

Here is the equipment that comes standard in Invicto — an 8-inch touchscreen display, 7-inch multi information display, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, roof mounted AC vents for second and third rows, retractable sunshade for the second row, Captain seats for the seven-seater, 60:40 split second row bench in the eight seater and connected technology. 

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Safety

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto comes standard with six airbags, rear view camera, electronic parking brake with auto hold, front seat height adjuster, seat belt reminder, front and rear disc brakes, ABS with EBD and vehicle stability control with Hill Start Assist.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Colour Options

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is available in five paint schemes. The MPV offers Magnificent Black, Nexa Blue, Stellar Bronze, Majestic Silver and Mystic White.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Review

Badge swapping is nothing new in the automobile sector. Toyota has tried it a couple of times with its partners Maruti Suzuki when it comes to Glanza and the erstwhile Urban Cruiser and now it’s the latter’s time to don the massive shoes of the very popular Innova Hycross. Some may even question this decision by asking why is Maruti Suzuki entering a premium segment which has eluded the company time and time again, may it be the Kizashi or the original Grand Vitara.

The country’s number one four-wheeler manufacturer believes that this gives the brand an opportunity to make its presence felt in the Rs 20 lakh plus segment. Coming back to the Invicto, it will be sold under the Nexa brand and will be the eighth vehicle under this banner. We tell you what to expect from the most expensive Maruti Suzuki vehicle.

Design

Even though the Invicto is based on the Innova Hycross, Maruti Suzuki has reworked the MPV’s design by introducing typical Nexa styling elements. The Invicto has a very strong SUV-ish road presence with an all-black radiator grille with twin chrome slats which smartly merge into the LED headlights. Introducing the typical Nexa headlamp ethos, the Invicto also sports three LED DRLs, just like in the Grand Vitara and Fronx.

The other notable change is that the Invicto gets 17-inch alloy wheels while the Innova sports 18-inch ones. Maruti has spruced up the door handles and the window sills with a chrome finish. The rear remains more or less the same with a typical boxy design though the tail lights are refreshed to differentiate it from the Innova.

Interior

The cabin is identical to the Innova Hycross though the dual-tone brown and black cabin colours are replaced with an all-black finish with champagne gold inserts on the air condition vents and the centre console. The materials used in the cabin are a mix of soft leather and solid build plastics with top-notch fit-and-finish. The Invicto comes with a 10.1-inch infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate. The Maruti MPV misses out on some notable features like the electrically powered Ottoman seats in the second rear, Advance Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and instead of a 9-speaker JBL system, it gets a 6-speaker music system.

Cabin space is and has always been the USP of the Innova, which is the same for the Invicto. The second-row passengers might not get the luxurious Ottoman seats, but it does offer either bench or Captain seats. The seats slide back and recline ensuring plenty of comfort and legroom space for both the second and third row passengers. Even though the company claims that three passengers can sit in the third row, it’s best to limit it to two adults. In terms of headroom and knee room, passengers can comfortably sit even on long drives. The Invicto also offers an impressive 290 litres of boot space and 690 litres with the third row folded. 

Engine & Gearbox

The Invicto gets the 184bhp 2-litre hybrid engine, which comes with two electric motors that are powered by a 1.7 kWh Ni-MH battery. The Invicto by default starts on EV mode which ensures that there is a strong pick-up available and this helps tackle start-stop traffic without tapping into the petrol mode. Once the MPV picks up pace, it automatically switches to petrol mode where the engine feels slightly audible, but the change in driving mode is seamless. The engine accelerates in a smooth linear manner and when it hits the midrange power band, you do miss the strong punch that the diesel engine would offer. Having said that, on the highway, the Invicto offers strong performance and offers plenty of power. If the driving experience sounds too predictable then one can spice things up by using the paddle shifters and changing the driving modes from Eco, Normal to Power.

Based on a monocoque chassis, the Invicto feels agile especially while taking turns at the same time remains stable on the highway. As the MPV comes with an electric-powered steering wheel, it’s a breeze to weave through daily urban traffic. With 17-inch rims and a higher tyre profile than the Innova Hycross, the ride quality remained more-or-less the same. It neutralised potholes and undulations without sweat and without compromising passenger comforts.

Conclusion

If you are an interested Innova buyer but the long two-year waiting period is holding you back on signing on the dotted line then Maruti Suzuki is giving you a genuine option. As the Invicto is basically an Innova with a Maruti Suzuki badge, it has all its strengths and attributes. Even though the Maruti Suzuki MPV doesn’t offer all the features, this is far from being a deal breaker as the Invicto still remains a very practical and even a value-for-money proposition.