Maruti Suzuki has changed and even more so than you think. Its best selling car is the Baleno and it now commands a huge market share from the Rs 10-20 lakh space as well. These days, it is known more for its premium Nexa sales channel, and now it wants to take it forward to the next step — which of course is the Invicto, with a little help from Toyota! As part of the agreement, we have been seeing badge engineering with the Glanza/Baleno, and others too with the Hyryder/Grand Vitara, while this seems to be the biggest gamble yet, or is it? Maruti Suzuki has gotten a sizeable number of bookings for the car, and that shows there was appetite for this. However, the Invicto is not just a rebadged Innova Hycross as a lot has been changed by Nexa.
The front-end especially looks different with the Nexa three block LED DRLs along with a chrome heavy front while the skid plate along with the bumper has been tweaked too. From the front, the Invicto looks more like an SUV which works in its favour while its huge length is an added factor too.
From the side, there are new (smaller) 17-inch alloys while the rear styling gets new tail-lamps along with more chrome. Compared to the Hycross, the Invicto has more chrome while the Nexa Blue also adds to its premium looks.
Step inside and it's an all-black theme with gold accents everywhere from the dash to the lower centre console. It is again a premium touch while finished well-in fact this is easily the most luxurious cabin seen from any Maruti Suzuki with its leather inserts for the dash and black leatherette upholstery with contrast stitching.
The feature list mimics the Hycross too with dual-zone climate control for two rows, a 360-degree camera view, cooled seats, a powered handbrake, a rear door sunshade, cooled cup holders, a powered tailgate etc The dash-mounted gear lever plus the touchscreen is also similar while even the key is similar to the Hycross.
At the rear with the captain seats, there are individual seats with tonnes of comfort plus a huge amount of space along with a flat floor. You can manually adjust the seat while there are individual cupholders and more. The vast panoramic sunroof with mood lighting further adds a sense of space. Even the third row can fit adults easily.
Unlike the Hycross the Invicto gets only a hybrid powertrain and that is the best decision too as this is the better option anyways. The strong hybrid combo is around 180bhp with an eCVT while this is also the first Maruti to not have any manual gearbox. The driving experience is smooth, silent and perfect for city use. At low speeds, you amble around in electric mode and it is effortless to drive along with the light steering enabling it easy to live with despite its huge size.
There are drive modes but it is a tad vocal in power mode while eco mode is enough for most usage. You enjoy the silence plus the linear power delivery. Plus you will get 17-18kmpl in the city which is astonishing for such a large car and one of the biggest advantages of a hybrid. The smaller 17-inch wheels provide a cushier ride and it feels stable at high speeds while being a capable family car to cover long distances in.
With the top-end version priced at Rs 28.4 lakh, the Invicto is much cheaper than the top-end Hycross. While Maruti has removed some features like the Ottoman seats or the JBL audio or the ADAS features, the vast price cut is something you cannot ignore. Plus the large Nexa network will also be a deciding factor too. Hence, the Invicto takes the Innova formula and tweaks it plus it is also one of the best and most comfortable family cars at this price.
What we like- Value, black interiors, hybrid powertrain
What we do not- No ADAS and JBL audio
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