Badge reengineering is synonymous with the automotive industry as the selection of tyres on most vehicles. It brings together some of the best automotive engineers working as a team towards making a product that matches both or more companies' standards. Despite being one of India's most successful Toyota products, Thou shall not be named. Toyota and Maruti Suzuki have come up with some fantastic products over the years, and this year, Maruti Suzuki brings us their flagship MPV for the year, Maruti Suzuki Invicto. Co-innovated with Toyota India, the Invicto brings size, quality and features, unlike anything in Maruti Suzuki India's arsenal.
Verdict
One of the best Maruti Suzuki products
The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is arguably one of the best products under Maruti’s banter. The strong hybrid powertrain mated to the various drive modes brings lively performance and oodles of space inside. This is by far the most prominent car in Maruti Suzuki India’s stable and brings excellent versatility along with added oomph of performance, space and features never heard before on a Maruti car, adding immense value to the entire Nexa line-up. This innovative strategy from Maruti Suzuki India offers the Invicto at a competitive price considering the sheer size of this package. Prices starting from INR 24.79L, the Maruti Suzuki Invicto undercuts rivals with an efficient yet powerful powertrain, e-CVT transmission, features, space and one of the most comfortable 3rd-row seats on any car in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki has a victor at hand with the Invicto.
Contender for the next long route comfort champ on wheels
With a commanding driving position and a lightweight electric steering wheel, the Invicto is an easy-to-drive car. The 360-degree albeit low-res cameras help park this car with utmost ease. The size should be fine for someone who upgrades to a larger vehicle like the Invicto, and with the current booking status exceeding 6.5K mark, there are many potential Invicto drivers. Powering this large MPV is a humble combination of a 1987cc 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 152hp and 188Nm paired with an AC synchronous motor churning 113hp and 206Nm. Together they produce 186hp and are driven by an e-CVT transmission. The 6-Speed e-CVT allows sport and normal drive selections in all the various drive modes - Power, Normal and Eco. The car also features a dedicated EV mode, but we could not test this mode on our enthusiastic limited drive times. The car always starts in this mode and can cruise below average speeds for a few kilometres based on the charge and auto recuperation. Getting used to this Hybrid setup is a rather friendly but silent learning curve.
Although we would have loved other powertrains, the Invicto will be sold with this powertrain as it’s first-generation avatar. The monocoque chassis suits the overall powertrain, but the e-CVT transmission can get the powertrain noisier on aggressive throttle inputs. What’s surprising is that despite the volume of this car, the strong hybrid configuration propels it from a standstill to 100km/h in and around the 11-second mark, making it a mighty impressive performer. The speeds come up sooner than you imagine, and the electric motors fill the lacking power from the naturally aspirated engine until the engine and motor come alive to pull this vehicle with a high revving sound. Despite the impressive NVH levels, this revving sound could be something one must get used to, at least while overtaking.
The various drive modes change how this car’s throttle response performs to your inputs. Eco mode, too, has decent power with this powertrain, and Power mode keeps things responding sooner to inputs. The sport drive selector can also be accessed in Eco mode and keeps the engine revving for maximum fidelity through the six-step eCVT. Drive it light-footed, and everything calms down to downright opulent silence in the perfect combination of speed, roads, powertrain and transmission bliss. All the occupant seats are comfortable for adults, and unlike most ladder frame chassis, this car does not wobble like a ship in the sea when tackling Indian road conditions. The wheels are adequate for the size of this car, but a thicker tyre should sort out most dimensional awkwardness.
The Maruti Suzuki’s innovative Invicto chassis is brilliant on the roads. It’s a confident handler even at triple-digit speeds and manoeuvres easily through tight spaces. The comfortable suspension setup handles road undulations with composure and also stiffens enough with speed to make the Invicto agile around turns. There is some body roll, but the body control is one of the best among large cars on Indian roads. All tyres get disc brakes with progressive braking performance and thus require getting used to the vehicle's mass when coming to a standstill. Drive or be driven in the Invicto, this car is bound to impress and be a worthy upgrade to the overall features, materials, space, ride and comfort quality of Maruti Suzuki India’s customers.
Space is a new-age luxury
The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is undoubtedly the most spacious Maruti car in India. This MPV can easily accommodate adult occupants on its 3rd-row seats along with creature comforts of deep recline angles, AC vents, 12V sockets, 4 cup-holders, 3 seat belts with adjustable headrests, 2 storage compartments and 1 removable headrest that has a neat area to be stored inside the 239L generous boot space of this behemoth MPV. Maruti Suzuki innovators should have added request sensors on the outside for drivers and co-passengers. Still, they included a powered tailgate with adjustment settings, memory seats with front-row ventilation, a 10-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto and multi-zone climate control inside the cabin.
Two captain seat configuration is what we witnessed, and despite the lack of ottoman seats, these captain seats have deep recline angles and a foldable tray with cup holders for a passage to the third row. The electronic steering is familiar to other Nexa offerings and is surprisingly light for the size of the vehicle. The driver’s MID has two graphic settings on the rectangular digital display, which is large, clear to read and has analogue dials for some added nostalgia. There are many buttons, and the car resembles a cockpit more than any other minimalist approach design. Front seats have electric adjustments on the top models, allowing a commanding driving position with the hood and a panoramic view from inside.
Designed to impress and accommodate
The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is a large MPV and brings a familiar giant charm. With the generous size of LxWxHxWB (mm) - 4755x1850x1795x2850, the Invicto also sports a 185mm ground clearance. This makes the Invicto the longest car in Maruti Suzuki India’s stable ever! The Invicto sports a monocoque chassis on 17-inch wheels, allowing this large, behemoth SUV-ish car to handle like a large hatchback in an FWD configuration. Complementing that driving dynamic despite the large size is an electronic steering, comfortable and well-balanced suspension setup, and disc brakes on all tyres.
The exterior is functional and features one of the largest panoramic openable sunroofs Maruti cars have ever seen. Maruti innovated the shared fascia to resemble their Nexa-styled cars. Together with the Nexa 3-point LED treatment front and rear, with the chrome bling and Suzuki batch, the Invicto is one handsome MPV and impresses with its style and sheer presence. The 17-inch alloys may seem downsized but allow for versatile tyre combinations, and thicker, wider, larger grippier tyres will be a nice upgrade for aesthetics, functionality and sacred geometry.
