Maruti Suzuki’s foray into the sub-Rs 30 lakh passenger vehicle market is off to an encouraging start. India’s largest carmaker has confirmed it has already received over 6,200 bookings for its latest offering, the Maruti Suzuki Invicto. The new MPV – based on the Toyota Innova Hycross – sits right at the top of Maruti Suzuki’s passenger vehicle line-up, with prices ranging from Rs 24.79 lakh to Rs 28.42 lakh (ex-showroom). At these prices, the Invicto is the most expensive passenger vehicle yet to sport a Suzuki badge in India.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Invicto MPV Launched In India; Prices Begin At Rs. 24.79 Lakh
The introduction of the Invicto – which is manufactured at Toyota’s facility in Bidadi, Karnataka – is the first instance of a Toyota being sold as a Suzuki-badged model in India since the two automotive giants announced their alliance in 2017. So far, it is Maruti Suzuki that has been supplying its vehicles to Toyota (the Baleno as the Glanza, and the Vitara Brezza as the now-discontinued Urban Cruiser), and a number of models, including the Ertiga and Ciaz, are sold as Toyotas in some overseas markets. The two carmakers have also rolled out two co-developed SUVs in the form of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, both of which are being manufactured by Toyota.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Invicto’s Success Will Hinge On ‘Good Marketing’: Shashank Srivastava, MSIL
Maruti has previously said the Invicto's success will hinge on marketing it the right way.
For now, the Invicto is available with a sole powertrain option – a 2.0-litre petrol engine combined with a strong hybrid system. Peak output is rated at 184 bhp, and while maximum engine torque is rated at 188 Nm, the electric motor produces a peak 206 Nm. Transmission duties are handled by an e-CVT, and the Invicto’s fuel efficiency figure of 23.24 kmpl mirrors that of the Hycross hybrid.
Also Read: Toyota Commences Third Shift At Bidadi Plant To Reduce Waiting Periods
At this point, Maruti Suzuki hasn’t specified if there will be a waiting period for the Invicto. At present, Toyota mentions there is a near-two-year waiting period for the Hycross hybrid, and bookings for the ZX and ZX (O) trims have been temporarily stopped.
The Invicto, which is available in Zeta+ and Alpha+ trims, appears to be based on the VX and ZX trims of the Hycross hybrid, but there are some vital feature deletions. The Invicto misses out on the second-row ottoman seats, gets a 6-speaker audio system instead of the 9-speaker audio system on the Hycross ZX, and also lacks advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) offered on the Hycross ZX (O).
