The launch of Maruti Suzuki’s biggest MPV yet, the Invicto, has been received rather dramatically. On one hand are those who are not so impressed by the idea of a ‘rebadged Toyota Innova Hycross’. There are others who are more than happy to upgrade to a Maruti Suzuki in a segment it wasn’t present in, up until a few months ago. The latter has meant that India’s biggest carmaker is sitting on an order bank of several thousand bookings resulting in a 14-month waiting period. Of course, this is also because Maruti Suzuki gets a limited number of units from Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
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The Invicto already has a waiting period of more than one year.
If you are going to brave that kind of wait, make it an informed one by making sure you choose the variant best suited to your needs. There is a substantial price difference of around Rs 3.60 lakh between the entry and top variants of the MPV. Here are the differences.
Of the two trims, the lower Zeta Plus is available in seven and eight-seater options. The latter costs Rs 5,000 more. The higher Alpha Plus trim is only available as a 7-seater with captain seats in the second row. The driver has power adjustments and front seats are ventilated.
Top-spec Alpha Plus is only available in seven-seat form, with captain seats for the second row passengers.
A rear seatbelt warning system was initially not offered on the lower trim but has been now made standard albeit at a cost (Rs 3,000 more). Alpha Plus gets leatherette seats while Zeta Plus has fabric upholstery.
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Both variants have the same wheel and tyre sizes.
The top Alpha Plus trim gets chrome door handles and plastic cladding. In the lower Zeta Plus, the door handles are body coloured, but missing the chrome finish seen on the Alpha Plus. Thankfully, alloy wheels and tyres are the same size on both. Roof rails are standard.
This is where you will see the most difference. Apart from the differences in seats mentioned above, the Alpha Plus trim gets a panoramic sunroof and a larger 10-inch touchscreen instead of an 8-inch in the Zeta Plus trim. While Android Auto is available on both, the higher trim gets wireless Apple CarPlay.
Larger touchscreen sets the Alpha Plus apart on the inside.
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While six airbags are standard, the Alpha Plus also offers additional ease with front and rear parking sensors and 360-degree cameras. The interior rear-view mirror has an auto-dimming function. In Zeta Plus, the driver needs to adjust it manually. Honestly, the latter’s functionality is more effective. Importantly, the Alpha Plus gets an anti-theft security system as standard and ISOFIX child seat anchorages; the Zeta Plus misses out on these features.
In case you are opting for Zeta Plus, do note that some features such as remote operations including AC on/off and power window operations will only be available in the Alpha Plus trim.
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While the Invicto Zeta Plus is also reasonably well-equipped, the Alpha Plus comes with the added convenience of on-board tyre pressure monitor, rear automatic climate control (can also be conveniently operated from the front console) and powered tailgate. Additionally, the intermittent wiper operation can be manually adjusted for various speeds depending on the amount of rain. While auto headlights are standard, automatic wipers aren’t, on either trim.
For this price segment, one really expects the Invicto to be fully specced. That 15 per cent premium on the Alpha Plus seems worth it. While there is a marginal difference in weight, it doesn’t really affect the performance and fuel efficiency of the higher trim either. In the Zeta Plus trim, the 8-seat variant is a more flexible option and seems more attractive.
