The Invicto represents Maruti Suzuki's take on Toyota's Innova Hycross, sharing the same underlying platform. However, Maruti's approach with the Invicto highlights its emphasis on fuel efficiency and premium features, evident in the powertrain choices and available variants. Unlike the Toyota counterpart, the Invicto exclusively offers a high-efficiency, strong-hybrid petrol powertrain, while restricting the variants to high- and top-spec options only. This exclusive range of the Invicto comes with a rather unexpected price range of Rs 24.79 lakh to 28.42 lakh (ex-showroom), positioning the brand in a new and higher price bracket.

Invicto: Elevating the Toyota Innova Hycross to a Rs 30 Lakh Marvel, Defying Expectations

The Invicto represents Maruti Suzuki's take on Toyota's Innova Hycross, sharing the same underlying platform. However, Maruti's approach with the Invicto highlights its emphasis on fuel efficiency and premium features, evident in the powertrain choices and available variants. Unlike the Toyota counterpart, the Invicto exclusively offers a high-efficiency, strong-hybrid petrol powertrain, while restricting the variants to high- and top-spec options only. This exclusive range of the Invicto comes with a rather unexpected price range of Rs 24.79 lakh to 28.42 lakh (ex-showroom), positioning the brand in a new and higher price bracket.

Unveiling the Striking Design and Styling of Maruti Suzuki Invicto

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto surprises with its large dimensions, measuring 4,755mm in length, 1,850mm in width, and 1,795mm in height, making it stand out among the typical small hatchbacks associated with the brand. While closely resembling the Toyota Innova Hycross, the Invicto showcases distinctive elements like a unique grille design, three-block daytime running lamps, and slight variations in the front bumper and tail-lamps. The 17-inch alloy wheels, though slightly undersized for its size, were chosen to prioritize ride comfort. Overall, the Invicto presents an appealing departure from the usual Maruti lineup, offering a larger and more distinct presence on the road.

Elevating Interior Comfort and Quality

The Invicto's interior bears a striking resemblance to the Hycross, featuring a spacious and airy cabin with black upholstery and champagne gold accents. The leatherette seats exude a luxurious feel, complemented by padded materials on the dashboard. However, similar to the Hycross, the presence of some low-quality plastics is noticeable. The Invicto prioritizes driver comfort with generously sized seats, offering a pleasant seating experience. Excellent visibility and conveniently positioned controls enhance the driving experience. The user-friendly dashboard design, though not groundbreaking, maintains a clean layout.

Unparalleled Space and Comfort

The Invicto offers both 8- and 7-seat configurations, similar to the Hycross. The 8-seat version features a bench seat in the middle row, while the 7-seat variant includes individual captain's chairs. These spacious captain's seats provide excellent comfort with backrest recline and adjustable armrests. However, the Invicto lacks a powered leg rest, a feature found in the top spec Hycross. In terms of space, the Invicto impresses, allowing for a comfortable legroom balance in the third row. The middle-row seats can be slid far back when the last row is unoccupied, further enhancing legroom. It's worth noting that taller passengers may encounter some interference with the battery casing located under the front seats when extending their legs fully. Accessing the third row is convenient, with the middle-row seats sliding forward extensively to create a wide opening. In the 7-seater variant, there is also the option to pass through the gap between the captain's chairs. Overall, the Invicto offers ample space for three adults in the back, although taller individuals may find headroom in the third row slightly limited.

Advanced Features and Safety

Maruti Suzuki has chosen to offer the Invicto in high-spec Zeta+ and fully loaded Alpha+ trims, showcasing a range of advanced features uncommon for the brand. Noteworthy firsts for Maruti include a powered driver's seat with memory function, dual-zone climate control with dedicated rear cabin zone, rear window sunshades, and a powered tailgate. Enhancing the overall experience, the Invicto also boasts ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, and a 360-degree camera system, which though not high-resolution, proves helpful when manoeuvring the vehicle in tight spaces. However, the 10.1-inch touchscreen display falls short compared to Suzuki's Smart Play Pro+ unit found in other Maruti models. The graphics appear dull, and the responsiveness of the screen leaves something to be desired. Nonetheless, the unit includes essential features like Android Auto (wired) and wireless Apple CarPlay, paired with a 6-speaker audio system. It is worth noting that a similarly priced Hycross offers a more premium 9-speaker JBL sound system. Regarding safety equipment, the Invicto impresses with standard features such as six airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, hill start assist, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. However, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) available in the Hycross are currently absent from the Invicto. Maruti insiders have hinted at the potential inclusion of such technologies in the future, as they continue to strive for further improvements in this area.

Unmatched Practicality: Maruti Suzuki Invicto Redefines Convenience and Utility

The Invicto is designed with practicality in mind, offering an abundance of bottle holders, cup holders, and convenient storage compartments for your everyday essentials. Moreover, the Invicto’s luggage room is particularly impressive. Even with the third row in use, there is sufficient space to accommodate a couple of soft bags or cabin luggage. However, the true versatility of the Invicto's cargo space is revealed when the 50:50 split rear seats are folded flat, creating an expansive area comparable to that of a cargo van. Loading large items is effortless thanks to the wide opening, and the convenience of the powered tailgate becomes especially appreciated on rainy or muddy days.

Unleashing Powerful Performance: Maruti Suzuki Invicto's Dynamic Driving Experience

The Maruti Invicto is exclusively available with a robust hybrid powertrain, combining a 152hp, 1987cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine and a 113hp AC synchronous electric motor. With a combined maximum power output of 186hp, the Invicto delivers its drive to the front wheels through an e-CVT gearbox.

Starting in electric mode, the Invicto offers a quiet and fuel-efficient experience, especially during relaxed city driving. The electric mode allows for significant distance coverage before the petrol engine engages to recharge the battery. In our tests, the sibling Innova Hycross achieved an impressive fuel economy of 13.1kpl in the city and 16.1kpl on the highway, highlighting the efficiency of the hybrid powertrain.

Slightly pressing the accelerator triggers the petrol engine to take over as the primary source of propulsion, with the electric motor providing supplementary power. The performance is smooth, and the power delivery is consistent, providing ample power for overtaking maneuvers. However, pushing the accelerator to the limit may result in a strained engine sound. The Invicto offers drive modes (Power, Normal, and Eco) to adapt to various driving conditions, and paddle shifters are available to navigate the six steps of the e-CVT gearbox.

Effortless Ride and Agile Handling: Maruti Suzuki Invicto's Dynamic Performance

Despite its large size, the Invicto proves surprisingly easy to maneuver. The steering is light and responsive, making parking and low-speed maneuvers effortless. Additionally, the Invicto benefits from a relatively small turning circle, further enhancing its agility and making it feel more compact than it is. Ride comfort is commendable, thanks to Maruti's decision to equip the Invicto with 17-inch rims instead of larger 18-inch ones found on the top-spec Hycross. The result is a well-rounded ride quality with appreciable bump absorption and quiet suspension operation. However, some road noise does make its way into the cabin.

At higher speeds, the Invicto maintains satisfactory steering feel and exhibits well-controlled body movements. It handles winding roads with competence and remains composed even when encountering rough sections at speed. It's worth noting that while the monocoque construction of the Invicto delivers good performance, it lacks the ruggedness and perceived invincibility typically associated with ladder-frame models. Additionally, buyers in hilly areas may have reservations about the front-wheel-drive layout.

Unveiling the Price and Final Verdict: Maruti Suzuki Invicto's Impressive Offering

Maruti Suzuki Invicto stands as a strong contender in the premium MPV segment, offering the essential elements that buyers seek, including size, features, comfort, and impressive fuel economy. It also guarantees a peace-of-mind ownership experience. However, it shares many highlights with its counterpart, the Innova Hycross. Choosing between the two boils down to factors such as affordability, additional features offered by the Toyota, personal brand affinity, aesthetics, and interior color preferences. Considering the similarities, opting for the model with faster delivery may be a wise decision.

While the Invicto, like the Hycross, has its imperfections such as certain plastic materials not aligning with its price tag and the absence of a diesel engine, it still outweighs its drawbacks. Overall, the Invicto presents a compelling package and comes highly recommended, standing out as an appealing choice in its segment.