Maruti Suzuki Invicto MPV road review: It takes a twin to challenge Innova

Once upon a time, there was a car brand that ruled a kingdom wide and till far with its army of small and compact vehicles. The foot soldiers of the company were affordable models that may not have had much in terms of looks and features but gained a fabulous repute for being practical and affordable. Times change and with it, Maruti Suzuki has evolved enormously and its alliance with Toyota has been fundamental in arming it with larger and significantly more premium offerings. The latest? Maruti Suzuki Invicto MPV.

Essentially a re-badged version of the Innova Hycross that was launched by Toyota Kirloskar Motor just earlier this year, the Maruti Invcito is a serious foray into a serious space of premium MPVs, one that has been dominated by Innova since time immemorial. And yet, the Invicto comes in as a twin that is waging a big war for attention and appreciation.

Comparisons between Invicto and Innova Hycross have already dominated car talks in India in recent times but that has hardly deterred Maruti Suzuki from positioning its product as a solid proposition. The Invicto is the largest Maruti Suzuki vehicle, speaking in terms of dimensions. It is also carries the largest weight of aspirations for the company and is its priciest model in the country yet. But for all the talks and comparisons, what does it bring to the battlefield?

Here is the first-drive review of Maruti Suzuki Invicto:

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Exterior impressions

The Invicto is as big and as imposing as the Innova Hycross. In terms of dimensions, both vehicles are identical. Even in terms of design cues, most elements are shared except some significant bits that lend the Maruti MPV a tad bit of freshness. The face, for instance, gets a reworked - and larger - grille with twin slats converging on the Suzuki logo. The bumper is new and so are the reworked LED turn indicators towards the bottom. It also gets Nexa three-dot LED DRLs and lighting system. The central air intake is larger than what is on the Hycross while there is some silver garnish to complete the look.

A look at the front face of the Maruti Suzuki Invicto.

From the side, the Invicto is absolutely identical to the Hycross except for the alloy design. This model sits on 17-inch wheels although the Hycross also offers larger 18-inch wheels. The wheel arches, the character line, the belt line, the window sizes - all are otherwise carried forward.

The belt line, character line and wheel arches on the side profile of Invicto are identical to that on the Innova Hycross.

Over at the rear, the Invicto gets a different treatment for its LED tail lights. The three-dot LED lights here give it a fresher appeal while there is a chrome garnish on the rear bumper.

A closer look at the tail light design on the Invicto.

But all of these elements are minor at best and the Invicto mostly benefits from the familiar and mature looks that the Innova Hycross has had. It is a no-nonsense, mature visual language which does not go overboard from any angle.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Cabin and feature highlights

The Invicto - much like Innova Hycross - offers seats in two layouts. There is an eight-seat layout but this review focuses on the seven-seat version with Captain's Seats in the middle row.

Dedicated seats in the middle row - complete with window shades, panoramic sunroof and a foldable tray - make this the place of choice inside the Maruti Suzuki Invicto.

If space has not been an issue ever inside the Innova, it won't be inside the Invicto either. The middle-row seats are done well with enough space in the middle to squeeze in through here to the final row space. But there is also a tumble down function from the side to allow for an easier passage. The middle-row passengers get a foldable tray with cup holders and benefit the most from a panoramic sunroof with ambient lighting on top. The top variant of Invicto is one down from the top variant of Innova Hycross which means a more affordable price tag but also means there are no Ottoman Seats and no JBL-powered music system.

Dedicated AC vents for all three rows is great and this alone would ensure that not many would complain of being thrown to the last row. Space here is one of the best on any three-row vehicle in the country and there are storage and charging options galore too.

The Invicto is one of very few vehicles in India where being dispatched to the third row does not seem like a punishment.

With all three rows up, there is 239 litres of boot space and that is generous enough for short trips. But this space can be expanded to up to 600 litres depending on how the seats are folded. And more luggage may not necessarily mean more muscle power because the Invicto comes with powered tailgate, something the Hycross does not have.

But back to the business end of the vehicle and the front row passenger and driver can look forward to a 10.1-inch infotainment screen - the largest ever inside a Maruti vehicle. It supports the usual fare of Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Suzuki Connect for remote operations.

A look at the dashboard layout inside the Maruti Suzuki Invicto.

The seven-inch all-digital driver display, in comparison, is a let down and looks arcade-ish. This is also the same unit that is inside the Innova Hycross and the only other alternative would have been the screen that is on the Brezza and Grand Vitara - not too great for a premium MPV either.

But what makes up for this are factors like decent materials on the dashboard and seats (ventilated), power-adjustable driver seat with memory function, a bronze outline over the vertically-oriented center console and plenty of storage spaces here as well.

The cabin of the Invicto too isn't radically different from that of the Innova Hycross and this once again helps its cause. There is acres of space and the promise of a lot of comfort. The feature list is decent but while powered tailgate and ambient lighting on top are Invicto-exclusive, there is not much that is otherwise radically different.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Engine and drive highlights

Invicto is the first-ever model from Maruti Suzuki which comes with only automatic transmission.

It is very important to note first up that the Invicto is only offered with the strong hybrid technology and therefore, any price comparisons with the most-affordable variant of the Innova Hycross - the mild-hybrid versions - won't be fair.

That said, the Invicto makes use of the same trusty 2.0-litre petrol motor that is under the hood of the Innova Hycross as well. This engine comes mated to an e-CVT transmission unit and puts out a total of 184 hp and offers a little over 200 Nm of torque. What these figures mean for the large MPV in the real world is a steady drive trait with a lot of pulling power if and when required.

Maruti Suzuki claims Invicto offers a mileage of 23.24 kmpl.

Although this test unit had just two occupants and no luggage, the Invicto's drive through Jodhpur city and on the highways just outside provided - yet again - ample examples of just why the mechanics are so much fun. The Invicto - much like the Innova Hycross - drives like a car despite its proportions and weights while munching mile after mile with tireless ease.

The steering is typically well set up and the three drive modes - including Sports - provides a healthy dose of the character that is sought. Triple-digit speeds come up relatively quick and the Invicto remains well composed through it all.

The suspension, however, is a slight let down and is a tad too soft for personal preferences. What this means is that regardless of speeds, one would inevitably notice slight and constant jitters from the seats. This is the only one noticable blemish in what is otherwise a great drive and ride experience here.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto: Verdict

Maruti Suzuki has no plans of exporting Invicto at the moment. It will also not be sent for fleet operations at the moment.

It isn't easy to mount a challenge to the Innova - Crysta or Hycross. Many a valiant challenger has come and withered away. So in many ways, it would have taken a twin brother to launch what could be a scathing challenge for the crown. And that is precisely what the Maruti Suzuki Invicto is and does.

The Invicto is a confident, spacious and premium offering that replicates the strengths of Innova Hycross point-by-point. The question then is if the potential buyer would choose it over Innova? Much would depend on the goodwill that Maruti Suzuki's sales and service network is able to extend to an entirely different crop of buyers, many of whom swear by Toyota's robust network. A lot would also depend on waiting periods for both vehicles and how quickly each company is able to fulfil order banks even if the production takes place at the same Bidadi facility.

Invicto won't rake up numbers Maruti Suzuki is accustomed to. But the company isn't expecting thousands and thousands of Invictos to be offloaded either. Instead, it is a strong show of intent that an already fast-diversifying model lineup is alive and buzzing.