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For a car that sprints from 0 to 100 kmph in less than 10 seconds and – thanks to a monocoque body – feels nimble despite its stiff underpinnings, there’s a problem with the Maruti Suzuki Invicto’s spirited driving. Her armrest is either the wrong size or in the wrong place.
Tried swerving, and one found her elbows constantly hitting the overly large armrest. Which is rather unfortunate because the Invicto’s 2-liter petrol engine mated to a hybrid powertrain and smooth automatic gives it impressive straight-line performance.
But this is where the Invicto’s point becomes clearer.
Near Rs 30 lakh (ex showroom in Delhi), the Invicto is Maruti Suzuki’s most expensive offering to date. Despite this, it is not a new car at all. A modified version of the Toyota Innova Hycross, Invicto buyers are more likely to inhabit the plush captain’s seats in the middle row—although the middle row recedes since the Invicto loses the ottoman seats, unlike its Toyota cousin.
Of course, Maruti could have priced the car lower, but it oddly chose only the hybrid-drive version of the car and skipped the non-hybrid version of the engine. Although the hybrid has a much higher fuel efficiency of around 23 kilometers per liter (kmpl) compared to the 16 kilometers per second offered by the non-hybrid variant.
The vehicle will be produced at Toyota Bidade’s factory, on the same assembly line where the Innova Hycross is rolled out – it’s Toyota reliability, the Innova’s iconic center row seats, married to Maruti Suzuki’s strong dealership and service network that make the Invicto such a compelling product.
A car can be a very important product for Maruti Suzuki, because people in its class look at much more than peace of mind and reliability. The badge on the front and back means a lot above the Rs 25 lakh tag.
Take this as an example – in the same segment as Invicto, there are such cars as the Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV 700, Jeep Compass and, of course, the Innova. These are cars that have developed a cult following.
Will people buy an expensive Maruti Suzuki? This was a key question faced by company executives at the car’s launch and subsequent test drive. Names like the Kizashi and the original Vitara have been put forward as examples of a time when the company had a good car, but found it hard to sell simply because people wouldn’t buy the expensive Maruti.
And it’s not like the Invicto comes with all the bells and whistles of its Toyota counterpart—the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) you get is missing from the Innova Hycross, which also sits on smaller 17-inch alloy wheels compared to the 18-inch wheels you get. Toyota.
Shashank Srivastava, Chief Marketing and Sales Executive, Maruti Suzuki India told The Indian Express that the company expects the Invicto to have a “scraping” effect on its other cars.
Our goal is 50 percent of the market share and this is not possible unless we are present in all sectors. This is why we started Nexa for a higher level of buying experience.” “Under the Rs 10 lakh category, we are by far the market leader with a share of around 62 per cent, and in the Rs 10-20 lakh category too, we are the market leader.” with a market share of approximately 23 percent.
He said the segment Invicto operates in is small, with about 5 percent of total vehicle sales, but it is a growing segment. “The volumes in this segment are not very large, but it will have a positive impact on other products in our portfolio,” said Srivastava.
The Invicto has so far received over 7,500 reservations and with waiting times for the Innova Hycross approaching two years, some buyers may find themselves flocking to Maruti’s stable to buy an Invicto.
If you were one of those who wanted an Innova but had to buy an Invicto just because you were getting it sooner, don’t forget to peek on the door hinges – that’s where you can find the Toyota badges. You are at Innova.
(Author’s trip to Jodhpur organized by Maruti Suzuki)
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