oi-Dennis Abraham James
When
Suzuki
and
Toyota
inked
their
badge-swapping
deal
a
while
back,
the
larger
Japanese
firm
benefitted
from
the
partnership
by
gobbling
up
the
Brezza
and
the
Baleno
from
Maruti
Suzuki.
While
fans
of
Toyota
weren’t
the
biggest
fans
of
the
deal,
it
did
help
the
firm
shore
up
its
numbers
in
India.
However,
over
the
past
few
months,
the
shoe
has
been
on
the
other
foot,
as
Maruti
took
the
Hyryder
and
made
it
the
Grand
Vitara.
Recently,
Toyota
dropped
the
all-new
Innova
Hycross,
and
the
latest
iteration
of
the
King
of
the
MPVs
in
India
has
become
the
latest
product
from
Aichi
in
Japan
to
feature
an ‘S’ on
its
nose.
The
result
is
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto,
a
rebadged
Innova
Hycross
that
tweaks
the
looks
of
the
Innova,
fits
it
with
smaller
wheels
and
rips
out
driver
aids
for
a
price
tag
no
one
a
decade
ago
would
have
pictured
next
to
a
Maruti
Suzuki.
So
do
the
changes
make
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
the
ultimate
cheat
code
or
are
the
changes
a
step
too
far
into
the
unknown
for
India’s
largest
carmaker?
We
drove
the
all-new
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
in
Rajasthan
to
find
the
answer…
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
Design
&
Features
–
Tweaking
The
Unbeatable
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto,
like
other
vehicles
in
the
Toyota/Maruti
Suzuki
world
of
badge
swaps,
is
more
of
a
facelift
than
a
proper
face
swap.
Like
its
smaller
rebadged
siblings,
the
Invicto
redoes
the
face
and
a
few
other
bits
to
give
the
premium
MPV
a
distinctive
Maruti
Suzuki
look
that
has
become
a
trademark
for
the
firm’s
premium
Nexa
lineup.
At
the
front,
the
Invicto
features
a
different
grille
that
features
chunky
chrome
bars
connecting
the
Suzuki
badge
to
the
revised
headlamps
that
feature
new
triple
LED
daytime
running
lights.
The
new
grille
looks
similar
to
the
one
on
the
Grand
Vitara
and
the
new
Fronx
SUVs
and,
when
combined
with
the
smoked
look
of
the
headlamps,
gives
the
new
Invicto
a
distinctively
Nexa
look.
And
the
large
turn
signals
are
no
longer
dual-purpose
units.
Other
changes
on
the
new
Invicto
compared
to
the
Innova
Hycross
include
the
new
triple
LED
taillights
on
the
Maruti
version
of
the
MPV,
which
also
sports
smaller
17-inch
alloy
wheels.
The
interiors
of
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
are
a
near-carbon
copy
of
the
Innova.
However,
Maruti
Suzuki
has
added
a
few
champagne
gold
highlights
to
the
new
Invicto’s
cabin
that
give
it
a
more
premium
look.
However,
the
all-black
interior
and
the
silver
trim
on
the
steering
wheel
and
dash
look
slightly
less
premium.
The
seats
are
also
almost
identical.
While
the
front
seats
are
the
same
ventilated,
adjustable
(driver’s
only)
units,
However,
the
captain
seats
on
the
7-seater
version
of
the
new
Invicto
are
not
as
mad
as
the
ottoman
units
on
the
Innova.
The
display
for
the
infotainment
screen
remains
the
same
–
a
10.1-inch
touchscreen
with
support
for
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay.
The
7-inch
display
in
the
instrument
binnacle
has
also
been
retained,
as
has
the
dual-zone
climate
control
setup,
powered
tailgate,
large
panoramic
sunroof,
and
the
wireless
charging
pad
that
sits
above
the
glovebox.
The
new
Invicto
from
Maruti
Suzuki
also
gets
the
firm’s
Suzuki
Connect
suite
of
connected
car
features.
These
allow
you
to
track
your
Invicto
and
know
when
it
is
being
towed
away
or
stolen,
along
with
a
host
of
other
functions
like
geofencing
and
door
lock/unlock,
which
can
be
done
through
a
connected
smartwatch.
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
also
comes
packed
with
quite
a
bit
of
safety
kit,
including
six
airbags,
ABS
with
EBD
vehicle
stability
control,
hill
start
assist,
a
360-degree
camera
with
dynamic
guidelines,
front
and
rear
parking
sensors
and
all-wheel
disc
brakes.
However,
Maruti
Suzuki
has
ditched
ADAS
once
again
with
the
all-new
Invicto,
which
we
feel
is
something
they
should
not
have
compromised
on
as
these
driver-aids
help
save
more
lives
on
the
road.
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
Driving
Impressions
–
More
Of
The
Same
Instead
of
borrowing
all
the
powertrains
on
offer
with
the
Innova,
Maruti
Suzuki
has
decided
to
stick
with
the
strong
hybrid
system
for
the
Invicto.
The
hybrid
setup
is
paired
with
an
e-CVT
gearbox
that
sends
power
to
the
front
wheels.
The
hybrid
setup
consists
of
a
2.0-litre
Atkinson
cycle
four-cylinder
engine
that
pushes
out
150bhp
and
187Nm
of
peak
torque.
The
engine
is
helped
along
by
a
single
electric
motor
producing
111bhp
and
206Nm
and
is
paired
with
a
1.7kWh
NIMH
battery
pack.
The
power
output
of
the
hybrid
setup
of
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
is
limited
to
184bhp.
The
Invicto
sprints
from
0-100km/h
in
9.5
seconds,
and
the
premium
MPV
delivers
a
mileage
of
23.24km/l.
The
Invicto
starts
on
electric
power,
and
it
will
easily
go
around
town
with
the
engine
only
coming
in
to
recharge
the
battery
or
to
give
a
bit
of
extra
boost
when
needed.
However,
when
the
speeds
go
up,
the
roles
flip.
With
the
engine
in
charge,
the
motor
adds
electrical
assistance,
and
the
combination
easily
goes
up
the
speedometer.
Initially,
the
response
is
linear;
however,
it
does
peter
out
at
higher
speeds
with
the
e-CVT,
making
the
powerplant
feel
a
bit
weirdly
strained.
However,
at
lower
speeds,
the
gearbox
feels
more
at
ease.
The
monocoque
chassis
setup
means
that
the
Invicto
drives
down
the
highways
with
ease.
The
17-inch
wheels
are
shod
with
215/60
tyres,
and
the
ride
of
the
Invicto
feels
slightly
plusher
than
the
Innova.
Turning
round
bends
is
also
quite
nice
for
a
vehicle
this
size.
However,
don’t
expect
any
miracles
when
you
push
the
Invicto
around
a
corner
despite
how
easy
the
power
steering
makes
it
seem.
The
brakes
on
the
Invicto
are
aided
by
the
regeneration
of
the
hybrid
setup.
The
regen
can
be
tweaked,
and
with
discs
all
around,
the
Invicto
comes
to
a
stop
with
relative
ease.
Final
Thoughts
About
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
–
Cheat
Code
Activated
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Invicto
seems
like
the
ultimate
cheat
code
for
fans
of
the
nation’s
largest
carmaker,
who
seem
to
be
getting
a
rebadged
Innova
for
around
Rs
1
lakh
less.
However,
while
the
Invicto
may
seem
to
some
as
an
imposter
with
an
S
badge,
especially
with
the
lack
of
ADAS,
Maruti
customers
will
still
find
it
to
be
a
rather
brilliant
deal.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
that’s
all
that
matters
at
the
end
of
the
day.
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