CARVERSAL

According to the automaker's most recent BSE filing, the 'Invicto' will be the name of Maruti Suzuki's impending brand-new MPV. The Invicto, which will debut on July 5, will be based on the Innova Hycross and produced and supplied by Toyota, as we have previously reported. The bookings for the new Invicto will commence from July 19th of 2023

Placement of the Invicto in the Market

With Invicto, the corporation could be attempting to improve the perception of its brand. According to Shashank Srivastava, executive director at Maruti Suzuki, buyers primarily seek a luxury three-row experience in the Rs 20 lakh and above sector, where the distinctions between the SUV and MPV categories are blurring more and more.

Speaking to the media, Srivastava said, “Traditionally, so far, we have been looking distinctly at an MPV buyer and an SUV buyer. However, in this segment, the more we researched into it, found that there was a segment for a premium, three-row vehicle buyer, and it seems to be having very strong cross consideration. In that regard, it appears to be a single segment with similar requirements, similar motives to buy and similar income category.”

Platform and Performance

As with the Grand Vitara, Toyota will manufacture and supply Maruti with the new Invicto MPV at its Bidadi facility. The 2.0-liter strong-hybrid engine in the Invicto will be built on Toyota's TNGA-C platform, which means Maruti will have to pay royalties to Toyota for the same. Maruti is also anticipated to keep offering the Invicto in 7- and 8-seater versions.

Maruti has confirmed that the 183 horsepower, 2.0-liter strong-hybrid powertrain linked to the e-CVT gearbox from the Hycross would power the Invicto. The 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 173 horsepower is anticipated to be available on entry-level trims and paired with a CVT gearbox. This is significant since it will be the first Maruti to only be offered with automatic transmissions.

Maruti Invicto to be costlier than the Toyota Hycross

Just like the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, the Invicto will cost a little more than the comparable Innova Hycross model. For reference, the Innova Hycross's petrol models range in price from Rs 18.55 to Rs 19.45 lakh, while the powerful hybrid models cost between Rs 25 and Rs 29.99 lakh. This price will differentiate both the MPVs from each other. Though the Invicto is quite expensive, our expectation is that it would be the one out of the duo who would sell more.

As both models will be built on the same assembly line, observing how Toyota arranges the manufacturing of the Innova Hycross and the Invicto will be fascinating. Although, the Hycross just added a third shift to its production, the Invicto will merely prolong the strong-hybrid version waiting time, which already extends up to two years in some areas.