TeaThe Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur is unusual and reminiscent of the domes and pillars of the North and South Blocks of Raisina Hill in New Delhi. This is because the British architect of the palace, Henry Vaughan Lanchester, was a contemporary of Edwin Lutyens, the designer of India’s capitol complex. Many consider Umaid Bhawan to be the last of the palaces built before India’s independence. Inside this luxurious home, you feel as if you have been transported to another era of opulence and luxury.
Not surprisingly, this is where India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki wanted to showcase its most expensive vehicle to the media for the first time. The Umaid Bhawan resembles New Delhi’s Secretariat building, the Invicto is basically the Toyota Innova Highcross with some minor tweaks and embellishments. Sure enough, when you start the car, the instrument cluster and infotainment panel flash Suzuki’s ‘S’ logo instead of Toyota’s ‘T’. The alloy wheels are slightly different, and the redesigned headlights and taillights incorporate Maruti’s ‘Nexa’ brand identity. But make no mistake; This is the Innova Highcross. However, the extra chrome on the exterior makes the Invicto appear more proportioned than the Highcross.
Even its drive feels very similar to the Highcross, as I mentioned in my Review Last year, was an enjoyable car to drive. However, there are some differences. The Invicto is only available with a hybrid drivetrain option and lacks the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features found in the top-spec variant of Toyota’s Hycross. While this may frustrate some buyers, it helps Maruti-Suzuki to price its top-spec Invicto around Rs 2 lakh lower than the equivalent variant from Toyota.
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smooth on the road
The point is this. The overwhelming majority of Innovas and Invictos will not be run by their owners. The comfortable captain seats in the second row mean that owners love to drive in these cars. And it’s a pity because they love to drive. On the highway from Jodhpur towards the former fiefdom of Khimsar, the car felt sturdy and handled well. Despite the presence of freight trucks on the two-lane road, getting in and out of traffic was relatively smooth, and even when testing the rear seats, the car displayed quite measured body roll.
Yes, there are issues, such as the noise coming from the ‘Atkinson Cycle’ engine and the fact that the car slows considerably when you take off the accelerator pedal – both aspects of hybrid vehicles. But you can deal with the former by playing music through the infotainment system and the latter by adjusting your driving style.
However, would you rather spend over Rs 30 lakh on a Maruti-Suzuki? The on-road price of the Alpha+ variant of the Invicto will be similar (Rs 28.4 lakh, ex-showroom New Delhi).
Maruti Suzuki has tried selling premium vehicles in the past as well, but it was not very successful in the market. The original two generations of the Maruti Grand Vitara SUV and even the Kizashi sedan can be considered sales failures even though they were all excellent cars. Things may be a little different this time. Maruti-Suzuki has premium Nexa retail outlets, and strong demand for new vehicles should benefit the carmaker. In fact, if you want to buy the high-end Toyota Innova Highcross, you will have to wait till 2025 for deliveries due to high demand.
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Toyota x Maruti Suzuki
The company’s executive director Shashank Srivastava is confident that Maruti-Suzuki has been able to move upmarket over the years. “We are now the market leader in the Rs 15-20 lakh segment, where we were barely present a few years back. And we already have over 6,500 bookings for the vehicle,” he said. But on to the important question that many potential customers are asking: How long will the waiting period be? “It depends on our partnership with Toyota, but I hope they can provide us [with] As many cars as they can. However, please understand that we are still competing in the market, and our prices are independent of Toyota’s fees,” Srivastava replied.
Maruti-Suzuki’s profit margins may be taking a slight hit as compared to Toyota as it is a new segment in terms of vehicle and price range. But looking at the current state of the market, there is no doubt that you will see some of these cars on the roads in the coming months. The future plans of Maruti-Suzuki and its partnership with Toyota are still under wraps. Some say that the Toyota-badged variant of the Ertiga called the Rumion, which is currently exported from India, will be sold in the domestic market as well. The discussions between the Toyota and Suzuki families are still a mystery, but with the success of the Invicto, things could soon change.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)