The Maruti Suzuki Invicto joined the TURBOCHARGED fleet just in time. I had a family function to attend around 200 kilometres away and six people to ferry. While I initially contemplated taking a diesel SUV along, I wanted to know how the Hybrid would fare on a road trip, especially on the fuel efficiency front. Hybrids are economical in the city but on the highway where the electric motor is not in play most of the time, the economy goes down. My destination required me to travel across the Mumbai-Pune expressway, through peak Thane traffic and onto the Mumbai-Gujarat highway which is currently undergoing roadworks.
Before the trip, I had been commuting with the Invicto to office for a couple of days and despite its size, the MPV is quite relaxing to drive. This mainly is due to it running in EV mode, the silent operation making driving quite soothing. Also the surprisingly light steering also makes it easy to manoeuvre besides which the turning radius is tight for an MPV.
The Invicto has impeccable highway manners, it feels composed at high speeds and the suspension is quite absorbent without being overtly soft — even with six passengers aboard. It also has ample ground clearance to clear broken roads with ease.
At highway speeds with the AC on full blast, the petrol motor comes into play often. However, if you keep it under 60kmph, the Invicto drives in EV mode most of the time leading to phenomenal fuel efficiency figures. At one point, I was able to eke out over 25kmpl, this from an MPV larger than the Innova Crysta!
The hybrid powertrain aside, the Invicto impresses with its space — passenger and storage both. The cavernous cabin comes with large plush seats, making it quite comfortable for everyone over long distances. The boot space is generous with the third row seat up and there are plenty of cup holders for all rows. In fact, the cabin space is easily one of the best you can get below ` 50 lakh, be it an MPV or SUV.
The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is easily one of the most underrated vehicles on sale. It looks premium, is feature packed and offers tons of space. A fantastic MPV to ferry your family in.
