Maruti Suzuki Engage is expected to be the name of the upcoming premium MPV based on the Toyota Innova Hycross
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has confirmed that it will launch a brand new MPV in the domestic market in the month of July 2023. Coinciding with the speculations that it will be based on the Toyota Innova Hycross, Maruti Suzuki has applied for the trademark of ‘Maruti Suzuki Engage’ under the automobiles category.
If it turns out to be the case, the Maruti Suzuki Engage will be positioned above the Ertiga and its six-seater version, the XL6. It will more likely be sold through the Nexa premium dealerships. Only a few days ago, the largest car producer in the country announced the prices of the Fronx compact SUV coupe and it will be followed by the Jimny.
The lifestyle off-road SUV will be officially introduced in May 2023 and it will be followed by the premium MPV as the Indo-Japanese manufacturer is looking to rapidly expand its Nexa portfolio. The Engage MPV will become the first cross-badged Toyota supplied to Maruti Suzuki and it could be retailed in seven- and eight-seater configurations.
In addition, the badge-engineered Innova Hycross will more likely become the first Maruti Suzuki model to be equipped with ADAS-based driver-assistive and safety technologies. Underpinned by the TNGA-C platform, the front-wheel-drive MPV is expected to be available in 2.0L NA petrol and a 2.0L strong hybrid petrol engine option.
With Toyota planning to ramp up the production of Innova Hycross and Fortuner to meet high demand, the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Engage will also be rolled out of TKM’s Bidadi plant in Karnataka. The presence of the strong hybrid technology has also been confirmed at an earnings call as the three-row MPV will sit at the top-of-the-range as the flagship model.
We do expect the exterior to be heavily influenced by the Grand Vitara midsize SUV to differentiate itself from the donor (Innova Hycross). The strong hybrid variant is capable of a claimed fuel economy of over 21 kmpl and Maruti Suzuki will more likely look to bank heavily on that. It will be packed with features on the inside and expect the prices to hover around Rs. 18.2 lakh for the base and Rs. 29.5 lakh for the top-end trim (ex-showroom).