For the longest time, Maruti Suzuki has steered clear of even nudging the Rs 20 lakh mark with its cars. The Grand Vitara changed that for the company. And with the Maruti Suzuki Invicto, it has taken things up by a notch. On-road prices for the top-spec trim will be well above the Rs 30 lakh mark which takes Maruti Suzuki into what really is uncharted territory for the brand.

Crucially though, this isn’t some untested product. It is a badge-engineered Toyota Innova HyCross. While this has invited criticism from sections of the automotive media, decisions like these are business-driven first and foremost. A Maruti Suzuki Invicto exists because customers are willing to pay the premium today. While the Grand Vitara and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder were designed and developed together, that’s not the case here. But the fact that the Invicto is fuel efficient and bound to be extremely reliable, should make it more appealing.

Where Maruti have played it smart is when it comes to the variants and features on offer. Things like the powered ottoman and ADAS suite are given a miss. Maruti Suzuki have opted to only offer the strong hybrid powertrain, and ignore the petrol-only powertrain option – a good move considering that model of the HyCross isn’t really setting sales charts on fire with its lackluster fuel economy and poorly equipped cabin.

What little there is in terms of differentiation can be found at the front and rear of the Invicto. The front fascia is reworked, the Nexa signature DRLs are present, the headlights have a different shape and the taillights get a different signature as well. On the sides, the Invicto gets 17-inch wheels instead of 18-inch ones on the HyCross. While this does make the car look under-tyred, it offers two advantages (we’ll discuss those a little later). I think this Nexa treatment actually makes it look just a bit nicer than the HyCross.

On the inside, the story continues and there is even less in terms of differentiation. The Maruti Suzuki gets black upholstery with champagne gold accents on certain bits on the dash. That aside, everything else remains the same. The cabin does feel well built, but with way too many hard-wearing plastics. The dash layout too is simple, but ergonomic. The seats, draped in black leatherette, are large and comfortable and the view out of the cabin is very good with great all-around visibility for a car this size.

Available in seven and eight-seater configurations, the Invicto is a spacious car no matter what variant you get. The top-spec variant can only be had with seven seats with two captain seats making up the second row and a bench making up the third row. Space in the third row is good enough for adults and that is a USP for the HyCross and the Invicto. Fold the third row down and there is cavernous amounts of boot space too.

Available in two well specced variants, the Zeta+ and the top-of-the-line Alpha+, the Invicto has a serious feature list. There’s a powered driver’s seat with memory, dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate. A large panoramic sunroof makes the cabin feel airy even with the black upholstery. Creature comforts like the front ventilated seats are good to have while the 360-degree camera does a good enough job of allowing you to maneuver the Invicto into tight spots easily. The 10.1-inch touchscreen is a bit of a downgrade with dated graphics and slow responses. There is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as you would expect, but the screen itself leaves a lot to be desired. The 6-speaker sound system is down on total number of speakers when compared to the JBL-branded 9-speaker unit on the HyCross. I do like the instrument cluster which provides a host of information about what the complex drivetrain is doing at any given moment. There’s six airbags, ABS, ESC, hill start assist and ISOFIX mounts that come as standard while ADAS is given a miss.

With 154PS of power from the 4-cylinder petrol engine and 115PS from the AC synchronous motor, performance is brisk even if the total output comes to 188PS that’s deployed to the front wheels via and e-CVT gearbox. Starting in all-electric mode with power from the self-charging nickel-metal-hydride battery, the Invicto makes a silent getaway. It will continue to be in electric mode given you are light on the throttle. More importantly, when it does switch to petrol power, or a combination of petrol and electric, the transition is smooth and imperceptible. The paddles on the steering wheel allow you to switch through the six steps on the e-CVT while the drive modes have a significant impact on throttle mapping. Much like the HyCross, the Invicto should offer compelling fuel efficiency. The smaller tyres on the Invicto should allow it to eke out a bit more, actually.

The smaller tyres also play a part in how the Invicto rides. The ride quality seems a bit more supple as compared to the HyCross. It handles poor roads well and the suspension itself goes about its job in a fuss free manner. The steering wheel is light and it is easy to place the car accurately on the road. At speeds, the Invicto feels confident and poised. There is a good amount of body roll that is to be expected with the soft suspension setup, but the Invicto is not cumbersome to drive at higher speeds.

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto offers just about everything you’d want from your large MPV. But so does the Innova HyCross. It is slightly less expensive than the HyCross with prices starting at Rs. 24.79 lakh and going upto Rs. 28.42 lakh (both prices ex-showroom). The Invicto will do well considering that it is essentially a proven product that’s repackaged for a Maruti Suzuki audience. More importantly for the company, it will unlock a whole new section of buyers that would otherwise not be in the Maruti Suzuki fold. Production constraints and Maruti Suzuki’s arrangement with Toyota will ultimately dictate how many units are sold (remember, the Innova HyCross has a large unfulfilled order book to begin with) but demand is set to be a given.