The Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Maruti Suzuki crosses the 30-lakh mark with a well-rounded package

- Afzal Rawuther

For the longest time, Maruti Suzuki has steered clear of even nudging the Rs 20 lakh mark with its cars. But the Grand Vitara has changed all 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 status has invited criticism from sections of the automotive media, I think decisions like these are business decisions first and foremost. A Maruti Suzuki Invicto exists because Maruti Suzuki customers are willing to pay the premium today.

Where Maruti has 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 has opted to offer only the strong hybrid powertrain with the Invicto and ignored the petrol-only powertrain option - a good move considering the purely petrol model of the HyCross isn't really setting sales charts on fire with its lacklustre 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 tail lights get a different signature as well. I think this Nexa treatment makes it look just a bit nicer than the HyCross.