Toyota Innova has been the best seller and the most preferred car when it comes to the commercial market. The car is also the first choice for big families and has ruled the MPV market since its arrival 10 years back. Even though the Innova has not faced any real competition in the market, the looks of the vehicle are really getting obsolete. It was high time Toyota brought fresh skin on the ageing car and the result came in form Innova Crysta.
Looks
This is a major update for Innova and Toyota has done a great job given the fact that many customers compare the MPV’s looks with luxury sedans. The Innova looks way modern now with the changes. The front has twin slatted grille and huge multi-element headlamps. The lower grille in front is painted in gloss black making it look very sporty and purposeful. The fog lamps in the front are integrated with the turn indicators giving the car a very neat touch.
From the side, the Innova now gets a smaller and more angular last row glass that adds to the sporty touch. Otherwise, the side is not very interesting. The new 17-inch alloy wheels also make the car a lot fuller.
The rear gets integrated spoiler and new set of tail lamps. The car sure does look good and will rope in more private customers for sure.
Interiors
Innova is a car is seldom self-driven. Toyota had to make interiors more focussed on the occupants than the driver and they have done it beautifully. The car features lounge like interiors with extensive care given to the comfort of the passengers. The leather wrapped seats with rear food tray are few of the many luxurious features of the new Innova. The rear passenger can also adjust the co-driver seat with a lever.
The dashboard is also all-new with a single strip of chrome running across, making the car look much classier from the inside. There is 4.2-inch TFT screen that sits on the middle of the set-up. Toyota also used minimal buttons to keep the interiors as user friendly as they can. There are just two dial buttons and few extra small buttons in the dashboard to control the whole system.
The driver information system is also well equipped and shows various details like average speed, cruising range, fuel consumption, compass among many other regular information.
New Innova Crysta also offers a lot of space inside. You can fit all your bottles, passengers and luggage easily inside the perimeter of the car. If the last row is being used for passenger, which is very roomy for a change, the luggage can be shifted to the roof mounted carrier.
Engine
New Innova Crysta is offered with two engine set-ups. The smaller one being the 2.4-litre unit that has a power output figure of 150 PS along with 343 Nm of maximum torque. The bigger 2.8-litre engine is the same one that is offered with Fortuner. With maximum power of 174 PS and 360 Nm of maximum torque, only thing missing is the All-Wheel Drive system. The 2.4-litre engine comes mated with 5-speed transmission while the 2.8-litre engine offers 6-speed gearbox.
Verdict
Toyota Innova has always been a winner in the segment. Even though the update came bit late in the industry, we believe that it was worth the wait. The new Innova starts at a price of Rs. 13.73 lakh and goes right up to Rs. 20.78 lakh ex-showroom. The wide range of price is to attract the current commercial market as well as private owners who want a big comfortable vehicle for the whole family. The Innova Crysta is yet to get a competition in the market, other MPVs like Ertiga, Xylo do not really count in the Innova’s segment for comfort and features.
