Toyota Innova Crysta Review
- Toyota Innova Crysta is now the most powerful MPV in India
- Will get three Airbags and Six pack as standard equipment
- Prices will range inbetween Rs. Twelve lakh to Rs. Twenty Lakh
You can see a number of people becoming increasingly health conscious. It’s not about the plane belly; but looking healthy and feeling it too, which is why you see a lot of people going for morning walks or heading towards gyms. The auto industry is no different and when you look at the new-gen Innova, you feel as if Toyota has put it through some laps on the treadmill. It’s been close to a decade now and ultimately we have the next-generation of the car here. There’s an addition to the name and it’s no longer just the Innova; it’s now called the Innova Crysta.
The Innova carried a big cargo on its shoulders, when it substituted the Qualis, which, at that point in time, was the front-runner in the world of MPVs. The Innova proved its worth and soon Toyota had people eating out of their palms and, with the fresh one, the company’s plans haven’t switched. What has switched however is the look, as we’ve said earlier, the treadmill treatment does wonders to it. With the Innova Crysta, Toyota has taken a big step in the right direction and it’s when you see that frameless front grille and the half a dozen or so slats that run across it, you understand what a distinct character it has got. The nose is larger and the ridge on the bonnet gives it a bit of muscle. The headlamps too give it a dose of ‘modernity’ and the LEDs add a bling to it. There is a bit of chrome, but not a splash of it up front and hence it doesn’t scream premium.
Toyota Innova Crysta Stylish and Brawny Front Section
With these switches, the Innova Crysta sheds the typical van-like look up front. It’s more like an SUV and actually looks similar to the Fortuner and that’s why one tends to use terms like rugged and muscular to describe it. Stir to the side and that’s where you see the silhouette of the old Innova; but the folks at Toyota have attempted every trick in the book to make it look different and not like a van. However, the tapering glasshouse, the muscular fenders and the drooping roofline cannot indeed hide the MPV dimensions. In fact, the Innova Crysta is longer than its predecessor and yet the kerb weight of the car is just about one thousand eight hundred fifty five kg. So, it still looks bulky, but the boomerang shaped tail lamps that overlap the rear windscreen give it a bit of pizzazz and that indeed works in its favour.
Toyota Innova Crysta Rear Section
It’s taken a decade for the company to come out with the 2nd generation of the car and during this time it’s been listening to its customers and attempting to understand what they indeed want out of a car, like the Innova. Is it only styling? Or usability? More Power? Or safety? Well, looking at the finished product, it looks like the switch has come in all these departments and when you get to the cabin is when you realise how unlike a van the Innova Crysta has indeed become.
Toyota Innova Crysta Stylish Leather Uphostry
It’s fully refurbished and there’s nothing in there that you’ll identify with its predecessor. The seats are more comfy and yes there’s good hip and lumbar support. The top-of-the-line variant comes with 8-way power adjust seats, which slide, recline and you can alter the height too. The front passenger too gets to play around with the buttons. It’s the dashboard that’s most exceptional tho’, as it sweeps from one side to the other. It’s more like a wave and this looks enormously artistic, as the centre console too blends in beautifully. Well, I was expecting the use of wooden surfaces and the engineers have managed to mix that into the dash pretty well. It doesn’t stand out like the ones in the two thousand five Corolla (if you know what I mean), but its use does add to the entire spectacle that Toyota wants you to have inwards the car.
Toyota Innova Crysta Well-Equipped Dashboard
The cabin is more like the ones you see in executive cars and it’s far more refined than what we’ve ever seen in an Innova. Yes, the addition of the nametag – ‘Crysta’ – is all about providing that premium look and practice, which its predecessor lacked. It gets a Four.2-inch TFT Multi Information Display, which basically gives you all the information – right from which radio station is playing, to navigation display, Bluetooth and even fuel consumption. There’s also a 7-inch touchscreen system, which comes with a DVD player and this adds to the premium quality of the cabin. There are a few bits, which could have been worked on, like the hard plastic, used on the glove box, which doesn’t truly go well with the rest of the well finished cabin. Features like Navigation, a Shove Commence/Stop button, steering mounted audio controls, cruise control and leather upholstery, all find their way into the Innova Crysta.
Toyota Innova Crysta Features
But yes, it’s all about the 2nd row, as it comes with captain seats; and the company has taken special interest in moulding this part of the car into a space that is usable and passenger friendly. The door’s inward garnish, in the 2nd row, switches too, as it gets a dash of silver to it (which we don’t see up front). There are about twenty bottle holders all around the car, which ascertains that the company has made use of all the space. There are dedicated AC vents for the 2nd and third row as well.
Toyota Innova Crysta Third Row Seats
The wheelbase of the Innova Crysta has not been enlargened and it still stands at 2750mm. I, a six footer, was enormously convenient in the rear seat and if I were to be ferried around in the car, I would have been a glad lad. Toyota has also provided foldable seat back tables, which gives you room for a petite laptop and a cup holder, something similar to a tray, which we see in aircrafts. The 2nd row has been well thought over and the conveniences for the people seated in there make it an ideal place to be. The third row might seem a little cramped for a person of my size. I could do brief distances seated behind, no problem, but for a longer journey, I would hop out at the very first chance I got. But the question is, with all these comforts suggested, would you want to drive it or be driven in it?
Toyota Innova Crysta Boot Space
Well, you get to choose from two engine options – the Two.4-litre and the Two.8-litre diesel engines. So, yes, when it’ll be launched, you cannot register one in Delhi. Sad, but true; and Toyota isn’t getting the one with the petrol engine yet. The Two.4-litre GD engine punches out 147bhp and that’s a big leap from the 101bhp, from the Two.5-litre one, in the earlier car, but this one’s only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. The engine is pretty responsive and is at its happiest above one thousand five hundred rpm. The 343Nm torque kicks in to provide you that pulling power and you keep on pushing it. The gear throws are long and this makes it a bit tedious to operate. Also, the gear shifter loves to dance around, when in neutral; and then there’s a sense of deja vu, as we’ve seen this in its predecessor. It wiggles around a bit, when in neutral, and you don’t indeed want that if you’re behind the wheel, which gives you the feeling that you’re driving a large car.
Toyota Innova Crysta Engine
The tyre size too has switched and there are 17-inchers on this one and this means that there is a lot more grip on suggest. The suspension set up is on the softer side and the Innova Crysta soaks in all the undulations of the road with ease. You don’t bounce around in the car and even if you cross the three digit mark on the speedo, the passengers inwards are quiet and collected. It’s only when you drive around the ghat section, do you feel the heaviness of the Innova Crysta? There is some evident roll and this is when you embark thinking why the folks at Toyota didn’t think of using a monocoque, rather than a space framework chassis.
Toyota Innova Crysta 17-inch Wheels
On the mileage front, the car comes back a decent 15-odd Km/l, which is good for a car that size, but when you call it premium, there needs to be something more on suggest. Toyota is bringing in an automatic variant, but it’s available only in the Two.8-litre variant. It is more powerful and churns out a hefty 171bhp, which in turn comes mated to a 6-speed sequential shift gearbox. There is a bit of lag, in the initial few gears, but as the torque kicks in, things begin to look good. The Innova Crysta has a strong mid-range and this makes it fairly nice to drive both in the city and highway driving conditions. The gearshifts are sleek, but, when you put your foot down on the throttle, the engine growls before lodging into a nice little grunt. But the gearbox works well in both the manual and automatic modes and the overall practice is fairly a treat.
Toyota Innova Crysta Manual and Automatic Gearbox
You can opt for one of the three driving modes – ‘Eco, Normal and Power’ and the gear shifts are altered, according to your preference. Cross the three thousand five hundred rpm mark and the engine makes itself audible, with an unmissable groan, but Toyota claims it has worked on NVH levels.
Toyota has packed in a entire bunch of safety features as well, in the top-end ‘Z’ variant and it starts with seven airbags on suggest (driver, front passenger, driver knee, front side and curtain shield airbags). The company will launch the car with three airbags (front driver, front passenger and driver knee), as part of standard equipment and Six pack, with EBD as well, which certainly puts a smile on our face.
Toyota Innova Crysta
The Innova Crysta is a massive leap, in terms of design, refinement and even drivability. Mind you, all this comes at a price. Yes, the new-gen Innova will be pricier and this means you’ll have to shell out fifteen to twenty per cent more for it. Prices might begin at around Rs. Twelve lakh and go all the way up to the twenty lakh mark and yes you might drop your jaw for a while and wonder if you should shell out that kind of money; but the response is a elementary one- yes, you should. It’s in a different league altogether and it has grown and how. It’s more than a people mover now and that’s what makes it interesting.