oi-Dennis Abraham James
The
Toyota
Innova
has
been
the
mainstay
of
the
premium
MPV
market
since
it
first
arrived
in
2005
to
replace
the
outgoing
Qualis.
Over
the
years,
the
Toyota
Innova
has
undergone
quite
a
few
changes
as
it
kept
up
with
the
times
and
gave
other
carmakers
a
never-ending
migraine.
In
2016,
Toyota
updated
the
MPV
and
gave
it
the
Innova
Crysta
nameplate.
The
new
Innova
Crysta
sported
an
updated
design
that
ensure
it
remained
a
hit
and
the
comfort
levels
inside
went
up
another
notch.
Under
the
bonnet,
the
presence
of
two
diesel
engines
meant
that
it
became
a
favourite
of
the
mile
muncher
brigade
as
well.
Now,
more
than
six
years
after
the
Crysta’s
arrival
and
17
years
after
the
OG
Innova
hit
the
streets,
Toyota
has
changed
the
game
once
again
with
its
innovative
MPV.
Now
bearing
the
name
Innova
HyCross,
the
premium
family
carrier
has
gone
down
the
SUV
design
path
and
sports
an
innovative
strong
hybrid
setup
under
the
bonnet
which
promises
to
make
up
for
the
lack
of
an
oil
burner.
So
just
how
much
has
the
all-new
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
changed
the
game?
Have
the
innovations
made
it
an
even
more
attractive
proposition?
We
drove
the
Toyota
Innova
Hycross
in
Bangalore
to
find
out…
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
Exterior
Design
–
Going
Down
The
SUV
Hyway
The
Toyota
Innovas
of
the
yesteryears
all
looked
like
a
proper
MPV
should
with
curves
in
all
the
right
places.
However,
with
SUVs
becoming
the
go-to
vehicles
for
buyers
today,
the
design
masters
at
Toyota
decided
that
it
was
time
the
new
Innova
went
down
the
SUV
design
path.
At
the
front,
the
all-new
Innova
HyCross
features
an
upright
nose
section
with
a
large
hexagonal
grille
that
features
chunky
chrome
surrounds.
The
grille
is
flanked
on
either
side
by
edgy
wraparound
headlamps
with
triple
LED
lights,
LED
position
lamps
and
a
chrome
strip
running
across
the
top.
The
bonnet
also
features
some
bulges
that
add
to
the
butch
SUV
looks
of
the
new
Innova.
Lower
down
on
the
front
chunky
front
bumper
is
where
you’ll
find
triangular
cutouts
which
house
the
dual-purpose
LED
DRLs
that
also
act
as
the
turn
indicators.
Also
seen
is
a
large
air
dam
section
split
into
two
with
the
lower
portion
flanked
on
either
side
by
what
appear
to
be
fog
lamps.
The
sides
of
the
new
Innova
HyCross
sport
the
chunky
wheelarches
that
play
host
to
large
18-inch
alloy
wheels
shod
with
225/50
R18
tyres.
The
front
and
rear
flanks
are
accentuated
by
the
design
lines
of
the
new
HyCross
and
give
the
MPV
a
very
muscular
look.
The
rear
section
of
the
new
Innova
sports
sleek
wraparound
LED
taillights
that
are
connected
by
a
thick
strip
of
chrome.
Also
seen
is
an
integrated
roof
spoiler
that
plays
host
to
the
third
brake
light.
The
new
tailgate
is
a
powered
unit,
so
getting
it
open
when
you
have
the
groceries
is
a
breeze
now.
Toyota
Innova
Hycross
Interior
&
Features
–
Hy
On
The
Luxury
Quotient
The
Toyota
Innova’s
interiors
have
always
been
quite
upmarket
but
the
new
Innova
HyCross
takes
cabin
luxury
to
a
whole
new
level
of
indulgence.
At
the
front,
the
multi-layered
dashboard
features
quite
a
bit
of
soft-touch
material
and
features
quite
a
bit
of
quirky
innovations.
The
dominant
central
section
flows
down
from
the
large
10.1-inch
infotainment
display
into
the
controls
for
the
multi-zone
climate
control
system
and
the
high-mounted
gear
lever.
Another
quirk
is
the
placement
of
the
wireless
phone
charger
that
sits
in
its
own
slot
in
the
dash
just
above
the
glove
box.
On
the
other
side
of
the
dash,
behind
the
large
steering
wheel
sits
a
7-inch
driver’s
display
flanked
by
gauges
on
either
side
with
the
one
on
the
left
giving
more
details
about
the
innovative
hybrid
system.
While
the
dashboard
and
its
gadgets
are
quite
a
big
upgrade,
the
Innova
HyCross
is
in
essence
a
premium
MPV
and
its
cabin
more
than
matches
any
expectations
you
could
have.
The
top
ZX-spec
HyCross
models
sport
Dark
Chestnut
Art
leather
upholstery
that
ups
the
luxury
quotient
of
the
Innova.
The
front
seats
are
ventilated
with
the
driver’s
seat
getting
8-way
power
adjustment
and
memory
function.
However,
the
second
row
of
seats
are
the
ones
you
want
to
be
in
the
new
Innova
HyCross.
With
the
new
powered
Ottoman
function
enabled,
these
large
captain-style
seats
allow
you
to
stretch
out
in
style.
You
can
lie
back
and
see
the
world
through
the
large
panoramic
sunroof
while
enjoying
your
favourite
tunes
through
the
infotainment
setup
(with
support
for
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay)
that
comes
paired
with
a
premium
9-unit
(8
speakers
&
1
subwoofer)
audio
system
from
JBL.
The
third
row
of
seats
isn’t
one
to
scoff
at
either.
There
is
quite
a
bit
of
space
on
offer
and
these
seats
also
recline
so
long
journeys
shouldn’t
be
much
of
a
hassle
if
you
find
yourself
delegated
there.
The
new
Innova
HyCross
comes
packed
with
features
including
multiple
charging
ports
for
your
devices,
rear
sunshades,
electrochromic
IRVM,
the
aforementioned
power
tailgate
and
multi-zone
climate
control
with
automatic
controls
for
the
rear
blowers.
Also
seen
is
Toyota’s
i-Connect
connected
car
suite
which
adds
65+
features
like
remote
ignition
start/stop,
remote
door
lock/unlock,
remote
AC
control
and
more
that
can
be
controlled
through
your
phone
and
smartwatch.
The
new
HyCross
also
features
a
host
of
safety
features
like
6
airbags,
vehicle
stability
control,
hill
start
assist,
reverse
parking
camera,
front
and
rear
parking
sensors
and
a
360-degree
camera.
The
new
HyCross
also
sports
the
Toyota
Safety
Sense
suite
of
advanced
driver
aids.
These
driver
aids
include
dynamic
radar-guided
cruise
control,
lane
trace
assist,
blind
spot
monitoring,
and
pre-collision
warning
among
others.
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
Driving
Impressions
–
Hybrid
Innovation
Shining
Through
The
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
is
offered
with
a
choice
of
two
powertrains
in
India.
The
regular
2.0-litre
petrol
model
pushes
out
172bhp
and
205Nm
of
peak
torque
and
is
connected
to
a
CVT
gearbox
that
sends
power
to
the
front
wheels
(another
first
for
an
Innova).
The
other
powertrain
option
–
the
one
that
lends
the
new
Innova
its
HyCross
name
–
features
a
2.0-litre
Atkinson
cycle
engine
producing
150bhp
and
187Nm
of
peak
torque
and
an
electric
motor
that
pushes
out
111bhp
and
206Nm
of
torque.
The
powertrain
is
paired
to
an
e-CVT
gearbox
(sending
power
to
the
front
wheels)
and
Toyota
has
limited
the
peak
power
output
to
186bhp.
We
got
to
drive
the
all-new
Innova
HyCross
hybrid
and
found
the
power
delivery
from
the
petro-electrical
mashup
to
be
quite
linear.
The
HyCross
features
a
brand
new
monocoque
setup
which
has
made
it
quite
a
bit
lighter
than
its
predecessor
and
this
combined
with
the
more
than
adequate
acceleration
levels
from
the
hybrid
powertrain
allows
the
big
MPV
to
smoothly
cruise
its
way
up
to
triple
digits.
The
new
Innova
Hycross
sports
a
rather
soft
suspension
setup
that
allows
it
to
smother
out
the
effect
of
bumps
and
ruts
on
the
road
with
ease
and
makes
long
journeys
a
breeze,
something
that
is
no
doubt
aided
by
the
excellent
NVH
levels
inside
the
cabin.
However,
don’t
expect
the
new
Hycross
to
take
corners
like
a
champ
as
despite
the
new
monocoque
frame,
the
soft
suspension
setup
means
that
there
is
quite
a
bit
of
body
roll
when
you
push
this
big
behemoth
through
a
sharp
curve
on
the
road.
The
Innova
HyCross
also
features
quite
good
levels
of
regen
which
can
be
tweaked
with
the
help
of
the
paddle
shifters
and
this
combined
with
the
all-wheel
disc
brakes
means
that
the
new
Toyota
MPV
comes
to
halt
without
much
fuss.
Final
Thoughts
About
The
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
–
A
Hylight
Reel
Of
Innovations
The
all-new
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
not
only
lives
up
to
the
legacy
of
the
premium
MPV
but
takes
it
to
a
whole
new
level
with
its
innovative
new
hybrid
powertrain
and
luxurious
interiors.
While
we
would
have
liked
a
bit
more
time
behind
the
wheel,
the
new
Toyota
Innova
HyCross
seems
set
to
take
forward
the
dominance
of
its
predecessors
into
a
new
Hybrid
era.
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