Toyota Innova has been able to sustain a loyal customer base since its introduction about a decade ago. Expectations were high when the Japanese auto major announced a ‘new’ Innova, christened Innova Crysta, with promises of all-new features and all-new driving dynamics.
The good-old Innova remains an all-time favorite of many of our ministers and top bureaucrats. Ask any tour operators in Kerala about Innova, they will vouch for its popularity among Europeans. While booking a ‘Kerala tour package’, tourists from Milan or London specifically ask for Innova to traverse the length and breadth of the State, they say.
In a land where a car purchased for Rs 10 lakh would fetch less than Rs 4 lakh after five years, Innova is like fine wine as it gets better with age. The resale value of an Innova bought for Rs 10 lakh in 2015 could be around Rs 15 lakh in 2020!
Innova has created its own niche area and has done quite well by all standards, while Crysta takes things a step further. Its new avatar comes with improved luxury quotient and bigger powerful engines. Toyota’s long history of being steadfast and safe also makes Crysta a hot property.
We got behind the wheel of the Innova Crysta to find out how different it is from the old one.
Grand aesthetics
The new Innova has quite a few improvements over the older model as it’s an all-new generation based on an all-new platform. Crysta is more comfortable and spacious than the previous Innova. In fact, it builds on the strengths of the original Innova and could overcome all its shortcomings. Notably, it is sharper and good looking. The bold new face features a huge grille with a pair of big chrome slats which gives the vehicle a premium SUV feel which was absent in the outgoing model.
Long list of features
The highlight of Crysta is its long feature list that includes large LED projector headlamps and the Vehicle Stability Program. The seats in the last row could be folded away neatly by simply pulling a lever. Automatic lock on the hatchback door and the option enabling the rear passenger to adjust the front co-driver seat manually bear testimony to the efforts gone into making the new vehicle more comfortable, spacious and luxurious than the previous model.
Safety features
All variants get ABS and driver, passenger airbags as standard. Top variants come with as many as seven airbags. It is also equipped with safety features such as Vehicle Stability Program and Hill Descent Control. Toyota has packed in a whole bunch of safety features in Crysta, giving an apt reply to those who criticized that the company compromised on safety aspects in the previous model. Crysta is probably the best when it comes to safety features in this segment.
Luxury overload
Moving on to the interiors, the revamped dashboard and trims are similar to that of luxury cars. The seats are big and comfortable. The second row’s captain chairs are wide and very well-shaped. The back-row seats are more comfortable and spacious than that of the previous Innova. Dedicated air vents for the second and third rows with electronic control, bottle holders on both sides of dashboard and an eight-way power adjust driver seat ensure a comfortable ride. There are foldable trays similar to plain tray tables behind the front seats.
Additional features
The new infotainment system with a big 7-inch touchscreen, ambient lighting in the front and middle sections, great suspension to improve ride quality, 17-inch alloys wheels and the impressive grip from the 215/55 R17 tires are some of the other key features.
A driver’s vehicle
While most of the old Innovas are chauffeur-driven, the new model is equipped with various features that will give you the joy of being behind the wheels. Crysta comes with two engine options – the 2.4 litre and the 2.8 litre diesel engines. While the former offers manual five speed transmission, the latter engine offers a six speed automatic . The 2.8-litre diesel automatic variant produces 174 PS and 360 Nm. The 2.4L manual variant is also no pretender. It produces 150PS, and 343Nm torque. The certified fuel efficiency for the 2.4-litre model is 15.10 kmpl while the 2.8-litre automatic variant has 14.29 kmpl.
Reasonable pricing
When compared to the facilities offered in the model it replaces, there is a reasonable approach in pricing. The basic variant of Innova Crysta costs around Rs 15 lakh, while the 2.8L automatic top variant comes with a price tag of Rs 21 lakh (ex-showroom).
Except off-roading, Innova Crysta offers almost all the features that come with luxury SUVs.
For test drive, contact Nippon Toyota on 9744712345.
