Toyota Innova is like Shah Rukh Khan in Bollywood, who is the undisputed king in the MPV world. Pretenders have come and gone, but the Japanese heavyweight has continued to be the benchmark. The Innova is one people carrier that has managed to successfully cut across fleet taxis or personal vehicle owners and the demand continues to skyrocket.
Watch Video | Toyota Innova Hycross First Drive Review:
Toyota has now decided to up its game by bringing the new generation, the Innova Hycross, which will offer many segment-first features in the field of safety, luxury, comfort, technology and practicality. We take a look at the new MPV and how it will redefine the class.
Toyota Innova Hycross: Engine and behind the wheel
The Hycross is the first vehicle in the segment that is powered by a hybrid engine — the 2-litre powertrain has an output of 184bhp with engine torque of 188 Nm and the motor churns out 206 Nm. The new MPV is mated to an eCVT and comes with different drive modes — Eco, Normal, Power and EV. To make the driving experience more involving the Hycross is also first in its class to be equipped with paddle shifters.
Fire up the four-cylinder engine and its refinement and quietness will catch you by surprise. Step on the pedal and the MPV quickly picks up pace due to the 168-cell Ni-MH battery which propels the vehicle initially in all EV mode. The Hycross starts by default on EV mode and it can run for a couple of kilometres depending on how much it is charged. After the initial burst of power, it tends to plateau out as it builds speed in a linear manner. The engine doesn’t like to be pushed around, hence, at high speeds, it gets audible.
Also Read: Tata takes a dig at Mahindra as Nexon EV sales cross 35,000 units
The hybrid engine also ensures that it remains a fuel-efficient vehicle. According to Toyota, the Hycross returns around 21 kmpl and after driving in slow-moving traffic and cruising on the highway, we managed to squeeze out 19 kmpl.
The Hycross is the first Innova to be based on a monocoque chassis and is front-wheel-drive. The new platform has made the Hycross around 200 kg lighter than the current Innova and as a result, it feels more agile. The MPV remains stable at speeds over the three-figure mark and has minimal body roll making it a breeze to manoeuvre. Even though the Hycross sails over undulations and broken roads, with the new chassis, it is now tightly sprung, hence, when it goes over potholes, the thud feels a bit more pronounced. The other reason why ride quality is on the firm side is that the top two variants, the ZX and ZX (O) come with low-profile tyres (225/50).
Toyota Innova Hycross: The best cabin in the segment
Innova is well-known for its spacious cabin and comfortable ride, the Hycross introduces various new features that change the MPV class. Let’s start with the second row as that’s where many customers will spend a lot of saddle time there. The top-of-the-line Hycross is a seven-seater and boasts Ottoman seats with foldable footrests giving the passengers a lounge-like feel. The seats are electrically adjustable and can slide forward or backwards according to one’s requirements.
As expected, there’s plenty of headroom, shoulder and leg space. In between the seats, there’s a foldable table with two cup holders and with independent climate control, rear passengers can choose both the temperature of the air condition and the speed of the fan. For better air circulation, the second and third rows get roof-mounted AC vents on the side and for the first time, the Innova gets a panoramic roof.
Follow: Express Drives on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Innova achieved cult status because Toyota ensured that two adults could comfortably sit in the third row and the Hycross didn’t disappoint. As a matter of fact, now entering and exiting the last row is quite a breeze. Even though Toyota has provided adjustable headrests and three-point seat belts for all the passengers, realistically either two adults or three children can sit there comfortably.
The good news is that even with the third-row seats up, there is a decent storage area to place backpacks and handbags and compact-sized trolley bags.
Now finally coming to the cockpit and Toyota, without fail, has spruced up the cabin with premium materials. The dashboard gets a leather finish top layer with metal finish inserts. The Hycross sports a 10.1-inch infotainment system and an all-digital instrument cluster. The former is equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay, but a wireless phone charger is an optional feature. With the physical climate control buttons and on the gear platform, the centre console is user-friendly.
The Hycross is the first Toyota vehicle in India to come equipped with Safety Sense or autonomous driver assistance systems (ADAS). Therefore, the MPV gets various safety features like Blind Spot Monitor, Pre-Collision System, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Trace Assist, six airbags and much more.
Toyota Innova Hycross: Last word
The Innova Hycross manages to set the benchmark very high in almost all fields like a spacious cabin, features including ADAS, luxury feel, agile driving experience and fuel efficiency. What will attract buyers is its SUV-like design with a broad in-your-face hexagon front grille, sleek LED headlamps, big wheel arches with 18-inch alloy wheels and a muscular rear design with a roof-mounted spoiler. The state-of-the-art Hycross will be expensive, but then there is no other vehicle that comes close to it. Toyota has managed to script another blockbuster hit.
Also Read: 2023 Toyota Innova HyCross: Top 5 things you need to know
Stay tuned with Express Drives for more updates and also, do subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest auto news and reviews.
