WHAT EVO INDIA HAS SAID IN THE PAST...

Quick shifting AT transmission

“The automatic transmission makes full use of the increased power and torque of the 2.8 GD series engine to feel as quick as the manual. The shifts are quick enough and there’s a manual mode which we used quite extensively while charging up the Amboli ghat that spits you out at Sawantwadi on the Maharashtra-Goa border. It’s again a very refined transmission mated to a very refined engine and anyone who is used to the old-gen Innova will appreciate how effortless the new package feels. You maintain higher speeds and yet are more relaxed”.

A style statement

“The styling is completely opposite of boring. The Innova gets this gaping new grille with thick chrome bars on the top that continue through the narrow headlamps. These horizontal elements stretch the Innova out making it seem visually wider and lower. The headlamps have separate elements for low and high beams and smart looking DRLs. It’s a far cry from every Toyota we’ve had till now”.

Spacious interiors

“80 per cent of Innova customers are repeat buyers who want more luxury. And Toyota have turned the Innova Crysta into a genuine luxurious MPV, particularly at the back. The seats have become wider, there is a tray that folds out from the back of the front seats, intensity of the ambient lighting can be adjusted and the rear doors even get wood inserts to make the guy at the back feel special”.

Solid underpinnings

“Mechanically, the IMV platform has been beefed up with increased plate thickness and the beams have a larger cross-section but the consequent weight increase has been off-set by use of more high tensile steel to tip the scales at 1870kg. Additional reinforcement to the frame has increased overall rigidity while sheer toughness of the frame has also gone up. I must add that the Innova can be equipped with seven airbags while ABS is standard”.

Refinement redefined

“First impressions are of a heightened sense of luxury. With the all-black dash, high-quality kit and genuinely more accommodating seats (8-way power adjustable for the driver), you feel like you’re in a luxury car and not a taxi. In the presentation, an engineer – stethoscope round his neck! – talked about sensory evaluation and he wasn’t fooling around: the Innova is definitely more silent than the current one. At 120kmph, there’s very little road, engine and tyre noise”.

Meaty powertrain

“With 148bhp and 343Nm of torque from the 2.4-litre motor, there’s now enough power to keep up with all the Fortuners on the highway while her stability at speed is considerably better. In fact, the stability is better than most ladder-frame SUVs and you feel safe and confident driving her hard and fast. There is virtually no pitching and bouncing at the nose and body movements are kept in check”.

Great driveability

“If you’re in a tearing hurry, the Innova Crysta can stay ahead of fast moving traffic. There’s a new power mode that makes the engine very responsive to even a slight tap on the throttle and gives you an added surge of aceleration when you’re taking off. It’s actually well-judged with the Eco mode not pulling all the life out of the engine”.

Ergonomically sorted

“The 2016 Innova Crysta is a vast improvement and is now a luxury car riding on mechanicals that we all know can survive an apocalypse. The electrically adjustable seats go really low and the steering is adjustable for reach. The seats are more cushy and there’s more space at the rear – with wider seats too. The urgent throttle response and acceleration is worth appreciating and the Crysta also handles really, really, well”.