Toyota has launched the new facelift of Innova in India on 5th October 2013. This brand new updated version falls under the category of MPV (multi-purpose vehicle). It can be said that Toyota Innova has been one of the backbone for this Japanese brand and that’s why it is regularly redesigning for being in top list. Innova has been updated three times since its launch. It is also rumored that an all-new Innova is in under-development process and it will be launched in early 2016. Well, this time we will talk about this latest face-lifted version of this royal car.
Engine Variants:
Toyota has introduced a new top-end ‘ZX’ variant in this upgraded version. Now the available variants of this car are:
- G (7 & 8 seater)
- GX (7 & 8 seater)
- VX (7 & 8 seater)
- Top-end ZX variant (newly introduced)
Engine details:
As reported till now, this newly introduced top-end ZX variant only offers in diesel version. The renovated version of Innova has 2494cc, 2.5 liter 2KD diesel engine which offers the max power and torque of 100.6bhp & 200Nm respectively which is mated with the same 5-speed manual gearbox.
Price:
Though the older Innova has already a quite high price range, but still company has increased this face-lifted version’s price. Now its price range is 12.21 lakhs to 15.07 lakhs.
Space:
Dimension wise, no changes has been done. It comes in same dimension i.e. 4585mm*1765mm*1760mm along with the ground clearance of 176mm. The fuel tank capacity of this upgraded innova is 55 liters, and kerb weight is of 1675-1700kg.
It has the same seating capacity of seven, and can also be used as eight seaters.
Interior & Exterior:
At inside, it has redefined with some changes like modified fabrics, modified infomercial system along with a roof mounted screen and a beige color scheme for all the interior equipments etc.
The top-end ZX variant of this renovated version has some additional features like graphical flanks, wood-finished gear knob, dashboard and armrests, dual tone leather seats, rear roof spoiler etc. Other remarkable features include automatic climate control and audio controls on steering.
At outside, the renovated front bumpers, new front grille design, fog lamps with chrome laminating, body cladding are now giving this newly version a refreshed look. The rear side got a minor change i.e. thick strip of chrome above the number plate.
Road handling & Safety:
Dual airbags and ABS+EBD are present as standard safety features in the top-end variant of this MPV.
The older version of Innova already had a strong braking system; same is present in this renovated version too. The ventilated disc brakes are present at front and leading-trailing drum brakes at rear which gives passengers of Innova a comfortable and safe ride. It can achieve the ultimate top speed of 175 km/h and can accelerate 0-100 km in 13 seconds.
Comparison with other MPVs in market:
With Nissan Evalia:-
Nissan’s royal MPV Evalia is said to be its one of the top most competitor. Evalia has been launched in Indian market too and completely justifying this MPV tag.
Price wise, it is much costlier than Evalia which can be its major drawback. While this face-lifted Innova comes in price range between 12.21-15.07 lakhs, the Evalia’s costs at just 8.78-10.73 lakhs.
Engine wise, Evalia has 1.5 l K9K diesel engine which performs the max power and torque of 85bhp & 200Nm respectively. On the contrary, Innova’s renovated version has 2.5 liter 2KD diesel engine which provides the max power & torque of 100.6bhp & 200Nm.
Fuel efficiency becomes a major part when we select any car. While the Innova gives an overall mileage of 12.9kmpl, Evalia’s overall mileage varies between 15-19.3kmpl which definitely makes Evalia a better option.
Brand wise, Nissan is newer but still they are working hard to set their huge network in India. So, if after-sale service matters for a customer then undoubtedly Innova will take away the cake here.
Comfort wise, Nissan is very spacious and promises to be more economical. Also it has much of headroom as well as the knee room in the middle row, it also has larger boot space. Though, both the MPVs have seven seating capacity but face-lifted Innova can also use as eight-seaters.
One issue seems with Evalia is its outdated design. It looks more like a commercial vehicle, whereas face-lifted Innova gives a feel of a family based MPV.
Performance wise, this face-lifted Innova seems over the Evalia. While the top speed of Innova is 175km/h and it can achieve 0-100 km in just 13 seconds, the Evalia’s top speed is 170km/h and it can reach 0-100 km in 17-18 seconds.
With Maruti Ertiga:
In terms of price, Ertiga has so much less price in comparison to Innova which ultimately makes it a winner in its segment in India. While face-lifted Innova comes at higher price tag of 12.21-15.07 lakhs, Ertiga just starts at the price of 5.98 lakhs and ends at 8.7 lakhs. Though Ertiga’s base price is of its petrol version but still its diesel version’s price is even much cheaper than face-lifted Innova’s price.
In terms of engine availability, the face-lifted Innova has 2.5 liter 2KD diesel engine, but the Ertiga has 1.3 liter DDiS diesel engine and K-series petrol engine. Though the face-lifted Innova is more powerful than Ertiga, but its more weight automatically turns it fuel efficiency less than Ertiga.
Ertiga’s smaller size makes it ride easier than the face-lifted Innova even in city. But in face-lifted Innova, seven passengers can sit with so much ease, while it becomes difficult for the same seven passengers to sit comfortably in Ertiga.
While face-lifted Innova offers the amazing boot space of 300 liters, the Ertiga just offers 135 liters of boot space which surely so much lesser than the other.
Another thing which makes Ertiga demanding is its similar torque output as Innova. As a result, though, Ertiga has less powerful engine than face-lifted Innova, still it can perform as impressive as face-lifted Innova.
While the top speed of Innova is 175km/h, the Ertiga’s diesel version can cover the top speed of 160km/h. Also Innova can achieve 0-100km in just 13 seconds but it takes 15.5 seconds to cover 0-100 km in Ertiga’s diesel version.
Verdict:
Toyota Innova has been a chief component of this Japanese company and it manages to be on the top list in Indian car market. This face-lifted version has all that necessary features and specifications which a buyer wants, but still if we compare with other cars in same segment, then definitely we can’t say this MPV a winner, mainly because of its unaffordable price range. There are so many other options in its segments in car market which are more affordable and which can take over of this Toyota’s MPV.
