For us Indians, the engine of a car has never been on the top of the priority list while buying a new car. More than power and torque figures, we Indians tend to focus on the efficiency figures and the price of the car. As a result, seldom do we see a larger engine option in a number of cars which may come with powerful engine options in foreign markets. However, there used to be one exception. I do believe Toyota, with the new Innova Crysta in 2015 did fulfil this small wish of us petrolheads. Offering the 1GD 2.8 litre engine with this practical MPV, Toyota not only keep the family pleased with the interior space and features but also left the driver with a wide smile after a small test drive. This one very small test drive made us look nowhere else and we did end up buying the Innova Crysta Automatic in the GX trim. Here is my experience of driving this car to my native place, a journey of nearly 850 km, starting from the city of Mumbai and moving north towards the state of Rajasthan. This journey does remind me why the Innova is absolutely the best all-rounder one can have in this segment and continues to hold its throne.

 

The trip started in the early hours of a rainy Wednesday morning, with all necessary permissions and passes to travel in lockdown in order. While Toyota is too optimistic calling this an 8 seater, squeezing a third person in the last row of seats would be rather impossible. That said, this seven-seater is more than enough for our family of five. With the second-row seats pushed a bit forward, the third row offers enough space. I am 5’10” tall and I did have enough knee room and headroom back there. However, the body on Frame architecture of the car gives it a higher floor, making your knees point up in the third row. However, we tend to shift places and drivers when the third-row passenger starts to get uncomfy every 200 – 300 km. The boot space too, is quite sufficient even with the third row up easily accomodating our larger bags while the smaller luggage bits easily fit in the last row seat, right next to me.

Knee room is sufficient in the third row for me, 5’10” tall

The Innova Crysta also packs a number of useful features, even in its rather basic Auto GX variant. A chiller above the glove box kept our beverages cool. For the front passengers, the car also gets height-adjustable seat belts, a feature which is slowly vanishing from cars. A special shoutout to Toyota for also providing proper three-point seat belts for the middle passenger not only in the second row but also the third row. When not required, these seatbelts can be slotted in their housing located on the headliner of the car. Talking about the headliner, the car also comes with cooling vents, which can be controlled from the second row. Cruise control too, is now a part of the standard equipment list along with a touch enable infotainment system. While the infotainment system itself may have a sort of dated user interface, the touch response is top-notch. Additionally, the 4 speaker system the car comes with could be called just adequate and we surely plan to upgrade to better quality speakers soon. The door pockets easily held a number of 1-litre bottles. It is interesting to note that the third-row cup holders come with small vents, which help you keep your beverages cool on the go.

The seatbelt for the middle passenger can be placed above when not in use

Coming to the drive, on paper, the 2.8-litre engine in my Crysta offers 174 bhp of power and 360 Nm of torque. All this power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Additionally, the Innova Crysta shares its platform with the nation’s favourite Fortuner SUV, which, in my opinion, is the trump card of this vehicle. Unlike other monocoque based MPVs in the market, the Innova feels rather solid on the road. The ladder frame combined with the well-built suspension setup makes sure the car stays planted on the road. Minor bumps go unnoticed and large potholes do not upset the car. This, in turn, translates to a comfortable ride, which would be attested by my rather old grandparents who could comfortably sit during this rather long journey.

A chilled cup holder, is this an industry first?

The engine has an abundant amount of torque to offer and pulls very well. While my car spent most of its time in Eco mode, occasionally the car did go in the Power Mode. The press of the button makes the engine so responsive and ready to propel the car forward. This indeed helped me to pull overtakes on the small stretch of the single-lane highway I encountered, leaving all the trucks and traffic behind. throughout the journey, I managed to get around 13 km for every litre of diesel burnt, with occasional use of this power mode and along with some spirited driving. The gearbox may not be as fast to shift cogs and kick down as the complex DSGs and ZF sourced gearboxes but it does a pretty good job. Additionally, I liked how the gearbox downshifts perfectly when you lift off, providing ample engine braking to slow you down. Talking about slowing down, the brakes, in my opinion, are just adequate and can leave you a bit nervous when you suddenly encounter a random cow on the highway. Additionally, I personally do not like the fact that I am getting rear drum brakes on a car I paid more than 20 Lakhs for, come on Toyota.

Rear drum brakes on a 20+ Lakh car? Come on Toyota

Well, there may be a number of new and old competitors to the Toyota now, however, the competition needs to realise that there is only one way you can defeat the mighty Innova. I did not purchase the car because it has the best features or even the best refinement or has the best space on offer or the best driving characteristics. The Innova despite being about average all these criteria, is still on top of a buyers mind for being a complete package. It is a jack of all trades which comes with complete peace of mind. The service centres are well-appointed, they are rather inexpensive on their charges. The car itself is very well built with the highest level of quality control. All these factors combined make the Innova a car one should go for with their eyes closed. Despite its rather hefty price tag and some small niggles, I do not see myself asking someone to look beyond. No wonder, this humble MPV has been ruling the market for the last 15 years and I strongly believe it will continue to be the best all-round package there is in this particular segment of people movers.

Author: Videh Vora