[Omkar]

If you keep track of the sales charts, you know that the Toyota Innova Hycross is undisputed as the leader in its segment. In general, there's nothing in the segment that can match the usability factor of the Hycross. It has 2 powertrains on offer - a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 5th Generation Self-Charging Strong Hybrid Electric System. The 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine makes 173 BHP @ 6,600 rpm and 209 Nm @ 4,500-4,900 rpm. The strong hybrid powertrain has a 2.0-litre petrol engine that works with a 168-cell Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Battery and a motor to make 184 BHP @ 6,600 rpm and 206 Nm. The petrol engine is offered in lower variants, while the strong hybrid power is offered in the higher variants. The target customers are different for both powertrains. Out of the 7 variants that are on offer currently, there's no common variant for both powertrains. The petrol engine is offered in the G, GX and GX(O) variants while the hybrid is offered in the VX, VX(O), ZX and ZX(O) variants.



The Hycross was launched in December 2022 and has been performing strongly in the market. The car's sales haven't dwindled, but there have been a few hiccups in its journey so far. I think Toyota slightly misjudged the response that the Hycross would get in the Indian market and wasn't prepared for it. Let's look at some of the events why Hycross made the News.

At the time of launch (December 2022), the Hycross was available in 5 variants – G and GX for the Petrol engine, VX, ZX and ZX(O) for the Hybrid. In March 2023, there was a price hike of Rs. 75,000 on the hybrid trims and a new VX(O) variant was introduced between VX and ZX trims. By April 2023, the customers were told that the waiting period for the petrol version was around 6-7 months, and the hybrid version had a waiting period of 26 months! Toyota even stopped taking bookings of the top-end ZX and ZX(O) variants for almost a year before reopening them in April this year. The demand was so high that these variants were selling in the black market for a premium of Rs. 3 lakh in cash over and above the official on-road price! According to the latest news, the bookings for top-spec ZX and ZX(O) variants have been paused again and the current waiting period is 14 months. The waiting period for the petrol variants is 6 months.



Availability aside, the price difference between the petrol and hybrid variants is massive. Entry-level variants have a difference of roughly Rs. 7 lakh and the top variants have a difference of nearly Rs. 10 lakh. This gap is enough to swing the decision for most people. They’re willing to live with the single-digit fuel economy rather than spend a big sum of money on the hybrid version. However, let's not forget that the hybrid variants are better equipped than the petrol-only variants – Toyota Innova Hycross Variant-Wise Features Brochure.pdf.



Considering all factors – availability, price difference, features, fuel economy, waiting period and more, if you had to buy a Toyota Innova Hycross today, which one would you pick - the petrol or the strong hybrid version?

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[pratyaksh]

Originally Posted by Omkar

However, let's not forget that the hybrid variants are better equipped than the petrol-only variants.

Considering all factors – availability, price difference, features, fuel economy, waiting period and more, if you had to buy a Toyota Innova Hycross today, which one would you pick - the petrol or the strong hybrid version?

The hybrid makes absolutely no sense for our low running but Innova has been a staple in our homes for so long that it’s hard to consider living without it. Having said that, the only grouse is not having the top model features in the pure petrol version which would really swing it in favour of the pure petrol. Voted for the petrol variant regardless.

[blueberry]

The Innova makes a great chauffeur driven car, when you don't want to announce your arrival.
As a private buyer, I wouldn't be driving the vehicle. Driver feel good features like front ventilated seats, leather wrapped steering wheel are not a value add for me (rear passenger).The AT though is good to have - it eliminates the inconsistency in gear shifts when the driver has an off day.

Voted for the Petrol GX(O) - It has all the comforts a rear seat passenger, like I, need.
Financially speaking, the savings of a cool ~12L v/s ZX(O) will take more than a decade to break even.

P.S. In the immediate family, we have a 2022 Innova Crysta ZX AT (D) as the workhorse (last lot of Crysta ATs).

I'm bracing for the sticker shock at the fuel station, when we replace the Crysta with the Petrol Hycross, in due time.

[Axe77]

Voted: Strong hybrid. That’s the one I’d pick without a doubt.

1. If I buy a car like the Innova, it’s a 12 - 15 year purchase for me. Over that period, I may not recall the money I saved while buying it but I’ll always appreciate the fuel efficiency throughout the ownership period.

2. FE is more than just money saved via fuel bills. It’s also convenience in terms of driving range. An option that gives me 2x - 3x tank range before a refill is required is very very welcome.

3. Trim level. The hybrid can be had in ZX / ZX(O) while the pure petrol is only in lower variants - GX (O) tops. That’s another strong reason for me to pick the hybrid. Having said that, even if both were available in the same top spec trim I’d still have picked the hybrid. Of course, with trims being matched the price difference would also not be as vast as 7 lakh.

[jthomas]

Voted for Strong hybrid. The comparison should be actually between VX Hybrid and GX(O) which is just ₹5 lakhs difference. For this, the awesome feeling of FE (~16kmpl) in city rides can't be missed. One full month drive in Chennai City (~670 kms) cost just ₹4200 for a petrol 7 seater in month of May (peak summer).

[vattyboy]

I will go for the Strong hybrid version because I am aware that I won't be able to enjoy driving the non-hybrid version of the car.

The non-hybrid version has very low mileage due to its large 2.0 L petrol engine, and it also has lower performance compared to the hybrid version.

Therefore, I believe the hybrid version will better suit my needs and preferences.

[ex-innova-guy]

I will go for the strong hybrid without a doubt as I will hold this car for a long time. In fact, I was going to buy that if it didn’t have such a long waiting period. My yearly running is quite high 36,000+ km, and the delta between both variants can be easily recovered in the long run. Having done 2,60,000 km on my ex-Innova 2.5V, I spent more money on diesel than the cost of it! Also, I witnessed firsthand that following the maintenance schedule to the T can make this car run forever.

[GTO]

Always the best engine & top variant for all my cars. I love the Hycross Hybrid and that's the one I would get. IMHO, it's the best 3-seat row UV in the 30 - 50 lakh segment, unless you absolutely need a 4x4. Else, it's better than the SUVs in many ways.

That 5-6 lakh you pay extra will more than be recovered at the time of resale. Of course, we're not considering the opportunity cost of the 5 lakh rupees.

[Shreyans_Jain]

The choice is between the GX(O) and VX, where difference, on road, is in tune of Rs 6 lakh.

Considering Innova HyCross is a family use vehicle that will be used for 10+ years, it makes sense to go for hybrid. The extra initial cost will be more than made up for over the course of a decade, while better performance and refinement are added bonus.

If running is expected to be minimal, like under 1000km a month, only then should the petrol only HyCross be bought.

[CEF_Beasts]

The cab picture used in the opening post is a Base GX Hybrid, so Toyota is clearly selling the base trim in Hybrid form for commercial yellow plate buyers, eventhough officially Toyota has no such variant on sale in India.

Toyota definitely has room for launching the GX hybrid for private buyers as well and it will be a massive hit considering the lower price tag. It will reduce the price gap between the GX(O) Petrol and VX Hybrid which is currently at 6 Lakhs to less than 3-4 Lakhs.

I have voted for the Strong Hybrid. And that’s where I have put my money.

Taking delivery of my HyCross Hybrid this month, it has been a long wait, but the car is finally here!

[84.monsoon]

Voted for the Hybrid. It is an easy choice really. You pay 20% more but get 40% higher fuel efficiency in the VX as against the GX(O), plus a host of additional features, better resale value and better fuel range for those highway trips. Plus, I feel the non-hybrid engine will struggle to accelerate and pick up sufficiently when fully loaded, especially when you need the instant power for highway overtaking. The Hybrid, with its sub-10 second 0-100 time will be much more enjoyable and safe to drive.

[TorqueIndia]

Voted for VFM non-hybrid!

I will go for a hybrid garage instead of a hybrid car for the same ZXO money.

Toyota Innova Hycross ZXO Hybrid costs 39L OTR Bangalore. For the same money, we can get 2 cars, more utility, lower fuel costs and lower emissions.

Toyota Innova Hycross GXO CVT non hybrid at 26.8L OTR, as well as a Punch EV Adventure 3.3 at 12.90L OTR.

Toyota sales were quite strong with around 38K units of HYCROSS hybrid sold in 2023.

[fawad0222]

I am opting for the Toyota hycross hybrid simply because it has features which are not there in the petrol only variant, like ADAS, etc. Had the petrol variant had similar features, I would have opted for it as my running is very low and I would drive it myself.
It's not an Apple vs Apple comparison.

[padmrajravi]

Voted for hybrid even though GXO non-hybrid seems to be the best value-for-money variant. Petrol prices will only go up from here, so the economics of NA vs hybrid will tilt more in favour of hybrid as time goes by.