[CEF_Beasts]

The Saga of a Green-Blue-Black Innova

TL;DR: 2024 Innova HyCross ZX(O) Ownership Review

What I Like

• SUV styling quirks married almost perfectly to an MPV body.
• Excellent comfort and space in all three rows of seats with a good amount of boot space still remaining.
• Hybrid powertrain is superb and seamless. The transition from petrol to EV is almost imperceptible, unless you’re a car enthusiast.
• Impressive performance when both the engine and electric assist is available. 0-100kmph takes 9.5s as claimed by Toyota.
• BOF to Monocoque transition has made the Innova extremely car-like to drive and equally easy to drive within city limits.
• In the city, the Hybrid powertrain delivers class-leading fuel efficiency numbers that only a few small-capacity diesel cars can beat.
• The steering is extra light, but also weighs up extremely well as speeds pick up.
• Good quality rubber beading on the doors and pillars makes the NVH level superb!
• Safety features like ADAS (TSS 3.0) available on the top-spec variant, along with 6 airbags, Traction control, ABS, ESP, Hill-hold assist, TPMS, Isofix mounts and 3 point seatbelts for all passengers make it a great package.
• Has many features that were never heard/available in an Innova: Panoramic Sunroof, Electrically operated rear seats with ottomans, 2 memory presets available for the driver’s seat, Electrically operated tail-gate, Dual-zone Climate Control, TPMS, Ventilated Seats, and Drive modes.

What I Loathe

• The Innova has now become an almost 40 Lakhs OTR car.
• Top variants are only available with captain seats, no option of a bench seat, makes it a deal-breaker for large families.
• Monocoque construction makes the car less abuse-friendly.
• Rear ottomans are useless for folks taller than 5’8”.
• The 8 speaker & 1 subwoofer JBL system’s sound quality is average at best, the 6 speaker system is even more basic sounding.
• The infotainment screen already looks dated and the camera quality displayed on the screen is very very poor for a car this expensive.
• Very low profile tires on the top-spec HyCross : 225/50/R18. The sidewall is even lower than my BMW’s, the last thing you would want in what is a people-mover.
• The plastic quality used in the interior is very questionable and scratchy, just doesn’t suit a car this expensive.
• Inconspicuous features missing like rain-sensing wipers, electrically adjustable co-driver seat, no manual height adjustment for the co-driver seat as well, no boss lever or button for the “boss” to push the front passenger seat forward, no ambient lighting and no Driver’s knee airbag (available in the Crysta and Fortuner).

[CEF_Beasts]

INDEX

Background and Booking Decision

Booking, Variant + Colour Selection, Waiting Period Fiasco and Delivery Day

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Powertrain - The 2.0L TNGA Petrol Hybrid Engine w/ an e-CVT

Ride, Handling & NVH

ADAS Functionality & Connected Car Tech

Other Points

Smaller yet Significant Details

Battle of Two Generations: BOF Innova vs Monocoque Innova - Exterior, Driving Experience & Suspension

Battle of Two Generations: BOF Innova vs Monocoque Innova - Interior

Verdict & DIYs/Modifications planned

[CEF_Beasts]

Background and Booking Decision

We owned a Petrol Innova from 2005 to 2014, the car in which I literally grew up and then the Fortuner 4X2 MT from 2014 till date, if another 7 seater was to come home it had to be another Toyota (atleast that’s what the rule at home was/is !) but we did check out other options available as well.

The requirement was clear right from the beginning, since this vehicle would be replacing the Fortuner, it had to be a 7/8 seater and a Petrol one at that or atleast an Hybrid. No diesels considering the direction the world is headed in.

The Contenders:

• Toyota Innova HyCross
• Škoda Kodiaq
• Mahindra XUV7OO
• Toyota Fortuner
• Hyundai Tucson

Škoda Kodiaq

Pros:

1. Extremely VFM for the overall package.
2. DCC (Adaptive suspension) on the L&K trim makes a world of a difference.
3. 2.0L TSI is explosive to drive and equally engaging compared to other 7 seaters available in the market.
4. Excellent build quality, being a CKD car.

Cons:

1. Škoda badge in itself is one of the reason many may stay away from the car, however good it is!
2. DSG is jerky at low/city speeds and its reliability is iffy even if it’s a wet clutch unit.
3. Most service centres are either an hit or miss.
4. 10 years later spares and servicing may be an issue since this is an outgoing model CKD and has been discontinued in International markets and replaced by the new generation Kodiaq.
5. Lack of space and AC vents in the 3rd row is a bummer, also Škoda advertises the car as a 5+2 and not a full-fledged 7 seater.

Mahindra XUV700

Pros:

1. Excellent petrol and diesel engine options with a choice of both manual and automatic gearboxes.
2. Jam packed with features.
3. Excellent Independent suspension benchmarked against the Kodiaq.
4. AWD with the Diesel AT makes it a good crossover, unlike other pseudo-SUVs.
5. The petrol AT I had TD’ed had a stonker of an engine, just loved the effortless performance.

Cons:

1. Lack of space in the 3rd row, accentuated by the lack of sliding 2nd row seats.
2. Lack of boot space when all seats are in use.
3. The extensive level of electronics can give a few scares sometimes.
4. Mahindra service centre’s are a hit and miss.

Toyota Fortuner

Pros:

1. Coming from a Fortuner this was a strong contender.
2. Proper 4X4 Capability; coming from a 4X2 Fortuner, not having 4X4 was a misnomer.
3. 201hp and 500Nm performance figures really make their presence felt!
4. Lesser electronics, so less chance of anything failing.
5. Road presence that can scare anyone silly.
6. Can smother the worst of roads without battling an eyelid.

Cons:

1. High ingress and egress makes it a pain for elederly folks, with my parents retiring soon, our Fortuner was becoming a bit tough for them to negotiate.
2. The Fortuner was and is still not known for its low speed ride quality. Whichever road you drive on, it will always remind you what you’re driving on.
3. 4X4 only available with the Diesel engine.
4. The 2.7L Petrol which we did consider is a very reliable block but is also a 15 year old ancient engine, neither is its performance exciting nor is its fuel efficiency.

Hyundai Tucson

Pros:

1. Solidly built CKD product unlike other manufactured in India Hyundais.
2. Power packed and effortless diesel engine.
3. Had a very airy interior due to the beige upholstery.

Cons:

1. Being a CKD spares availability and servicing if and when the car would be discontinued would be a problem.
2. Hyundai ASS generally have more experience with higher selling models like the Cretas, i20s, i10s, Vernas and Venues.
3. It is a 5 seater only.
4. The NA petrol engine is anaemic in performance and not good fuel efficiency wise either.
5. The suspension did wallow on undulating surfaces at higher speeds, and is not as taut like a Tiguan is at higher speeds.

The Fortuner was rejected due to just 3 points; its high ingress and egress, far from plush ride quality and 4X4 being available only in the Diesel trims. The Tucson was an outlier, basically just a car that was included to later remove from the list since we were only looking at 7 seaters.

That left the Innova HyCross as the final car standing in our small shortlist.

I was following the launch of this car closely including when the car was in testing phase. You’ll find several posts of mine in the HyCross spotted testing in India thread.

Once the car was unveiled in Indonesia, I was impressed but India pricing was still a question mark, considering the high premium Toyota charges in India. And like always there was no bench seat available in the top-spec HyCross (Zenix for Indonesia).

India unveil happened on 25th Nov 2022 and many people had done the pre-booking by then without the prices being announced. The variants available at launch were the G-SLF, GX, VX, ZX and ZX(O).

The VX had 8 seats which we wanted, but was only available with 2 airbags at launch, meanwhile the ZX trims which had 6 airbags only had 7 seats. The ZX was rejected straight away by my parents meanwhile the VX was rejected by me because of only 2 airbags being available.

The prices for the HyCross were announced in Jan 2023 and Toyota had hit the ball out of the park with the pricing. It wasn’t as expensive as people were anticipating meaning even more bookings were being made.

Meanwhile, I went to check out the car at Lanson Toyota in Vellore, TN while my college was ongoing, this was in February 2023. I came away impressed by the excellent space management but was appalled at the iffy plastic quality used and poor camera quality in a car so expensive.

Some pictures of when I first saw the car and my initial thoughts as I’ve quoted from what I had posted in the official review thread.

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Many BHPians have already written quite informative posts about their experience with the new Innova HyCross, just adding what I felt about the car as a package, from the perspective of having a 2014 Fortuner at home, actively looking for an upgrade.

The anticipation of checking the car was very high, being a Toyota and more importantly a completely revamped Innova. Having owned a 2005 Petrol Innova till 2014, I have always had a soft-spot for Innovas (yes you read that right, soft-spot for a MPV).

What I Liked

What I Loathed

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And I would like to end my small experience with this, I told the SA that the Crysta has better seats in terms of having just the right amount of comfort and cushioning, his simple answer with a smile was “Sir, the Crysta is a Crysta !” This is definitely Toyota India’s Qualis 2.0 move with the HyCross and Crysta where the customers, SAs and dealerships all want the Crysta and only the Crysta!

[CEF_Beasts]

Variant + Colour Selection, Booking and Waiting Period Fiasco

With my college placement done, the car buying decision was back on the table. My parents also finally said, yes it’s time to replace the Fortuner. My father in between had got a very bad lower backache which was the catalyst for this decision, and my mother always had trouble climbing in and out of the Fortuner.

So 6 days before I was leaving for my first job in a different city and state of India, we finally headed over to Lakozy Toyota, Malad from where we have purchased 2 of our Toyotas in the last 19 years and deposited the ₹50k booking amount for a VX(O) 8 seater Innova HyCross. We never got to see a VX(O) in person (even till date), but still booked one.

My mother has always preferred lighter colours for cars due to good visibility of the car in pitch dark conditions, meanwhile my father was fed-up of light colours. Whenever my dad has bought a car, the first colour he has chosen has always had a very long waiting period. This has happened with his 800, then the Ikon’s Paprika Red colour as well, so he was in no mood to go for a silver/bronze car this time around. Our 2005 Innova was Silver Metallic and the Fortuner’s colour is Silky Gold Mica Metallic.

Toyota India had discontinued the Grey Metallic colour across their line-up (on actual Toyota products, not rebadged ones) which would’ve ideally been our first preference, and is available in the Indonesian market. Which left the Indian Market with 3 different shades of Black, 2 whites, a silver and a bronze.

The Sparkling Black Crystal Shine is a colour that has purple sparkles embedded in the base black colour, this was a colour I really loved when the Fortuner facelift was unveiled in 2021. Although I felt the same colour didn’t feel all that special on the HyCross, so was eventually rejected.

The TD car at Lakozy Malad, was in Blackish Ageha Glass Flakes, which was also the launch colour. This was the colour we finally chose since it was something different and showcases different hues depending on the lighting.

Hence, we booked the Innova HyCross VX(O) 8str in Blackish Ageha Glass Flake colour.

The waiting period quoted for this variant was 12-18 months, which was absolutely mind-numbing. But with great pricing this was expected.

In April 2023, Toyota closed bookings for the ZX and ZX(O) due to crazy demand. By then the black marketing of the HyCross (ZX and ZX(O)) had already begun.

We were in no hurry, since my parents would be able to fund the car only in 2024. In October end, the SA sent a message in the WhatsApp group they had created saying that “Toyota India has sent them the allocation of 2023 for their dealership and our car isn’t in it, we’ll provide the next upgrade in Jan-end / beginning of Feb 2024.”

We said cool and waited till the end of Jan 2024, when I messaged in the group saying, “any indication by when can we expect our car to come?”

The next response received was a very cold one, saying, “we have already mentioned the estimated waiting period of 12 to 18 months, do not expect the car before that and everyone is getting the car according to the waiting period initially quoted only, if not later.”

This response really shook me and I was having doubts regarding the credibility of the dealership. I thought if they can’t answer their 19 year old customer properly why the hell did we book the car with them ?! There has to be some kind of information whether the car has entered production or not status and if not then by when, but they were not willing to share anything, or even our position in their waitlist.

Meanwhile other dealerships were already charging hefty premiums and giving deliveries of ZX and ZX(O)s to customers who were ready to pay the premium irrespective of which customer was before them. This led to innumerable cancellations across India.

I was under the impression that Lakozy was also doing black marketing.

I was in double minds to cancel the HyCross and somehow convince my parents to buy a Fortuner Petrol instead. Also because of the poor headlights and few other issues being reported by members on the forum on the HyCross. The poor headlights issue I had shared with the Lakozy folks as well, to which they said, “our drivers haven’t mentioned/experienced any such issue with the headlights at night time.”

On 12th Feb ‘24 I had compiled this list of issues that I had read or heard till date faced in the HyCross.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5717310 (Toyota Innova Hycross Review)

On an unrelated note which later became relevant. I had gone to TD the Hyundai Tucson, at the nearby Modi Hyundai showroom, Kanjurmarg, on 2nd Jan 2024, since I was in the vicinity of the dealership and I had some time to kill. The SA I met there was welcoming and knowledgeable and kept following up on whether I wanted to book a Tucson. During the TD I had already told him that I have a HyCross VX(O) booking pending from Sept 2023. A month or so later he randomly called out of the blue saying “I’ve started working with Madhuban Toyota Lower Parel and have a few ZX(O)s available for immediate delivery with me.”

Since we were not wanting the ZX(O), I told him we only want the VX(O) by May/June and not earlier and cut the call.

Next what followed were regular follow-ups, so and so ZX(O) variants are available for immediate delivery. Premium of ₹2 - 2.5 Lakh will be charged by us on the compulsory accessories that’ll have to be bought. I did share this with a few other folks on T-BHP and off the forum as well, who were after the ZX or ZX(O) HyCross but couldn’t make it into the waiting list after Toyota closed bookings. And I was not at all ready to buy any compulsory accessories let alone pay any premium.

Towards Feb-end, I again asked Lakozy the status of our booking and they had no clue. By this time the Madhuban Lower Parel SA was behind me for taking a ZX(O). To me it seemed Toyota India was offloading/dispatching more cars to Madhuban than Lakozy.

I told my parents about this new development/discovery and mentioned that we should’ve booked the car with Madhuban.

In the beginning of March ‘24, I told my dad to speak to the Lakozy SA regarding our car and finally the SA revealed that, “Sir, we haven’t received a single VX(O) 7/8str in Blackish Ageha Glass Flake colour, in the past 2 months.” This was in line with what was written on the forum by a member that VX(O) production has been curtailed to clear the backlog of ZX and ZX(O) bookings. We were 45 in Lakozy’s wait list for the VX(O) in the Blackish Ageha colour.

I had had enough of this by now, I told my parents that we should make another booking with Madhuban.

By March-end the news of ZX and ZX(O) bookings officially being re-opened by Toyota were starting to come in.

In between my dad did mention of an accident that one of his clients’ experienced, basically rear-ending the car into a moving truck due to drowsiness. So I told my parents, it’s 2024 and we are going to keep the car for 10+ years so why not consider the ZX(O) which has ADAS, for proper future-proofing the garage and let go of that 8 seater requirement. My parents also gave in if it meant earlier delivery of the car. I had planned a myriad of upgrades on the VX(O) if we did get one, like the 17-inch alloys from the Crysta, wheel spacers to bring the tires in-line with the body of the car, DRLs akin to the ZX trims and few others, which they were not in favour of, so they agreed for the ZX(O) on this “no-modification” condition.

So the Lakozy Booking was converted from VX(O) to ZX(O) on 1st of April 2024. The SA pushed hard for changing the colour chosen since it was the Blackish Ageha colour that has the highest waiting. My dad was not ready to budge from the initial colour chosen, even though I tried hard to persuade him for the Sparkling Black which was available in abundance by now and was being offered readily by Lakozy. The Lakozy SA mentioned that they have some 45-50 orders of the ZX(O) pending from last year (2023) that would have to be fulfilled before we would be given a car.

Meanwhile I spent a small amount from my income on making a fresh booking for the ZX(O) in Blackish Ageha colour with Madhuban Lower Parel on 1st April 2024.

Right after I pay the booking amount, the same SA (who moved from Modi Hyundai to Madhuban Toyota) has the audacity to call and tell me that, “Sir, I’m no longer part of the HyCross Team, my colleague will look after your booking. I’ve recently been shifted to the Fortuner, Camry and Hilux team.” My heart sank on hearing this and rightfully so, the fake promises made earlier didn’t mean anything! He got his booking amount and I was left in the lurch.

There was some address correction that the Madhuban team was not able to solve, we went and met them on 7th April and cleared it. But the SA assigned to us just couldn’t understand and solve it, the Team leader had to step in to resolve it. My dad was really pissed off at them, when even after correcting them they came up with the wrong address a 3rd time. By then I had realised I have wasted my money by making this second booking.

Till date (June ‘24) there has been no message on the Madhuban WhatsApp group that they created. Neither has anyone responded to my message from 1st of May ‘24 nor has the SA who I was initially speaking to called me.

And I initially thought Lakozy was the dealership that didn’t have credibility, I couldn’t have been any more wrong than trusting Madhuban Toyota Lower Parel (they were doing black marketing since the beginning itself) and the SA who I initially believed. A lesson I’m going to remember for a long time to come.

By now both my dad and I were on my wits end.
It had just been 2-3 days since we had spoken to the Lakozy SA when they called saying there is a ZX(O) in Blackish Ageha that has just landed at their stockyard and since many people are on summer vacation and have decided to postpone their purchase, if we want we can go ahead with this vehicle.

We didn’t want to miss this golden opportunity, so gave the go ahead for this 13th May 2024 8:50AM manufactured ZX(O) HyCross in the colour we wanted.

Couldn’t do a PDI since I wasn’t in town, came home for 3 days just to take delivery and going back tomorrow. The car had 18 kms on the ODO when we took delivery. Also the SA did mention the car would’ve to be brought to the showroom for the PDI, since they don’t allow people inside their stockyard and those many kilometres would be added on the odo to and fro from the stockyard, which was in line with what had happened when I had gone to do the PDI of another BHPian's Toyota bought from Lakozy.

The first glimpse I got of the car:


Delivery date was set for 15th June 2024, before which the accessories selection would be done, fitment would be completed, registration would be done and balance payment would be made.

Overall we ended up paying ₹38.6L; which includes the accessories selected, 4th and 5th year extended warranty, 2 year Smiles Package and Underbody anti-rust coating.

The accessories selected were:

• Front Under run
• Rear Under Run
• Toyota’s DVR Front + Rear
• Side moulding on the doors
• Sun visors
• Grill Jewel Garnish (Chrome)
• Muffler Cutter
• Mudguards
• Basic Rubber floor mats
• Rubber Trunk mat (High Grade)
• Interior footwell lighting
• Welcome door lamp
• 2 No.s Safety belt pad they gave for free
• Underbody anti-rust coating

Hence, the long and arduous roller-coaster of a booking experience comes to an end after 10 months !!!

The D-Day

I was at my workplace while everything was happening in the background, I took a three day leave from office to be able to be present on the day of delivery.

I landed in Mumbai on the morning of the delivery at around 10AM, went home freshened up, had lunch and my parents and I left for the dealership in our trusty ‘14 Fortuner.

The delivery experience was good, nothing too extravagant. With Maruti Suzuki cars coming into Toyota showrooms the footfall Toyota dealerships have started receiving is on another level. In my 20 years I’ve been dealing with this dealership never have I seen the showroom so crowded, this was a Saturday afternoon !!

The car was parked towards the outside so that delivery could be done easily, otherwise bringing the car out would have been a nightmare.

They have started taking a video for their social media handle during the car’s unveiling and key handover. Since we had gone in our ‘14 Fortuner, they took a video with both as a testimonial.

Received a Key-chain, Ferrero Rocher box, unisex perfume and a wallet from them. I handed over a Parker Pen to the lady SA as a token of appreciation for answering all my questions and my constant pestering over the 10 months of waiting on when will the car arrive

The car parked in the delivery bay ready for the Pooja:


The car had 18kms on the ODO when we took delivery:


The car ready for unveiling, during which they would shoot a video for their social media handle as well:


Taking delivery after completing the customary Pooja:


The first tank-up done at a HP petrol bunk, the car gulped down 45L of fuel.


Parked up in our parking once home:


Even the monkeys took part celebrating in the way they like, by peeling and eating bananas right on the sunroof which someone gave them, much to my dismay :


The engine bay with the 2.0L NA engine running the Atkinson cycle and motor generator:


The INNOVA branding on the front doors added as an accessory, looks cool at night:


Opening the door of our car for the first time:


The dashboard inspired to some extent from the Toyota Voxy/Noah, quality is decent though not great:

[CEF_Beasts]

Exterior Design

The Innova HyCross has been inspired by other Toyota cars; the Front grill has taken inspiration from the Corolla Cross, meanwhile the side profile especially the kink in the rear door and rear design language has been inspired from the Highlander and somewhat from the RAV-4 as well. The Corolla Cross’ grill and fog light placement are reminiscent to the HyCross’.

The only thing Toyota has screwed up in this amalgamation is the tire size, it’s as if the car was completely designed and Toyota later realised they left out the wheels. So whatever room they had left, they fit these wheels which get dwarfed by the metal on top, making the car look undertyred. The plastic cladding further accentuates the smaller wheels used:







What hits you straight-away when you view the car head-on, is the high and flatter bonnet line, giving the MPV a more SUV look. Hy-Cross was the name hence chosen, Crossover with SUV styling. The styling somewhat hides the Innova’s traditional Van-like looks. The front grill is finished in a glossy gun-metal finish for the top-spec variants, the lower variants make do with a black grill. Not only this, even the width has increased to 1850mm wide, compared to the Crysta. Meanwhile at 1790mm the HyCross is as high as the Crysta.:



The 2D Logo on the ZX(O) variant, behind which lies the radar for the TSS (Toyota Safety Sense) 3.0 system:



The headlights are very similar in shape to the Crysta's and 2nd gen pre-facelift Fortuner's. They are tri-beam LED reflector-based units on the VX and ZX variants, meanwhile the GX variant gets bi-beam LED reflector-based units. The lighting with these sealed headlight units is quite poor for a car of this size, price and with a heavyweight name like the "Innova":



Just like the facelifted 2nd Gen Fortuner, even the HyCross in top-spec gets its DRLs located lower down on the bumper, which double up as non-sequential indicators as well:



The fog-lights are inset and not towards the edge of the bumper, and they are practically useless in terms of brightness! Having them on or off doesn’t make any difference!! There aren’t many aftermarket solutions either since they are 2” in size compared to other manufacturers who give 3” units. The front bumper houses 4 parking sensors. The Front faux skid plate in silver (called front under-run in Toyota parlance) is an accessory and looks good with the darker shades:



The side profile tells you the real story about how large the Innova has become at 4755mm long (4760mm if the car is equipped with a rear fog-light mounted on the bumper like it is in the GCC market). The wheelbase has also grown by 100mm over the Crysta and Fortuner’s 2750mm, to 2850mm. The ground clearance is rated at 185mm:



The best angle to view the HyCross is the front three-fourth quarter view, the wheels do get dwarfed by the sheet metal on top. The overall shape of the headlights on both the Pre-facelift Fortuner and HyCross are eerily similar:



The rear three-fourth quarter also looks good. The side moulding on the door, helps break the bulk of the sheet metal, but the front wheels are completely dwarfed, the low sidewall of the tires is to blame for this! :



The Alloy wheels are finished in Toyota and Lexus' ubiquitous Super Chrome, unlike other manufacturers who follow the Diamond-cut finish route. The alloys are wrapped in Goodyear Assurance Triplemax 2 225/50/R18s (didn't find this specific tire on Goodyear's India website, meaning they could be specifically supplying it to only Toyota) that are super low profile for a people mover vehicle and have a shorter sidewall than what our X3 has with its 19 inch wheels. A very B-O-L-D move by Toyota for the Indian Market, considering the Crysta's 17 inch wheels fiasco in 2016-17:



The alloy wheels on the top-spec ZX HyCross are a direct lift from the RAV4 and Highlander, just that the size of the rims is one and two sizes smaller respectively compared to the RAV4 XSE variant’s 19 inchers and Highlander Limited variant’s 20 inchers:





The Rear Profile has also been inspired somewhat from the Highlander with the wrap-around tail-lights, and the rear windscreen is raked at a greater angle than the 1st Gen Innova and Crysta, to mask that MPV look to give it a more SUV-like feel. The loading lip is lower than the Crysta's, but the rear bumper doesn't extend out, meaning in a rear-end impact, the tail-gate will also bear the brunt! I've seen several HyCross cabs with the rear tail-gate dented. The rear bumper houses 4 parking sensors.:



The ORVMs are the exact same as what's available on the Crysta and Fortuner since 2016 and 2017 respectively. Thankfully the ORVMs aren't draped in chrome on the outside like its on the Crysta. The chrome on the ORVMs looks good on the Crysta, but not on the HyCross. The ORVMs house the LED turn indicators, puddle lights, side cameras for the 360 deg camera and the Blind-Spot monitors:





Parked up next to one of its competitor, the MG Hector:



Parked next to an Innova Crysta, the higher and flatter bonnet give the HyCross more of the SUV-stance. Notice how that has been achieved though! The windscreen of the Crysta is longer and less raked compared to the HyCross' steeply raked and shorter windscreen. The Crysta here is in the Sparkling Black Crystal Shine colour that has purple crystals embedded in the paint, this colour at times was readily available for delivery in the HyCross.:



Parked next to a 2nd Gen Fortuner, the HyCross does have some of that presence:



Parked next to our 1st Gen Facelifted Fortuner:



Parked next to another Innova HyCross, apart from the Blackish Ageha colour, the HyCross does look great in Super White, Pearl White and Silver. Whenever I see a white HyCross pass by, it definitely makes my head-turn to have another look! The white colour especially in ZX trim with the plastic cladding on the wheel wells and super chrome alloy wheels looks splendid to my eyes:



Paint quality is good and doesn’t have much orange-peel effect that was present in dark colours of the ‘16 Crysta and ‘17 Fortuner. The blue and green sparkles in the paint look splendid! And the colour changes its hue depending on the lighting conditions. In natural light ie. bright sun it showcases its green colour, in artificial lighting it looks blue and in dark conditions it looks black. A very rare case where Toyota went the ambitious way with a colour for a product in their Indian line-up. Maintaining this colour is going to be a pain though, every single speck of dust is visible:

[CEF_Beasts]

Interior Design

One of the most significant change that has taken place in the HyCross compared to its predecessors is in the interior. The Ladder-on-Frame Chassis to a more car-like Monocoque Chassis has lent the HyCross some copious amounts of space and a flat floor-board across the length of the cabin. The 2nd row chairs have a great amount of fore and aft adjustment possible. Meanwhile the 1.7kWh NiMh battery is located below the front seats and does eat into some of that 2nd row legroom when the chairs are pushed to the front to liberate space for people in the 3rd row:


Open the large front doors and you’re greeted by a Chestnut Brown upholstery on the doors, dashboard and seats. The colour is slightly different from what was available in the 2nd Gen Pre-Facelift Fortuner.
The front doors have chestnut brown leather inserts on the door arm-rests and top of the door pad. There is a silver trim breaking the bulk of the door. Unlike the Crysta, the doors make do with a red reflector instead of a halogen puddle light. I have got the welcome door lamp accessory, which replaces the red reflectors on the front doors. 2 Memory pre-sets are available for the Driver's seat. The plastic quality used on the doors is extremely scratchy and doesn't justify the 3.8 Million price tag:




The dashboard as mentioned earlier has been inspired from the Toyota Noah/Voxy. There are a few leather touch-points on the dashboard on the passenger and driver side, rest is all hard plastic. Below the two outer AC-vents on both sides are cup-holders for cooling any bottle or drink, the shape of both the cup-holder drawers is different. The steering wheel design is new, the touchscreen placement is very similar to most new cars, mounted right on top and the IRVM is a very premium frameless auto-dimming unit.:




The steering wheel is new and houses buttons on either sides of the horn-pad. Unlike the Crysta and Fortuner, the 10-2 position on the steering wheel no longer has the faux wood/veneer finish. The left side buttons are for the MID, Volume up & down, Voice command and Accepting / Disconnecting calls. The buttons on the right are for the normal Cruise control, Lane Centering, Adaptive Cruise control, setting the distance with which the leading car should be followed at, track change buttons and mode button for changing the source of music. Unlike the Crysta and Fortuner, the cruise control buttons have been shifted to the steering wheel itself, rather than a separate stalk on the side of the steering for the cruise control. The horn pad is well within reach and very easy to press, pressing which you hear a faint horn, found in most Toyota UVs. The Steering wheel in the HyCross is shared with the Toyota Noah/Voxy vans.:


The instrument cluster has a 7 inch MID cum Speedometer flanked with the Hybrid power meter on the left and fuel & engine temperature meters on the right. I am not a big fan of such a setup where all the information is jam-packed into one display. All the ADAS functionalities, Power Back Door, Roof Ornament Light, et all are to be controlled from the MID itself. And unlike the Crysta and Fortuner it doesn't show the music being played or the person / number calling you. The rear seatbelt reminder is also present, but only the front two seats have weight sensors, for the rest of the rear seats if the seatbelt once worn is removed, the reminder starts chiming:


This is the other mode of the cluster, the digital one instead of an analog speedometer. With the drive-modes the colour of the cluster changes as well between Green (Eco), Blue (Normal) and Red (Sport). My default setting is the digital speedometer along with the energy flow meter in the centre:


The Light stalk is on the right and wiper stalk on the left, in typical RHD fashion. The stalk may look cheap but is extremely well damped and makes very less noise while activating the indicator. The indicator once activated makes a very feeble sound which is barely heard by the passengers. The lights do not have an Off mode, it only has an Auto-mode, parking light, fog-light and dipped beam modes:


The Power button is Black in colour rather than a Blue one present in some of Toyota's other Hybrid vehicles like the Camry and HyRyder. Although the new Gen Vellfire also makes do with the same Black Power Button. The button is back-lit in a cool white colour:


There is a faux leather extension that's visible while using the telescopic feature of the steering column, a welcome premium move compared to what is available in the Crysta and Fortuner:


A few buttons are present below the Driver's AC vent, namely; the Auto High-Beam Assist button, Power Bootlid button and a manual headlight leveling adjuster. The Crysta and Fortuner, even the previous Gen Fortuner we have has Auto-leveling headlights, which makes me believe Toyota gave the HyCross a manual leveler since they knew the headlights are poor:


The bonnet and fuel lid are opened via these two sturdy levers, similar to what's present in the Crysta and Fortuner as well. The cool blue light visible in the footwell is the Legroom lamp accessory, which can be controlled by an app:


The cabin lights, sunroof and its shade are controlled from here. A SOS button and the alarm button, for detecting any movement inside the cabin after locking the car, can be toggled on/off from here. None of these buttons are illuminated, very well present in the Crysta, such petty cost-cutting is what Toyota has come down to in this car !!! No sunglass holder either:


The touchscreen is mounted right at the top, don't miss the JBL branding present on the head-unit present in the ZX and ZX(O) variants. The top-end variants get a 8 speaker and 1 subwoofer JBL Audio System, that is a little better than average. Five Physical buttons for Volume Up & Down, PWR, Home/Voice command and Back are present. The Head-unit is pretty basic and doesn't have any of the car's controls like is present in other brand's cars clearing indicating this is an out-sourced head-unit.


The Camera Quality for a car of this price and size is extremely poor, no two ways about it! Slot the gear into reverse and we can choose only the rear view camera to appear or the rear view camera along with the 360 deg top view to appear. Do not miss the small parking sensor readout on the top left hand corner of the screen in only rear camera view mode. Although there are a total of 4 parking sensors at the front, the small parking sensor display only shows 2 outer ones being present?!:


With the 360 deg top-view, as we move closer to an obstacle the sensor shows a red coloured warning near the obstacle.


Another feature present in the ZX(O) variant linked with the ADAS is the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (which I couldn't capture), which plays a chime with that particular side's Blind-spot Monitor blinking and a yellow warning arrow appearing on the Rear-view camera display indicating from which direction the car is approaching. On start-up the Blind-Spot Monitor light comes on by default for a few seconds. to do a system check, on both the mirrors:


This is the Front Camera view in a basement and look at how washed out it is when the car's headlight is switched on:


The AC Vents and AC controls are present below the Head-unit. The HyCross gets a different kind of Dual Zone Climate Control, meaning there is one Zone for the front row and a separate zone for the second and third row, unlike conventional Dual-Zone climate controls where the Driver and Passenger can set their own temperatures. The Rear Zone can also be adjusted from the front itself, by pressing on the 'Rear' button and then adjusting the fan speed and temperature, to come out of the rear-zone we have to press the 'Rear' button again. The top-spec ZX variants get the India-specific Ventilated Front Seats that are a boon in the humid weather of Mumbai, albeit at their highest setting the fan is pretty noisy. The car in EV mode is so silent that you can hear the seat coolers working at any given point of time. Otherwise the AC is a chiller, even considering the large glass house the car has. Note the absence of chrome bits on the AC vent tabs, for adjusting the direction of air-flow, which is present in the Crysta.:


The Gear-lever is mounted on the base of the dashboard rather than placed in the more conventional centre console. The Gear-lever placement reminds me a lot of the Honda CR-V, also making me realise this car in reality is a CR-V (now discontinued) rival ! All drive related controls are placed right beside the Gear lever. Right at the top is the View button to toggle between the different 360 deg camera views while the car is at a standstill, below which is the EPB and Auto-hold button. The Drive Mode button, EV Mode button, Traction control & VSC button are placed right at the bottom. Right at the base of the console below the Gear-lever is one USB-C charging port and one USB-A Charging + data transfer port.:


This is how the dashboard, centre console, buttons on the door look like at night. Everything is illuminated in a cool white shade. Note only the Driver's window switch being back-lit, really petty cost-cutting considering the cheaper Crysta gets it:


The waterfall design on the dashboard lit-up at night:


A cool blue light is present at the base of the cup-holders in the centre console:


The same cool blue light is also present inside the cubby-hole present on the passenger side:


The 'almost' business-class like seats with electric ottomans, no other car (except the discontinued Carnival or new gen Carnival) this side of 80 Lakhs comes anywhere close to these backseats. I have never slept in any car till date, but activated this lazy mode on the way back from Nariman Point on the day of delivery, with the AC cooling perfectly and low NVH levels I was out like a baby! The ottomans are useful only if you're 5'8'' and below, ventilated rear seats would've been an icing on the cake:


This is how we can rest our feet on the battery enclosure sort of like a footrest. The seat here is not fully pushed back. Apart from this there are two USB-C ports placed at the base of the centre console, above which are placed the 2nd Zone (2nd + 3rd Row) AC controls. A 4kg (max load) bag hook is present at the back of the co-driver’s seat. Both the front seats have magazine holders at the back:


The Rear 2nd Zone's AC controls are placed at the end of the centre console at the back of the centre armrest. Unlike the lower variants of the HyCross, only the top spec ZX variants get the option of setting the rear temperature, meaning it also gets a heater only for the rear passengers, absent in the Crysta and Fortuner as well. Below this there are two USB-C ports available for charging our devices.:


With all three rows of seats up, the HyCross has 300 Litres of bootspace available, one medium-sized suitcase and one cabin-sized suitcase for reference, picture clicked during an airport run.:


With the last row folded, Toyota claims a bootspace of 990 Litres. With the monocoque chassis, the biggest difference in the HyCross compared to the IMV Platform BOF Crysta and Fortuner are the way the 3rd row of seats fold! No longer do the last row of seats fold sideways taking away key width of the otherwise large boot, saving some effort as well. But unfortunately what’s not been carried forward from the IMV platform is the ability to fold and tumble forward the 2nd row of seats. The headrest for the 3rd centre passenger in the last row is stowed away on the left side. Do not miss the JBL Branding on the subwoofer just above the stowed away headrest:

[CEF_Beasts]

Powertrain - The 2.0L TNGA Petrol Hybrid Engine w/ an e-CVT

Apart from the platform being changed, the other major change that has taken place is under the hood of the HyCross.

Gone is the longitudinally-mounted diesel engine transferring power to the rear wheels, in its place the new 5th gen TNGA 2.0L petrol engine mounted transversely powering the front wheels has made an appearance.



Toyota is offering the Innova Hycross with a choice of two powertrains – a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 2.0-litre hybrid, the latter being the focus here. What’s interesting is that, while the petrol and hybrid share the same 1,987cc, four-cylinder direct-injection engine, the latter runs a more efficient Atkinson cycle wherein the intake valves remain open for a longer period of time during the compression stroke for a lean air-fuel mixture. Hence, the petrol unit makes merely 154hp and 188Nm of torque by itself, compared to the standard (non-hybrid) petrol’s 176hp and 205Nm.



In the hybrid powertrain, the petrol engine is mated to an electric motor that pumps out 113hp and 206Nm of torque. Now naturally one would add both these figures and come to a overall power and torque figure of above 200hp and 400Nm, but this is not the case since the electric motor and petrol motor never work at their full potential together. The combined power figure is 186hp meanwhile there is no confirmed combined torque figure. A lot of people compare only the engine’s 188Nm of torque to diesel torque figures and start loosely commenting on how underpowered the car would feel like, without factoring in the electric motor’s torque !!

This particular 2.0L TNGA hybrid engine is also present in other TNGA-C platform cars namely the CH-R, Corolla, Corolla Wagon, Corolla Cross, and Prius. Some of these cars get dual electric motors making them AWDs.







Working in conjunction with the Petrol engine is a 1.7kWh NiMh battery, as soon as one presses the start/stop or power button, there is an eerie silence that was never associated with an Innova starting. Since there is no starter motor, there is no cranking noise while starting the car. The car starts in EV mode by default, but depending on the battery’s SOC the system can immediately switch on the engine to charge the battery.







The hybrid battery is located below the front seats and has a cooling vent on the left side which shouldn’t be covered at any given point of time.







During the media unveil, Toyota engineers explained that for heavier cars in their line-up, the tried and tested NiMH battery is their go-to option, as it manages thermal runaway better than lithium-ion batteries; the latter being relatively more expensive and more suited to lighter, smaller cars. Toyota also claimed that 50-60 percent of a typical urban commute is possible in full-electric mode, with the petrol engine playing a supporting role and I don’t dispute this claim.

The engine charges the battery either in P (park) or D (drive) and not when the transmission is in N (neutral). If the car is in Neutral for a few minutes this message pops up on the MID.



You will miss that swell of diesel torque that brings with it a more familiar sense of progress, but this is replaced by a wider, more consistent performance. Toyota’s e-CVT (planetary gearbox) is at ease when driven sedately and feels in complete sync with this hybrid system. Although with an aggressive driving style, particularly at highway speeds, the e-CVT makes the engine sound strained and feel outside of its comfort zone, even though there’s more than enough performance on tap. Yes, there is some of that CVT drone but you still have forward motion so the effect isn't as stark as it could have been without the electrical assistance. You get a sport mode for the gearbox as well as paddles for simulated ratios but these don't alter the experience significantly.

Drive with an extremely light foot and the car will potter in EV mode, with the engine coming in occasionally to add juice to the battery. But drive with a heavier foot and the engine will also power the front wheels, at the same time charge the battery. Driving with a lighter foot will not necessarily give you higher fuel efficiency since the engine will turn on more frequently to charge the battery.



Toyota has given the HyCross three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Power. What these modes do is alter the throttle response and AC performance. In Eco mode the engine comes into a play a lot less with the AC in Eco as well, in the Normal mode, the engine does come on more frequently and in Power mode the engine is almost always working.

From a standstill, till upto 40kmph the car will try to remain in EV mode (unless the accelerator is pressed harder), after which the engine comes on to power the front wheels. The transition is almost seamless and imperceptible. There are hardly any vibrations felt when the petrol engine switches on.

While climbing the ghat on the way to Lonavla, the engine did kick in a lot more to keep the car moving, it did sound strained but that’s how the engine + e-CVT characteristics are! What this also did was charge the battery a lot more and even on a steep slope of the ghat in stop-start traffic, the electric motor powered the car up till 30 kmph.

While coming down the ghats it was a completely different story! The car never came out of EV mode. The battery also got charged fully. While accelerating the battery would power the front wheels on the down slope and as soon as we would lift off from the accelerator, the regeneration would begin.



From where we started in Lonavla, joining the expressway after encountering traffic in main Lonavla and till the toll on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway after the ghats, the car returned 19.8kmpl according to the MID.



Everyone who sat in the car commented on how silent the car is compared to older Innovas. This in itself was a revelation for many! It’s not hard to achieve these figures in the MID after a drive in the city, something which very few small capacity diesel engines can manage…



The brakes are slightly different from the brakes of conventional cars, since the initial dab on the brake pedal does the regeneration and as we press the pedal more, the actual brakes kick in. Initially this can catch someone off-guard, but after a few drives, one does become accustomed to it fairly easily and can modulate the brakes well.

A few other Toyota hybrid vehicles get a B-mode for the transmission, which is for engine braking. No such thing is present in the HyCross.

Overall I’m quite pleased with this hybrid powertrain and it has surpassed my expectations. I had TD’ed the HyCross several times before getting ours but they were only short drives. Once we got our car, I could test it properly and the powertrain passed my test with flying colours, it may seem underpowered at first but that’s the e-CVT (planetary gearbox) and engine running on the Atkinson cycle giving that feeling.

[CEF_Beasts]

Ride, Handling & NVH

The Innova HyCross gets a cheaper & less-complex MacPherson strut suspension at the front and an inferior Semi-Independent torsion beam suspension setup at the rear.





The suspension is tuned to provide a compliant ride but has a touch of stiffness at low speeds, which can be attributed to the fact that the ZX and ZX(O) variant rides on extremely low profile 225/50/R18 tires. The sidewall is just too low for a people-carrier MPV. This results in sharper bumps and potholes filtering more into the cabin than expected. With a taller sidewall in lower variants I'm sure the HyCross would ride beautifully! Although overall the car rides with a poise unseen in MPVs, almost unfazed.



Don't forget the Crysta's 17-inch wheels fiasco and take it easy with the HyCross having 18-inch wheels! You can't hammer the HyCross over a bad patch of road like you would to a BOF Innova or Crysta. The HyCross at times feels almost like a high-riding sedan, essentially a Corolla on stilts with 3 rows of seats which it is based on at the end of the day.

High-speed stability of the HyCross is very good. Even at speeds of above 100 km/h, there is no floatiness or nervousness portrayed by the HyCross. As expected, the HyCross has more body roll than a sedan while taking fast sweeping curves, but it is noticeably lesser than the old BOF Innovas. The 225 section tires provide good grip and the car sticks to the road well. The HyCross definitely feels a lot more car-like (high-riding sedan) to drive compared to its predecessors. The Innova Crysta had a very heavy HPS unit, which made it very cumbersome to drive at low city and parking speeds, the HyCross gets an EPS unit instead that is very well calibrated (also due to the ADAS functions not being possible to incorporate in a HPS unit). It is feather-light at slow speeds (even lighter than my 1st Gen Creta's) and gets heavier as the speeds increase, making the HyCross way better to navigate than the older Innovas at parking speeds. The steering column as well gets healthy rake and telescopic adjustments. At triple digit speeds it could do with more feedback, though. The stability the TNGA-C platform has given the HyCross is exceptional, even after being almost 200kgs lighter than the Crysta.



The HyCross has phenomenal NVH levels, the car does a very good job of filtering out most of the noises out of the cabin. It's only when you press the accelerator harder that you can hear the 2.0L NA petrol engine and e-CVT booming away. The insulation is so good that on the go, even the horn of the car is heard very faintly inside the cabin, Toyota has also kept the sound of the indicator chimes inside the cabin very low for this exact reason! You may hear some wind noise from near the ORVMs while driving at triple digit speeds, road noise and suspension noise otherwise are well-suppressed and controlled. HyCross, especially in the top trim, feels like a proper luxury car compared to the more utilitarian Innova & Crysta, I felt that the NVH is at par if not better in EV mode than my BMW X3!! The acoustic window panes all around do help certainly. There is a very slight vibration felt when the petrol engine comes on to charge the battery and power the wheels, which is otherwise imperceptible to the rear passengers in the car.

[CEF_Beasts]

ADAS Functionality

Toyota India introduced Toyota Safety Sense (better known as TSS) 3.0 (Autonomous Driving L2 tech) for the first time in 2022, with the launch of the Innova HyCross in India.

Even more expensive Toyotas, like the Camry and Toyota’s flagship SUV the LC300 don’t get TSS in India, even-though both get it in their International spec models.

The recent CBU Vellfire is the next Toyota model in India after the Innova HyCross to get the TSS 3.0 system.

I applaud Toyota for providing the HyCross, with ADAS, since it’s a boon to use on our expressways, is intuitive and not as intrusive as other manufacturers ADAS systems. Toyota India has made a wise decision by not including pedestrian and motorcycle detection in their ADAS programming, making it much more user-friendly in a country like India. The other countries like Malaysia and Indonesia where TSS 3.0 is available in the Innova Zenix get pedestrian and motorcycle detection apart from the regular vehicle detection.

The features Toyota provides in their TSS 3.0 package in India are:

• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Trace Assist
• Dynamic Radar-based Cruise Control
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Pre-Collision Warning System
• Automatic High-Beam Assist
• Take-a-Break Reminder

All TSS functions are accessible from the steering mounted buttons present on the right side of the steering.:

The TSS system employs a Dynamic Radar and a Monocular Camera up top. The latest TSS 3.0 gets a new camera sensor with an expanded detection angle and around two times further forward detection. The latest radar sensor is able to detect obstacles closer to the sensor.:

To facilitate the working of the radar effectively, Toyota provides a 2D logo at the front behind which the radar is situated. Other manufacturers prefer giving their radars lower in the front bumpers.:

The monocular camera is situated right at the top of the windscreen, in the centre. (Pic Source: T-BHP’s Official Review):

Lane Departure Warning as the name suggests alerts drivers when their vehicle is drifting out of its lane on roads with lane markings.

Visual: A flashing indicator on the corresponding side of the lane on the instrument cluster
Vibration: A gentle vibration on the steering wheel, which pulls you back in the lane.

Lane Trace Assist only works when the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is activated. When the car with DRCC is trailing another car at the set speed and distance, Lane Trace Assist will keep the car centred in that lane itself.

Visual: A road sign with two lanes and a steering symbol will be shown on the instrument cluster when LTA is activated.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is the radar guided cruise control system, which identifies a car in front and speeds up or slows down in accordance with what the car in front does, until the DRCC activated car reaches its set speed.

With DRCC activated, the car can come to a halt as well and start itself (if the car ahead starts moving within 10s) otherwise we have to just press the +RES button on the steering / dab the accelerator for the car to start moving again, following the car in front, by itself.

Here the DRCC is activated with a set speed of 82kmph maintaining the highest distance between the two cars possible, the car in front is stopped at a toll and the system is waiting for the car in front to start moving.:

When the Radar and Camera detect the car in front has started moving, it gives a prompt in the MID telling you to press the +RES button / press the Accelerator to resume the DRCC and follow the car in front.:

Blind Spot Monitoring as the name suggests warns the driver if there is any car in your left or right blind spot with a orange light glowing on the outer edge of the ORVMs. With the orange light glowing, switch on that particular side’s turn indicator and the orange light starts flashing rapidly reminding you there is someone present in your blind-spot.:

Rear Cross Traffic Alert warns you if a car is approaching you from either side while you’re in reverse. For this to work, on either side of the rear bumper there is a radar sensor each for the system to detect a car, (it will warn you with audible beeps and a yellow arrow indicating from which direction the car is approaching you in the rear parking camera while simultaneously blinking the Blind Spot Monitor on the respective mirror) which works in conjunction with the Blind Spot Monitoring system.:

Pre-Collision Warning System helps in mitigating the chances of you rear-ending the car in front. Only once did I hear this buzzer sound with a red warning message appear on the MID (the warning vanishes from the MID in a matter of 1-2 seconds, before you can find out what the warning was about) when the car in front of me suddenly braked, I didn't feel as the car did brake since I had already taken evasive action and braked by then. Can't risk trying this system out in practical life, for now the system-braking part will remain as a text in the owner's manual only.

Auto High-beam Assist works with the help of the monocular front camera located at the top of the windscreen. Depending on multiple factors like speed of the car, streetlights, any tail-lights visible up-front or headlights approaching the car may switch from the low beam to high beam and vice-versa. The button for activating the AHB is on the right side of the steering wheel and is activated if a green light is glowing on the button. In the MID also a green beam with an ‘A’ symbol appears when the AHB is activated:

Take-a-Break Reminder sounds a buzzer and warning if the camera and radar senses that the car is swaying in its lane, and if a few conditions are met like the speed of the car and width of the lane in which the car is.:

I used the TSS functions on my drive from Mumbai to Lonavla and back on the Mum-Pune Expressway and the system worked flawlessly, by detecting every car accurately. If any car came in your lane up ahead of you, even that is shown in the MID, but if a car cuts across ahead of you really closely is where the system can falter, not immediately detecting the vehicle that just entered with the DRCC activated and the car accelerating to match the speed of the car that was originally in front of you. You can set the intensity with which you want your car to accelerate, set the speed you want the car to shed while approaching and taking corners as well. By not having Pedestrian and Motorcycle Detection, Toyota has hit the ball out of the park with this ADAS system, with an almost 100% perfect calibration for a chaotic traffic country like India. It's very easy to understand and learn how each function works, even if you're a newbie to this kind of technology like I was.

Connected Car Tech

As technology advances, it was inevitable for cars to catch up as well. Toyota is usually the last manufacturer to chase new technology and as usual they are late to the party with their own Connected Car Tech. Their app is called Toyota i-Connect and is accessible on both Android and iOS operating systems.

First you've to login with your registered number, enter the OTP, set a password and you're good to go ahead (you can choose to open the app by scanning your finger-print or face-ID). Next you've to enter the car's registration number or chassis number, after which the car will be recognised by the app and displayed. Set your car to default if you've two or more Toyotas and you'll be able to see the connected car as soon as you open the app. If your car is connected you'll see multiple functions like Start/Stop the car, Lock/Unlock the car, Switch on the Hazard Lights, Open/close the windows and Lock the trunk on the main screen. Above which will be some data like your current odometer reading, fuel level, kilometers of range remaining and overall status of the car which includes doors, windows, headlights and the key.:

Right below the Fuel Gauge on the App you'll find a green tick with view status written, on clicking 'View Status' you'll be able to see the TPMS Readout, to check the tire pressure of each individual tire (the top-view of the white car shown in the TPMS readout is a 2017 Toyota Highlander ). Below the TPMS readout is where you’ll find the status of the doors, windows, bonnet, trunk, headlights, sunroof and hazard lights:

You can also set the climate control temperature which will be set after you remote start the car with the app only, if you wish you can turn on the front seat ventilation individually or turn on the front and rear defoggers as well.

Apart from this, the app will also show you if there are any active alerts for your car. The app displays Driving Insights like Harsh Cornering, Fast Acceleration and Harsh Braking done along with a Driving Score out of 100. You can Find your Car from the app with its real-time location function (can turn on the Hazard lights as well). Driver Alerts can be set for 'My Family', 'My Chauffeur', 'The Valet' or 'Your Guest' with geo-fencing the car, setting a speed limit if and when exceeded you'll get a notification, distance driven limit, time curfew, seatbelt and ignition enabled reminder.

The Owner's Manual in Toyota cars is no longer a physical booklet, but only accessible in online mode through the app or Toyota's website after entering your VIN. You can also book a service, see the status of the service, go through the service invoice and look up the service history of your car. The extended warranty details will appear in the app if you've bought it, with a proper invoice. The details of the 2-year Smiles Package is also available in the app. And last but not least you can Request/Call for the Roadside Assistance through the app.

[CEF_Beasts]

Other Points

• The Innova HyCross is manufactured in Bidadi, Karnataka by Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd (TKML). The car shares the assembly line with the Innova Crysta and Fortuner. The TNGA Petrol and Petrol Hybrid Engine production was started in India in 2022, by Toyota Industries Engine India. This marked the first mass production of a Hybrid engine in India.
  
  
• The colour code for the Blackish Ageha Glass Flakes colour is 221. This colour is also called Galactic Aqua. The Land Cruiser Prado J120 gets the Blackish Ageha Colour in select markets, meanwhile the Galactic Aqua colour (essentially the same colour) can be found on cars like the Corolla, Camry and RAV4:
  

  
  
  
  
  

• The headlight performance is particularly poor, which doesn’t sound right when the car’s name is Innova, known for its highway-cruiser status.:
  

  
  
  

• The inner rubber beadings (on the door and pillars) are of superior quality! It’s a testament to the NVH levels the HyCross is able to achieve.
  
  
• Compared to the IMV Platform cars (Crysta, Fortuner and Hilux), the HyCross only gets a single glovebox without any cooling vent, light or compartments. The most inexcusable kind of cost-cutting in a 40 Lakh car !!!
  
  
• The first 3 services are labour-free. Initial intervals are 1,000 km / 1 month, 10,000 km / 12 months and 20,000 km / 24 months. I have bought the 2 year Smiles Package (valid till the 2 year / 20000 kms mark) which covers all consumables except WB, WA and any part changes.
  
  
• Standard warranty coverage is for 3 years / 1,00,000 kms. Extended warranty is available up to 5 years / 2,20,000 kms. I have bought the extended warranty till 5 years / 1,00,000 kms. Highly recommended for this car considering the features this mass-market car has got, which is new even for Toyota India. The hybrid battery's standard warranty is 8 years / 1,60,000 kms. Battery replacement cost is ₹2 - 2.5 Lakh
  
  
• The lower variants are well priced, it’s the higher end variants that start nudging the 40 Lakh OTR mark in some states. A ~40 Lakh Innova has become a harsh reality.
  
  
• The interiors of the GX variant are horribly bland! Certainly not befitting the 23 lakh price tag. The GX(O) variant is much better as it gets the similar treatment in its interior as higher variants and would be my choice if I was looking for the petrol only version.
  
  
• Doors auto-lock as you drive away. What's more, they will automatically unlock in an accident.
  
  
• ARAI ratings are 16.13 km/l (Petrol Only) and 23.24 km/l (Petrol Hybrid).
  
  
• As much as I am loving the captain seats, any more than 4 people onboard and you have to use the 3rd row. Having 5 onboard isn't that rare in India; the 5th occupant will have to unhappily jump behind on the last row. This is one of the areas where the bench seat variant scores. How I wish Toyota offered the top-spec variants with a bench seat in the middle row, that would’ve been my choice.
  
  
• Beige interiors should definitely have been an option. A large part of the market still prefers beige as it results in a lighter, airier cabin. The Chestnut Brown colour may not be to everyone's liking.
  
  
• Seatbelt warning is there not only for the driver, but also for the front passenger. Both front seats have weight sensors. The rear seats also get reminders but without weight sensors and only chime/beep when someone who had them on removes it, while the car is switched on
  
  
• When you lock & unlock the car, there is no confirmation beep. Lock the car, the turn indicators flash once and the ORVMs fold in; unlock the car, the turn indicators flash twice and the ORVMs fold out. Approach the car without unlocking it and the ORVMs remain folded in, but the puddle lights below the ORVMs turn on.
  
  
• Try to walk away from the Innova HyCross with the engine running + the smartkey in your pocket, and you'll hear short beeps on the outside. Try to lock the door at the same time and you'll hear a long continuous beep.
  
  
• I have noticed a slight left pull while driving the car.
  
  
• The horn is the typical Toyota UV dual-tone unit, I may plan to upgrade to the Camry's wind-tone horn later on.
  
  
• The Innova today is so loaded that it's hard to believe the 2005 car didn't get internally adjustable mirrors! Not even manual stalks inside. You had to roll down the window and adjust the mirror glass with your hand and the 2016 Crysta didn't get an auto-dimming IRVM, manually operated 2nd row roll-up window sunshades, Panoramic sunroof, auto-folding ORVMs or an Electrically operated tail-gate.
  
  
• The 18 inch wheels are extremely low profile and just not meant for what is essentially a people-carrier (The 17s would be a better idea). R18 tires are more expensive and have very few options available in the stock size aftermarket.
  
  
• The smart-key's battery is user-replaceable. No need to go to the dealer to replace its battery.

[CEF_Beasts]

Smaller yet Significant Details

• The B-Pillar is just slightly scooped in, reason? So that when the seat-belt is unbuckled, the latch doesn’t hit the B-Pillar and make a rattling noise. Such a small thing is missing on my BMW and the passenger seatbelt latch if not properly placed between the seat and B-Pillar makes a rattling noise. So kudos to Toyota for continuing to give it. Although the Crysta’s is a much deeper recess in the B-Pillar.:
  

  

• After switching off the car, with the light stalk in Auto mode, pull the stalk towards you once and the Follow-Me-Home function gets activated for 30 seconds. Only the low beam is switched on in this mode, neither do the DRLs come on nor the parking lights and fog lights. A feature Toyota has failed to mention in the official brochure.:
  

  

• ORVMs are India-friendly, they move in the opposite direction with minimal resistance. Although if broken the ORVM is going to be a costly affair to replace since it houses one of the cameras for the 360° Camera, a puddle light and the Blind Spot Monitor.:
  

  

• Unlike the Crysta, the HyCross misses out on puddle lights at the base of each individual door - petty cost-cutting! The HyCross does with just red reflectors in place.:
  

  

• MID shows exactly which door is open, including the elusive Bonnet, which was missing in the Crysta and still missing in several mass-market cars.:
  

  

• This time around unlike the Fortuner, Hilux or Crysta which are based on the IMV platform the HyCross doesn’t get an option to switch off the Passenger Side Front Airbag. Here is how it is placed in the Crysta on the passenger side and can be accessed only after opening the co-driver's door.:
  

  

• The plastic quality used on the door pads and other panels, is extremely scratchy and doesn’t suit a 3.8 million car.:
  

  

• All window switches are un-illuminated (except the Driver’s window switch), meaning it’s a pain to find them in the dark. A very very petty Cost cutting trick by Toyota. Definitely not expected considering the cheaper Crysta gets it. A DIY is the only solution to solve this, have seen a Corolla Cross owner from Malaysia post a video on replacing this part on YT, after importing the part from the UK, since other similar available parts are all for LHD markets.:
  

  

• Unlike the current Fortuner and Crysta or even the previous gen Fortuner and Innova (higher variants), the HyCross misses out on the wooden/veneer finish present on the 10-2 position of the steering wheel. Many people with the New gen Fortuner and Crysta have reported cracks on it, but it’s still intact on my 1st gen Facelift Fortuner even after 10 long years.:
  

  

• No in-built Navigation means neither does the MID have a compass nor does it display the street name you’re on, like the pre-facelift Crysta and 2nd gen Pre-facelift Fortuner did. Means you've to solely rely on your media device' navigation (Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps) through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay:
  

  

• All cabin lights are cheap halogens, making it look downright cheap! A car costing 3.8 million should’ve got LEDs, but this is Toyota.:
  

  

• Unlike the Crysta or Fortuner there is no Music playing tab or Call details that appear in the MID, even though it has been erroneously mentioned as being present in the official brochure of the HyCross.:
  

  

• The fuel cap mentions the diet the car needs and don’t miss the E20 compatible sticker.:
  

  

• The Piano Black with Chrome Keyfob is being carried forward since 2016 (and is used from the Crysta till the LC300), when it was first introduced with the Crysta. Not that it looks bad, but something new should’ve been introduced. I have added a tinted key cover on the key fob to protect it from scratches.:
  

  

• The Radar for the Toyota Safety Sense is placed behind the Toyota logo on the front grill, hence only the ZX(O) variant gets a 2D logo compared to the 3D logo available on the lower variants. In other cars with ADAS, the radar is placed low on the front bumper.:
  

  

• Tyre pressure details are present on the right B-Pillar, which is visible after opening the driver’s door and is also written in the digital owner's manual:
  

  

• The front wheel well is fully covered:
  

  

• …same is the case with rear as well (something you’ll still not find on the Crysta and Fortuner).:
  

  

• The front wipers on a 3.8 Million car are not frameless like the Crysta and Fortuner. This level of cost-cutting was just not expected from Toyota !!! The driver side blade is 24” and the passenger side blade is 16”:
  

  

• The spare wheel is a Bridgestone 205/65/R16 tire with a steel rim, located under the body. The rim is a good 2 sizes smaller than what Toyota has chosen for the top-spec cars!. (Pic Source: T-BHP’s official review):
  

  

• Press the accelerator and brake together in D (Drive), makes this warning pop-up on the MID.:
  

  

• Ventilated front seats and Driver seat memory function are India-Specific features, which are now available in select overseas markets.:
  

  
  
  

• The Blue start-stop button is not being offered with the HyCross (it’s a black start-stop button, which is available on the latest Vellfire as well), which is present in both the Camry and Urban Cruiser HyRyder.:
  

  

• Unlike the current gen Fortuner and Crysta which only get a blower for the rear AC = only cool / cold air is channeled through them even if the front Heater is switched on. The HyCross gets a separate zone for the 2nd and 3rd row, meaning heating is also available when needed. (Note: This 2nd AC zone feature is only available in the ZX and ZX(O) variants of the HyCross, the lower variants make do what the Crysta and Fortuner get ie. A blower with only the ability to provide cool air.):
  

  

• Unlike the 1st and 2nd row which get foldable grab handles on the roof, the 3rd row makes do with fixed units on either sides. The Crysta and Fortuner get foldable grab handles in all rows. Although the new Land Cruiser Prado (J250) gets it the same way the HyCross gets it, meaning Toyota is implementing it this way in their newer SUVs/MUVs. Some TNGA SUVs do miss out on the grab handles for the 3rd row entirely (eg: the Highlander, Grand Highlander and Sequoia). So something is better than nothing for the HyCross.:
  

  

• The placement of the 3rd row AC vents is an oversight in the HyCross. In its current position with the 2nd row seats pushed all the way back with a decent recline angle on the backrest, the AC vent can freeze your head. And to be more useful for the 3rd row passengers it should’ve been placed behind the fixed grab handle like it is in other International Toyota SUVs rather than being placed in front of the grab handle.:
  

  

• The Innova for the first time gets an Electrically Operated Tail-gate. It can be activated from pressing the electro-magnetic button on the tail-gate or from the button inside present on the right side of the steering wheel or from the key fob. After opening it, for closing it there are two buttons present; the one on the left is for closing the tail-gate and the one on the right is for closing + locking the tail-gate. A grab handle is also provided in case someone decides to switch off the electronic function of the tail-gate from the MID. While opening and closing of the tail-gate, the electric motor makes a hell lot of noise for which Toyota has added a beeping chime during its operation! Both the chimes and noise together can become irritating. Both buttons are backlit in white:
  

  

• I don’t know if many have noticed this yet, but the variant badge on the HyCross compared to the OG Innova and Crysta is different. The Crysta even though had its variants as GX, VX and ZX, the variant badge that would be pasted on the bootlid only had G, V or Z to mention the variant it is, same was the case with the OG Innova as well with its G, V and Z variants (Z came 2014 onwards in the OG Innova). In the HyCross the entire variant is mentioned on the bootlid whether it’s VX or ZX (GX variants miss out on the variant badge).:
  

  

• The quarter glass on the A-pillar that has been ubiquitous on an Innova is also present here albeit on the door itself, before the A-Pillar. If we look more into detail, all TNGA-C based cars get a similar quarter glass treatment on the door itself.:
  

  

[CEF_Beasts]

”Battle of Two Generations: BOF Innova vs Monocoque Innova"

I would like to thank my school friend and his brother for getting his 2.8L Innova Crysta late in the night, so that I could conduct this in-depth comparison that I wanted to do ever since the HyCross was introduced in the Indian market.

When rumours of a new generation Innova started floating, before the 10-year life-cycle of the current Innova, many had predicted Toyota was moving over to the TNGA platform with a monocoque platform, being FWD and hybrid/petrol being its energy source, many thought it was a misnomer until the car was finally revealed.

An Innova not being a BOF on the IMV platform, channelling power to the rear wheels only and Diesel powered was unheard of until Toyota revealed the HyCross in 2022. The TNGA-C monocoque platform, Petrol/Hybrid powertrain and FWD completely revolutionised what a Kijang Innova was and is.

The Innova (Crysta) has been a crowd favourite not only in India but also in other SE Asia countries. The HyCross being the new kid on the block has big shoes to fill. Just like when the Crysta was launched to replace the OG Innova (or OG Innova was launched to replace the Qualis), the HyCross was unveiled with similar criticism by most fans.

The Crysta continues to be on sale, unlike what was done with the OG Innova and Qualis. But the sales of the Crysta have been curtailed by not giving it the AT Slushbox, so that customers are pushed towards the HyCross. Some are convinced, many are not!

So I bring you a comparison comparing India’s Favourite MPV vs the New Kid on the Block.

2017 Innova Crysta 2.8L Diesel ZX vs 2024 Innova HyCross 2.0L Petrol Hybrid ZX(O)

Exterior Comparison

Parked side by side, it’s clear what Toyota has tried to do with the HyCross to make it look less MPV-like and more SUV-like. The bonnet on the HyCross is set higher like a SUV’s and the upright front grill lend it the SUV feel when seen head-on. The Crysta’s windscreen is more raked than the HyCross’ which also lends the HyCross some of that SUV look. But make no mistake the Crysta even with its more MPVish design doesn’t look any less intimidating out on the road.:





The overall headlight shape of both the cars is very similar, but the internals are different! The Crysta uses a dual-barrel setup where it has a projector for its LED low beam and halogen for its high beam. The HyCross has tri-beam reflector-based LED headlights that have a pretty poor throw compared to the Crysta’s setup. And both cars have their position/parking lights in LED towards the grill. The indicators in both cars are placed low on the bumper rather than the more conventional location of being present inside the headlights itself. This Crysta is from the ‘17 batch hence it comes with halogen fog lights, meanwhile the HyCross does with LED fog lights, which are inset rather than towards the outer edge of the bumper.:



From the side both cars have distinctive design languages separating them. The haunches on the HyCross have been borrowed from the Highlander especially that bulbous crease that runs from the rear door till the tail-lamp. the Crysta also gets one but it’s not at all pronounced. The Crysta’s shoulder line is very prominent and runs from the front headlight and ends at the 3rd row window. The wheel wells of the HyCross are slightly squared-off to give it that SUV-look over the Crysta.

Remember how easy it was to ding the doors of an Innova and Crysta? Well, I’m happy to announce that this is not the case with the HyCross any more! The doors on the HyCross do not flex as much as the Crysta’s and original Innova’s.

The length increase of 20mm and wheelbase increase of 100mm on the HyCross makes its presence felt with the sheer length of the rear door on the HyCross’ compared to the Crysta. :




The door handles on the Crysta are quite literally draped in thick Chrome, similar to how older Toyotas starting with the Innova in 2005 had them, even the Request Sensor on both the front doors is in chrome (where other cars have a black button). Meanwhile the HyCross follows the newer gen Toyota cars (LC300, new Prado J250) where the door handle is in body colour with a chrome strip in the centre. In the HyCross the request sensors are integrated into the front door handles itself, rather than having separate buttons.:




At the Rear, the HyCross makes do with Horizontal LED taillights (halogen bulbs for the indicators and reverse lights) meanwhile the Crysta has a L-shaped design for the taillights which look much more substantial and break the bulk of the sheet metal more effectively. After comparing both side-by-side I appreciate the Crysta’s approach way more, but in this design it couldn’t incorporate any LEDs. Don’t miss the Z and ZX badge on the Crysta and HyCross respectively.:



With the tailgates of both cars open side-by-side, we can observe that the HyCross has a lower loading lip than the Crysta, making it easier to lift heavier objects/bags into the boot. Note: Do not miss the white backlit buttons for closing and locking the tailgate on the HyCross’ bootlid :



The INNOVA badge on both the Crysta and HyCross has a different font, with the HyCross reminiscent of what the original 2005 Innova had.:




I don’t know if many have noticed this yet, but the variant badge on the HyCross compared to the OG Innova and Crysta is different. The Crysta even though had its variants as GX, VX and ZX, the variant badge that would be pasted on the bootlid only had G, V or Z to mention the variant it is, same was the case with the OG Innova as well with its G, V and Z variants (Z came 2014 onwards in the OG Innova). In the HyCross the entire variant is mentioned on the bootlid whether it’s VX or ZX (GX variants miss out on the variant badge).:




Both cars get low profile tires for what are people movers, now this Crysta is from that batch where Toyota had started giving the ZX trims with 16 inchers as well, due to many tire burst issues with the 17 inchers. For a large people carrier, a taller sidewall is what I would want. With the HyCross, Toyota has managed to go even lower with the side profile. The ZX Crysta has 215/55/R17 tires from factory (this Crysta has 205/65/R16 tires from factory) meanwhile the HyCross makes do with ridiculously low-profile 225/50/R18 tires:

Driving the 2.8L 1GD Diesel Engine vs the 2.0L TNGA Petrol Hybrid Engine

Just like how different the platform of both Innovas is, the hearts of both Innovas are equally different.

This particular Crysta is the 2.8L 4cyl Diesel one, which has achieved cult status in the used car market, is highly desirable and sought after.

The engine bay of the Crysta: (Pic Source: CarWale)


With power going to the rear wheels with a 6-spd slushbox the instant 360Nm of torque is clearly noticeable! And this is something an Innova was always known for. I drove the 2.8L 6AT Crysta for the first time and I was blown away by the initial torque surge even without pressing the accelerator! The creep function in the Crysta 2.8L is mighty!! The car picks up pace with a lot of enthusiasm and is absolutely effortless to drive. The Crysta is an absolute power monster in its 2.8L guise and it can pull well past triple digit speeds without battling an eyelid.

The steering wheel in the Crysta is a hydraulic unit and it’s very heavy at parking speeds, you’ll make your shoulders manoeuvring this car in slow city traffic. Since it’s a hydraulic unit, every road imperfections can be felt on the steering wheel. As speeds pick up, the steering becomes well weighted.

The HyCross sets itself apart from the Crysta with its NA Petrol engine running the Atkinson cycle + 1.7kWh NiMh battery giving boost whenever it has juice and even running on pure EV mode wherever possible. That immediate torque of the Diesel engine is missing in the HyCross, but the electric motor’s initial 0 rpm torque makes the HyCross no slouch either at city speeds. The HyCross does feel strained after 120kmph but that’s the e-CVT’s inherent nature to keep revving.

The HyCross is almost 200kgs lighter than the Crysta and hence manages to better the Crysta in terms of outright acceleration upto to the ton.

The engine bay of the HyCross: (Pic Source: T-BHP)


The steering wheel in the HyCross is feather light and even lighter than my Creta’s making it a breeze to drive in the city. The steering wheel is so light that you might actually forget that you’re piloting a 4.75m-long 3-row MUV! The steering does weigh up well as speeds pick up, but it could’ve done with a lot more feedback at higher speeds. Also the body roll in the HyCross is controlled a lot better than the Crysta’s, meaning you can carry a higher speed into a corner in the HyCross compared to the Crysta, but remember neither are corner carvers at the end of the day.

Another difference is the gearbox on both cars. The Innova has a traditional 6-spd torque converter gearbox sourced from Aisin, meanwhile like all Toyota hybrids the HyCross uses an e-CVT (planetary gearbox) that isn’t belt driven like normal CVTs are.

Suspension Comparison

The Crysta has a Double wishbone suspension at the front:


…and a 4-link coil spring suspension at the rear. (Image Source: T-BHP)


The inherent slow-speed jiggliness of a BOF platform is noticeable on the Crysta, after which as speeds pick up it gobbles everything in its path! Potholes or no potholes you can hammer the Crysta through it all and it will take everything in its stride!

Meanwhile, the HyCross has a cheaper and less complex MacPherson strut suspension at the front


…and a semi-independent torsion beam suspension setup at the rear.


This lends the HyCross an excellent low speed ride, (due credit to the monocoque chassis) but it can’t be hammered the same way over the bad roads like a BoF vehicle can be.

There are few people who don’t like the slow speed jiggliness that the ladder on frame cars possess, meanwhile there are others who prefer steamrolling potholes at higher speeds rather than slowing down, so some will like the Crysta and some will like the HyCross on this front.

This is often mistaken with the solidity of cars, where BoF cars will be more solid over time, this myth has been successfully debunked by several new age monocoque SUVs like the Defender and the likes. Not taking anything away from full size Ladder-frame SUVs like the Land Cruiser but yes a monocoque can be equally durable. The abuse a ladder frame can take at its limit is something a monocoque can’t match. But keep things well within the limit and both platforms are equally durable with their fair share of advantages and disadvantages.

[CEF_Beasts]

”Battle of Two Generations: BOF Innova vs Monocoque Innova, Contd."

Interior Comparison

The interior of both the cars follow a completely different path, with the Crysta having one swooping slab of plastic across the width of its cabin vs the HyCross breaking that bulk with its touchscreen jutting out. I’m not a big fan of the placement of the gear-lever on the HyCross, which does rob it of plenty of space for knick-knacks which is available in the Crysta. Both designs are individual preferences, I like both designs equally for their respective traits.

The Crysta over the years has been offered with 4 different interior colour options for its seats and door armrests!! Two colours were present at the launch in 2016; the Hazel Brown colour was exclusively reserved for the top-spec 2.8L ZX AT at launch (same as the 2017 Crysta in this post), the Black leather interior was reserved for the 2.4L ZX MT models. Meanwhile later on the 2.8L ZX AT variant got an option of a Camel Tan colour besides the already available Hazel Brown (both interior colour options were available side-by-side and a customer could decide what he wanted) and the 2.4L ZX AT that was introduced in the BS6 era got an option of a Ivory colour alongside the Hazel Brown colour.

The HyCross makes do with only one colour; the Chestnut Brown colour. A beige or tan option should’ve been provided atleast as an option.

Open the Driver’s Door and this is from where you start realising where Toyota has really cut costs on the HyCross and side-by-side it becomes even more evident! The satin silver finish near the window switches give the Crysta a very premium feel, something which the HyCross doesn’t stand a chance against. Neither are the window switches illuminated on the HyCross, like they’re on the Crysta. Notice the puddle light at the base of the door in the Crysta, which is missing on the HyCross (a red reflector is given instead). The Crysta also gets a piano-black panel above the window-switch console near the door-opening lever on both the driver & co-driver door, missing in the HyCross.

The biggest reason for people turning away from the HyCross is the cost-cutting that Toyota has done at different places of the interior, to give it the Hybrid tech instead. Hope they resolve the biggest dealbreaker when the Facelift is launched.:




The front seats on both the car’s top-spec models are 8-way electrically adjustable and both miss out on lumbar support adjustment. The HyCross gets a welcome function for its driver seat, which moves ahead to your set position once you’ve worn your seatbelt and moves back when you unbuckle your seatbelt irrespective of whether you’ve switched on the car yet or not. You can also change its setting; to move the seat all the way back, partially or switch off the feature. The Crysta has a manually adjustable co-driver seat, but with a boss lever to push the seat all the way to the front from the rear. The fact that HyCross has electric ottomans and recline functions for its rear seats, makes the person sitting in the front passenger seat feel extremely deprived with a manually adjusting co-driver seat that too w/o a boss lever or button to push the seat all the way ahead from the rear seat. The Crysta’s seats are cushier overall compared to the HyCross’. The HyCross although goes one-up on the Crysta with ventilated front seats.:




The Crysta’s dashboard has one large swooping slab of plastic running across the breadth of its cabin, the design still looks fresh and hasn’t aged a bit! The HyCross follows the trend of recent times with a tab stuck right at the top of the dashboard. The digital clock present at the top of the dashboard on the Crysta has finally been done away with, in the HyCross. The Crysta gets a wooden veneer on both the passenger and driver side of the dashboard, breaking the bulk of the dashboard vertically, the HyCross gets no wooden veneer anywhere on the dashboard.:




The wooden veneer is also present on the steering wheel at the 10-2 position of the Crysta, which reportedly has many cracks develop over it with time and its colour fades away. The cruise control stalk is located behind the steering wheel on the right in the Crysta. With the Hycross there is no wooden veneer on the steering wheel as well, and the cruise control stalk has been omitted with all buttons being incorporated on the steering mounted controls itself (cruise control included).:




The analogue Instrument cluster with a 4.2 inch TFT MID is what looks better to me than the HyCross’ 7 inch TFT MID cum speedometer in the centre with XL sized Hybrid power meter flanking the left meanwhile fuel gauge & temperature gauge flanking the right. The Crysta also gets 3 additional features in its MID over the HyCross namely; a Compass with a road naming feature (only available in the pre-facelift Crysta which had in-built navigation), Phone number of the person calling you and the name of the song being played currently / MHz of the radio channel you’re listening to.:




The Crysta gets a single-zone climate control AC with the controls placed below the touchscreen and the panel is angled upwards so that the driver / passenger can view them easily. The HyCross gets a waterfall design with the touchscreen, AC controls and gear-lever placed placed one below another. Even the Rear AC zone of the HyCross can be controlled from the front and top-spec cars have ventilated front seat controls available here as well.:




Moving to the rear doors, the Crysta gets a wooden veneer running across the length of the rear door, above the door’s armrest (front doors get a piano black panel in place instead). The power window switch is illuminated and the console is finished in the same satin silver finish like the front doors. A halogen puddle light is present at the base of the rear doors as well. With the HyCross a small satin silver strip breaks the bulk of the black/brown plastic present on the door, there is a red reflector in place of a halogen puddle light at the base of the door and the only addition the HyCross gets over the Crysta are in-built sunshades for the rear windows, otherwise here as well the Crysta is superior.:




The Crysta due to its Body-on-Frame platform has its rear seats placed at an elevation higher than the front seats similar to stadium seating. This gives the Crysta better under thigh support for occupants taller than 5’9” compared to the HyCross. And the ottomans which is a party trick on the HyCross is useless for most people taller than 5’8”, since the front seat comes in the way before you can stretch your legs. We do not get the boss-lever to push the front seat forward on the HyCross either which is very much present on the Crysta.

One small mistake which was mentioned in T-BHP’s Crysta review was the seatbelt buckle placed on the seat itself rather than on the sides of the seats. Meaning a healthy person would find it hard to buckle himself up since he would be sitting on them in the Crysta. This mistake has been corrected in the HyCross.

Space-wise the HyCross being on a monocoque platform with 100mm of additional wheelbase and a flat floor along the length of the car means the legroom available in the 2nd and 3rd row of the HyCross is unimaginable! At the rear also the Crysta’s seats have better cushioning than the HyCross’ seats which feel stiffer overall.:




The tables on the back of the front seats of the Crysta feel much more premium and solid compared to the folding centre table attached to the right captain seat of the HyCross.:




The electric seats of the HyCross don’t tumble forward and fold like has always been the case with the Innovas, so ingress into the third row is harder in the HyCross comparative to the Crysta.

3rd row of the HyCross once the 2nd row seats are adjusted accordingly has significantly more space than the Crysta. Also the floor being flat on the HyCross lends it a less knees-up position than the Crysta, but the Crysta is not bad either. Seatbelt Buckles for three passengers have been provided in the 3rd row with one buckle coming from the roof in both cars.:




Similarly the roof lighting in the Crysta feels more premium (it is inset nicely covering the exposed bits of the lights) than the HyCross where it is exposed in its entirety along half the length of the sunroof.:




The sunroof placed on the roof means the AC vents have been pushed to the sides in the HyCross vs in your face in the Crysta. And the blower controls in the HyCross for the rear passengers has been moved from the Roof like it has always been on Innovas to the base of the centre console.:




The Crysta gets a recess at the end of the centre console, where there is a USB and AUX port present for charging and storing a phone/device. In the HyCross even though it gets 2 USB-C charging ports at the base of the centre console there is no dedicated place to keep your phone/device while charging other than either of the front seat’s magazine holders/back pockets. A badly implemented design that is. The folding table (with the 2nd row seats pushed all the way back) may not necessarily always be within reach of the charging cable.:




Boot space of both cars is rated at the same 300L and to the naked eye there is no difference either. The headrest for the 3rd passenger in the third row gets a nice slot, rather than it floating across the cabin, in both Innovas.:




Where the Monocoque and Ladder Frame chassis’ show their most inherent trait is in the way the 3rd row folds away in these cars.

In the HyCross with a flat floor, the 3rd row tumbles forward into its dedicated position giving it a completely flat boot floor (990L as advertised by Toyota), meanwhile in the Crysta the seats have to be tumbled forward and then to the side which takes away key width of the boot if you are a heavy packer travelling with 4-5 passengers.

But with the 2nd row seats not tumbling forward in the HyCross, in terms of overall hauling capabilities the Crysta still has a lead (at 1800L of cargo space) with its forward tumbling 2nd row seats.:

[CEF_Beasts]

Verdict

If given a choice between the two Innovas: the new HyCross and a new Crysta (in AT guise - Not Available any more) which one will I choose ?

First I’ll look at my use-case:

1. If I’m not going to do very long Expressway travel, the HyCross is superior - Although the e-CVT’s droning sound at overtaking speeds may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Also the HyCross’ fuel economy in the city is simply unparalleled!
   
   
2. If bad roads are something I encounter everyday, then yes the one and only Crysta. (The only other BOF vehicle available in the same price bracket is the Mahindra Scorpio-N.)
   
   
3. Do some compromises on the interior department front bug you (eg: Silver satin finish on all window switch panels on the doors, wooden veneer finish on the doors, etc.) ? - If yes, then the Crysta is better. But the Crysta compared to something like a Safari or XUV700 lacks the final premium touch as well. Although both HyCross and Crysta’s interiors are solidly bolted together unlike their competitors.
   
   
4. I’m not someone who is after features, so the feature set of the Crysta make it a better bet for someone like me. I don’t care if it doesn’t have a sunroof and other electronic nannies, which can go wrong at anytime. Crysta reins in the sheer dependability/reliability department, where the HyCross still has to prove itself. (Not to be mistaken with the powertrain’s reliability/dependability - Toyota is the Hybrid pioneer world over, they have nailed it like always on the HyCross as well)
   
   
5. On the fuel efficiency front, atleast in the city there is absolutely no other similar-sized cars that can come close to what the HyCross Hybrid delivers, period. Out on the highways and expressways some diesels may edge out the Hybrid powertrain.
   
   
6. On the NVH front the Crysta’s engine will make its presence felt at each and every turn, meanwhile with the HyCross running on its battery at times the NVH is absolutely amazing, but once that NA petrol is made to rev along with the e-CVT trying to keep up, the droning sound can become disturbing, forcing the driver himself to back off from the accelerator. But the diesel clatter in the Crysta is still a lot more intrusive and noticeable at any given point of time, even in BS6 guise.

What is better than a manufacturer’s car being outgunned by the competitors?
Having two similar formulas in a product line-up (7/8 seater people carriers) is a sure short way of cannibalising each other, but then the customer remains within the same brand. And that is exactly what Toyota has achieved brilliantly with the Crysta and HyCross being sold simultaneously, considering the Qualis and Innova were discontinued when the Innova and Crysta were launched as their successors respectively.

Both the Crysta and HyCross have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. An AT gearbox not being available on the Crysta may be a downer for many, I agree, but the HyCross has that base covered well except the availability of a torquey Diesel engine. Manual lovers can go for the Crysta Diesel.



Overall, I will still prefer the HyCross over the Crysta because it does a few things better namely; a well calibrated Level-2 ADAS, packs a punch in the NVH department, has a very smooth almost vibration-free powertrain, the city fuel efficiency is unparalleled, delivers Value Luxury that was never heard of in an Innova and last but not the least isn’t a huge jump in terms of pricing over the Crysta (as many had anticipated initially). Of course if you are after a Manual transmission then the Diesel Crysta is your only option. The HyCross punches well above its weight, barring the interior quality!!



The Innova is no longer seen as an utilitarian or chauffeur-driven vehicle only with the HyCross. Many self-driven people and families are preferring the HyCross over the Crysta for a variety of reasons mentioned.

The HyCross is complimenting our garage perfectly well! With the HyCross, we finally got a Hybrid vehicle home which we wanted ever since we had fallen-head-over-heels for a new 2017 Camry Hybrid which we TD’ed back then, the low ground clearance, price and lack of 7 seats made it impossible to consider one! We also re-joined the Innova brand again with the HyCross, after leaving it 10 years ago by selling our ‘05 Petrol Innova. Life goes a full circle and we’re back with an Innova, except this time around the Innova in question is completely revolutionised!!

DIYs/Modifications Planned

With the HyCross, Toyota has left some unfinished tasks, that can/will ire some owners and prospective customers. These are some of the changes /modifications I’ve planned over the due course of time.

1. Chrome and Blue background Toyota Emblems
   
   This is a new trend that was started by Hyundai and has been adopted by Toyota as well where the manufacturer's emblem on the front grill and boot-lid is finished in ceramic instead of chrome. Toyota going the ceramic way for its logo was the most un-Toyota like thing that could've been done by Toyota. In the international market some Toyota products are getting the ceramic logo on the steering wheel as well (the new CBU Vellfire in India gets a ceramic logo on its steering), thankfully the HyCross hasn't got that yet.
   
   Since the ZX(O) HyCross has ADAS, it warrants a 2D emblem (finished in chrome) on the front grill and the emblem on the boot-lid is ceramic which doesn't gel well with other chrome emblems and elements on the car. Meanwhile lower variants get 3D Ceramic finished logos both at the front and on the boot-lid.
   
   Also Toyota no longer provides the blue-background on their Toyota logos for their Hybrid cars, since they believe their Hybrid cars have become mainstream enough. In India, the Hybrid trend is still catching up with just two mass-market cars selling well; the Innova HyCross and Urban Cruiser HyRyder. The Camry at 50 Lakhs+ sells in miniscule numbers compared to what the HyCross and HyRyder do. The Camry still gets the Blue background on its Toyota logos, meanwhile the older Vellfire used to get them, since then the new Vellfire has also dropped the blue background from its Toyota logos.
   
   So I ordered the Blue Background Toyota logo for the boot-lid from Amazon.au, which costed me 43.92 AUD and got it to India.
   
   The current Ceramic Toyota logo on the Bootlid of the HyCross:
   
   
   The new Blue background chrome Toyota logo (Part No.: 75403-75010) I ordered from Amazon.au, fingers crossed it fits since I ordered it before my car arrived and without taking any measurement of the current logo that’s on the bootlid.:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Blue Power Button
   
   Since Toyota believes their Hybrid vehicles have become mainstream, the Blue Power (start-stop button) button has been replaced by a Black Power button on their newer Hybrid cars globally and in India as well (seen in the HyCross and the new CBU Vellfire in India). Plan to source the Blue Power Button from the Camry, since the HyRyder’s power button is different in design.
   
   The current Black Power button on the HyCross:
   
   
   The Camry’s Blue Power button which I’m planning to fit, I do feel the Camry’s power button is slightly bigger than the HyCross’, based on pictures, so will have to experiment with it once I get a hold of it.:
   
   
   
   
   
3. Camry’s Wind-tone horn
   
   The typical Toyota UV horn present in the HyCross has lost some of its charm by becoming slightly feeble compared to what’s available in my Fortuner or even in the Crysta or latest Fortuner. The feeble horn is often mistaken for a small vehicle’s horn and people don’t move aside enough to give way, hence the Camry’s wind-tone horn is what I’m planning to upgrade to.
   
   This is what the Camry’s wind-tone horn sounds like:
   

   https://youtube.com/watch?v=s_z2dZ2Kz8o?feature=shared

   
   
   
4. Illuminated Power Window Switches
   
   This is the silliest cost-cutting technique that Toyota could've done in my books . When the cheaper Crysta gets illuminated power window switches, why couldn't they've given it to the HyCross as well is beyond my understanding ?!
   
   Other TNGA-C platform based cars like the Corolla Cross, Corolla, CH-R, Noah, Voxy also get the same window switches, where some of them have it back-lit / illuminated from the factory and some don’t. Even the TNGA-K platform shares the same power window switches.
   
   I saw a video from Malaysia where a gentleman imported the master window switch panel (Part No.: 84040-02270) for a Corolla from eBay UK to fit in his Corolla Cross, which gave me the idea to look for something similar but available in India itself, since I didn’t want to import the part all the way from UK. As it is, it was a cumbersome task to find the master switch Part Number for RHD models, since for LHD models the part was available in abundance!
   
   The closest match in India would’ve been the Crysta, Hilux, Fortuner, Camry and Prius. I checked the Innova Crysta, Fortuner, Hilux, Prius and pre-facelift Camry and they have very similar window switches to the HyCross, only difference being the window child-lock button being a press-able button rather than having a green light on the press-able button like the HyCross gets, dejected I had almost given up when I randomly clicked on a video where an Indian reviewer was reviewing the Facelifted Camry in India. And voila I found the same master window-switch panel as the HyCross on the Facelifted Camry with white backlit buttons, exact same design of the window child-lock button with the green light and chrome tip on the switches.
   
   Will source the Camry parts from a TASC next time I’m in Mumbai, to fit in the HyCross, if they do agree to let me buy them.
   
   The HyCross’ master window switches:
   
   
   The Fortuner, Prius, Innova Crysta and Pre-Facelift Camry’s master window switches:
   
   
   The Facelifted Camry’s master window switches:
   

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!