Upgraded to Innova Hycross from 2017 Crysta: Observations after 400 km

I don't bother monitoring the fuel efficiency of my cars, but the MID says I get 15km/l.

BHPian sleepyk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got delivery of my Blackish Ageha ZX(O) Hycross last week.

Have clocked around 400 kms, so still in the early days, getting accustomed to the new car.

At this point, most of what can be said about this car has already been said by prior posters. So I'll keep my post confined to some of the smaller things that get drowned in the rose-tinted romanticism of that feeling of getting a car with a huge waiting period.

1. The level of fit and finish across the car is markedly improved. Engine insulation could be improved though, as engine noise does creep through on hard revs.
2. The head unit is good. Android Auto and CarPlay are present and wired Android Auto works well, however, no screen brightness controls, lack of wireless Android Auto and lack of any inbuilt navigation are pretty significant misses. I have not tried CarPlay yet. Just want to say that you will need a USB A to USB C or USB A to Lightning cable to use AndroidAuto/Carplay. A shift to USB C would have been appreciated.
3. Reversing camera and 360 cameras are present. However, the resolution is atrocious. The camera on my 2017 Innova probably has the same resolution, and it looked outdated when I bought that car. Not expected from any car in 2024, let alone one that costs 35L on-road.
4. Many of the buttons on the side panels, like the lock/unlock button and most of the window switches are not backlit.
5. Another favourite niggle of mine from the 2017 Innova has been carried forward. A hard plastic panel on the left side that is very easy for the driver's knee to keep hitting. Will be affixing some high-density foam here as usual.
6. Coming from a 2017 Innova with a 2.8 Diesel AT, the 2.0 hybrid in the Hycross feels markedly anaemic. One gets the feeling that this is a car built for cruising around 90-110kmph. Hard overtakes on the expressway are very much possible but they will need some change to my driving style I guess.
7. I don't bother monitoring the fuel efficiency of my cars, but the MID says I will get an average of about 15km/l for those interested in these numbers.
8. There is an EV mode button next to the gear selector. In my opinion, it is a token inclusion on this drivetrain. EV mode can only work at speeds under 40 km/hr, and it disables itself if you press the accelerator too hard. Let me just say that it was very, very, very easy to press the accelerator too hard. Guess we'll use this button more in future PHEVs. But it might as well be taped over for now.
9. The headlights are a huge weak point of this car. I habitually drive on low beams with the fog lamps on, but I noticed that on low beams the lights failed to illuminate the reflectors of many goods carriers on the highway. Switching to a high beam did not provide a marked improvement either. Headlight throw in both low and high beams is also poor, with a distinct dark patch of road seen in both modes. I am planning to take photos of the road and parking lot illumination of the stock 2017 Innova headlights vs the stock 2024 Hycross headlights. Will post the same here so that others can also compare and suggest what can be done.
10. Not aware if the window glasses are laser cut, but they do let in quite a bit of heat. The sunroof is tinted and it seems fine. Will be getting Garware film applied to the window glasses.
11. Toyota sells the car without mats from the factory, which was a surprise for me. My 2023 Honda City by contrast came with 2 sets of mats courtesy of the dealer.
12. Bought the rubber mats from Toyota for the moment and ordered the OEM 3D mats (which were not in stock when I took delivery) as well.
13. Toyota also sells a dashcam with both front and rear recording facilities. I have asked the dealer to order one of those and will get it fitted as and when it is delivered.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.