To sum it up, reflecting on a year with Hycross, I can confidently say it has been a rewarding ownership experience.

BHPian woodstock3001 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

One-Year Reflection

After 365 days and 17,160 kilometers with my Hycross, excited to share my experience. Hycross has become integral part of daily drive (Yes, self-drive Innova) and I have come to appreciate its strengths and quirks.

Performance and Handling – Though it’s a big car and for 8-seater, Hycross is very easy to drive, provides great handing, good performance, providing a smooth and responsive driving experience. The engine offers ample power for city driving and highway cruising, making overtaking effortless. The handling is precise, with the steering feeling well-weighted and communicative.

Fuel Efficiency - One of the standout features is its impressive fuel efficiency. Over the past year, I have averaged around 17+ KMPL in combined city and highway driving and it has not only reduced my fuel expenses but also made long trips more economical.

Comfort and Interior - Though not opulent, but interior is both comfortable and stylish. Seats provide excellent support, even on longer journeys, and the cabin is spacious enough to accommodate 7 adults (yes, 2 adults even on 3rd row).

Materials used in the interior could have been premium given the price point, build quality is top-notch, thanks to Wireless Apple Car play, infotainment system is user-friendly, with a responsive touchscreen and intuitive controls, however, leaves a lot to be desired in-terms of Audio quality.

Reliability and Maintenance - In terms of reliability, car has been flawless. Over the past year, I have not encountered any major issues. Regular maintenance has been straightforward, with the car requiring only routine servicing. The cost of maintenance has been reasonable, and I appreciate the availability of service centers and parts. In one year, have visited following –

1. Khatu Ji, Rajasthan (Thrice at least)
2. Vrindavan (Twice maybe)
3. Shimla
4. Baralachla, Sissu & Manali
5. Ayodhya & Lucknow
6. Haridwar, Rishikesh & Kotdwar
7. Panipat & surrounding areas multiple times

In one year, car has following service center visits –

1. First service – 0/-
2. Air filter replacement, was damaged by Rat – 12,500/-
3. Drive Side ORVM Indicator – 3403/-
4. Second service – 3296/-

Accessories added –

1. Dashcam : 70mai M300 Dashcam
2. Garware Ice Cool Shield window film all around
3. Frameless Wiper Blades
4. Car Backseat hooks

She was treated to a well-deserved spa day to celebrate 1 year

Insurance has also been renewed from Galaxy Toyota, for Rs. 29k, covers RTI, Rat damage, Engine Cover etc. etc.

Practicality and Storage wise Hycross offers ample storage space, with a generous trunk capacity that easily accommodates my family's needs. The rear seats can be folded down to increase cargo space, making it versatile for various types of luggage and equipment. Additionally, the numerous storage compartments within the cabin are handy for keeping smaller items organized.

To sum it up, reflecting on a year with Hycross, I can confidently say it has been a rewarding ownership experience. Its blend of performance, comfort, efficiency, and safety makes it a well-rounded vehicle suitable for a variety of needs. Whether you’re commuting to work, embarking on a road trip, or running errands, it delivers a reliable and enjoyable driving experience.

And yes, I do look back every time when I park it. 

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The anticipation of checking the car was very high, being a Toyota and more importantly a completely revamped Innova.

BHPian CEF_Beasts recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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).

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Quote from BHPian 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!

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

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:


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:

Continue reading BHPian CEF_Beasts's post for more insights and information.

If you had to buy a Toyota Innova Hycross today, which one would you pick - the petrol or the strong hybrid version?

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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

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

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

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

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

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

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

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

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

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

1. If I buy a car like the Innova, it’s a 12 - 15 year purchase for me. Over that period, I may not recall the money I saved while buying it but I’ll always appreciate the fuel efficiency throughout the ownership period.
2. FE is more than just money saved via fuel bills. It’s also convenient in terms of driving range. An option that gives me a 2x - 3x tank range before a refill is required is very very welcome.
3. Trim level. The hybrid can be had in ZX / ZX(O) while the pure petrol is only in lower variants - GX (O) tops. That’s another strong reason for me to pick the hybrid. Having said that, even if both were available in the same top-spec trim I’d still have picked the hybrid. Of course, with trims being matched the price difference would also not be as vast as 7 lakh.

Here's what BHPian CEF_Beasts had to say on the matter:

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

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

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

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

Here's what BHPian TorqueIndia had to say on the matter:

Voted for VFM non-hybrid!

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

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

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

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

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The car returned 16 km/l mileage for the full journey which is mind-blowing for the fully loaded car (with 60-65% in PWR mode) during summer.

BHPian UD17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Updates: 560 km weekend Konkan visit on my Hycross.

A proposal for a quick visit to Konkan was put on the table by my wife on Wednesday 15th May. The main purpose of this visit was to show Konkan to MIL, a chance for kids' summer vacation daily routine and buy Hapoos mangos.

We had also visited the length and breadth of Konkan over the past many years so planning was easy. We decided to visit Guhagar beach. The property selected was Mango Village Resort- A place with no frills, peaceful and close to the beach (3Kms). I booked the 2 BHK villa on Thursday itself. we were 3 Adults and 2 kids.

Route planning: The route planning was straightforward. I don't want to travel on the Mumbai- Bangalore highway due to diversions. So the other option was:

Pune- Tamhini Ghat- Mangaon- Karad- Chiplun- Guhagar and the same is followed for the return journey.

Road condition: Amazing all across except Near Bhagad MIDC area (these 3-4 Kms are always in bad shape from so many years)

Onward Journey: We started from PCMC at 5 am, and with steady speed (60-70KMPH) we reached the MIDC Bhagad area around 7 pm. We had homemade food with us which we relish in a nice location a little off the road in Tamhini ghat area.

Once we crossed Mangaon, I put the PWR mode on and till Guhagar the PWR mode stayed on. I must say this mode is quite addictive. The highway from Mangaon to Chiplun is in great shape, the traffic was sparse and the Ghats were quite scenic as well. The road from Chiplun to Guhagar is again in great shape, barring the city roads near the Chiplun exit. We reached the beach at 10.30 am. For this 266kms journey, the Hycross returned 16.1 km/l of mileage (even with 60% PWR mode). Total driving time was 4.5 hours (I was targeting 5.5 hours).

Hycross performance

This was our first long travel (> 500 km), I must say the car performed just what it is expected, the visibility was great, the acceleration/braking was predictable, and ADAS features were blissful all through (ACC, blind spot monitoring specifically). The car returned 16 km/l mileage for the full journey which is mind-blowing for the fully loaded car (with 60-65% in PWR mode) during summer. We did not feel any fatigue throughout the journey. Our combination of seats: Driver, co-driver, one child seat in the rear and one in the middle, MIL in the middle. My elder kid loves the ottoman seats, as they allow him to rest his feet and have a cosy sleep. Sun blinds were quite helpful for rear passengers.

The boot space was enough for 3 bags + 3 duffels + 10-litre water jar. On the return journey, we bought 6 dozen Alphonso Mango straight from the farm (@ 400 INR/Dozen for the big size, for reference in a regular mango box we can fit just 7-8 of them (instead of 12). The Hycross accommodated all boxes with ease.

Overall, very happy with the vehicle, the practicality, the comfort, the mileage, the stability, the ability to cruise at steady speeds, ground clearance and confidence-inspiring handling.

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The service centre was jam-packed by 10.30. Mostly Innova's (both individual and Taxi), some Fortuners, some Hycross's.

BHPian UD17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took an appointment through the Toyota i-connect app for 9.30 am today. The estimated service time mentioned was 1.5 hours in the app.

• I reached Sharayu Toyota at 9.30 am, but by the time the SA was assigned it was already 10 am.
• SA registered the details of my vehicle and by 10.10 am they took the vehicle from parking. Asked me to remove the memory card from the dashcam. The estimated delivery time mentioned was 12.15 pm.
• SA informed that it was just an inspection, no oil change or any other work
• Water, coffee was offered promptly
• The overall vibe inside the service centre looked very dull
• The service centre was jam-packed by 10.30. Mostly Innova's (both individual and Taxi), Some fortuners, some Hycross'es. Most are with owner representatives.
• After a few follow-ups, finally the vehicle arrived at bay @ 1 pm.

They did not charge anything. The service bill although showed 11 INR. Overall a low-key affair, although took more time than I expected.

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The car performs superbly on long journeys. You are at your destination before you know it.

BHPian Sanidhya mukund recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Meanwhile, also sharing a few updates. My car has crossed the 3500 mark, including a trip to Uttarakhand. The car performs superbly on long journeys. You are at your destination before you know it.

• I did feel though that the car is a little stressed when climbing hills. It starts to groan. I’m no expert but I think that’s ordinary CVT behaviour because I’ve noticed it in my Aunt’s 2021 Honda CRV Hybrid (In the UK) as well.
• At speeds over 80 KM/H, you notice a slight wind whistle from the right-hand side.
• When you are on the middle row of seats and reclined, the AC vent for the third row is right above your head and it freezes your brain.

Another annoyance: the car has a tendency to collect debris and leaves in its front bumper:

A random click from the Trip:

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Overall Kms covered 243 Kms, Mileage: 16.2KMPL. Total odo:1599 Kms (after 37 days of ownership).

BHPian UD17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Weekend Drive updates after 1st service:

• Pune to Bhimashankar (Via Muncher). Tanked the car with 42 liters of petrol.
• Start time: 5.45 Am
• Reached Bhimashankar parking at 8.00 AM. Mileage: 16.3 KMPL (used power mode all along with AC/Music)
• Temple was not very busy so we were done by 9.30 am
• Tried some off-road paths to find a quiet place for a breakfast break at 10 am.

The temple premise is undergoing a lot of construction work. The system, right from parking to exit is completely messed up right now.

Drove 2 km across a rough patch to find a serene and calm place to enjoy homemade food.

Home made coffee:

The descent from Taleghar to Dimbhe was mostly done on EV mode. The dimbhe dam water dries up to a very low level and we can see the full dam wall, all the cuts, curves, and cervices at the bottom of the dam. The scene urged me to drive some off-road to the bottom of the dam. Did some quick inspection and discussion with local fishermen and undertook the calculated risk (with no 4X4 capabilities). It was really one fun drive that I could undertake due to higher ground clearance although 4X4 was not required mostly.

The way taken from the main road (Dimbhe-Malin road):

This is where we landed finally after driving 1kms off-road:

Water is at quite a low level now, we can see the full dam wall:

This is the very first time, I could use the exclusive 'EV mode' in my Hycross. I guess, the early morning drive-in power (PWR) mode helped add juice to the hybrid battery.

Key learnings from this trip:

• The power mode is really good. It provides enough thrust for the car to gain speed in the ghat section with the loaded car
• Moderate off-road can be done with this car (like I did where GC matters most)
• The overall fuel efficiency with the onwards journey (in power mode) delivered 16.3KMPL. I guess not a huge penalty to use PWR mode.
• Engine is quite vocal in the ghat section with PWR mode
• This car is not slow, it gains speed quite nicely without any breathing issues all along (Ghats, Highway, or country roads)

Overall Kms covered 243 Kms, Mileage: 16.2KMPL. Total odo:1599 Kms (after 37 days of ownership).

Mods please move the post if not relevant here.

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According to Toyota, the top-spec ZX and ZX (O) variants have seen high demand, with the current waiting period at 14 months.

Toyota is said to have halted bookings for the top-spec 'ZX' and 'ZX (O)' variants of the Innova Hycross.

This is not the first time that bookings have been paused due to high demand. Dealerships had stopped taking fresh bookings last April, due to an increasing order backlog.

According to Toyota, the top-spec ZX and ZX (O) variants have seen high demand, with the current waiting period at 14 months. The non-hybrid variants have a waiting period of 6 months.

The Innova Hycross is available with two engine options. These include a 2.0-litre petrol hybrid that produces 184 BHP and 206 Nm paired with an e-Drive transmission and a 2.0-litre petrol unit that makes 172 BHP and 197 Nm. The non-hybrid version gets a CVT.

Source: Autocar India

The Hycross I feel is an excellent choice for a car which is chauffer-driven 80% of the time.

BHPian Sanidhya mukund recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Have crossed 1500 km on the odo. Here are a few observations from my experience as a driver and a passenger in all three rows:

1. Even though it is a very large vehicle, it is very easy to drive. The turning radius isn’t very large, the steering is light and the driving aids such as the sensors and the camera make it a breeze to drive even in the city.
2. The driving seat, when set to its highest position gives you a very commanding view of the road. Almost like the erstwhile Tata Safari Storme.
3. The calf support extensions in the middle row may not be practical for a fully stretched-out recliner experience, but they do prove to be very helpful in avoiding muscle fatigue even when partially raised on long journeys.
4. Needless to say, the fuel economy is excellent for such a large petrol vehicle. However, I’ve noticed that it is quite sensitive to throttle inputs. A heavy right foot can lead to a 3-4 km/l drop in fuel economy. My FE range has been 15-18.5.
5. The third row is decent for people of average height, but only if the seat is fully reclined. If you make it upright in the interest of luggage space, it becomes quite uncomfortable. I find the third-row experience to be quite similar to the erstwhile Crysta. Some areas in the third row, however, such as the mobile phone holder are horrendously finished. The plastic looks like it was cut by a 9-year-old using a hacksaw blade.
6. There are no niggles/squeaks/rattles to report yet. The Apple CarPlay works very smoothly with my age-old iPhone XR and new 15 Pro Max without any random disconnections.
7. The sunroof sunshade is of good quality and effectively blocks out sunlight. Even the rear sunshades are tremendously helpful for those who are susceptible to migraines.
8. The dual zone AC, multiple fan speed adjustments and the option to open/close AC vents on all the rows make it very easy to find your ideal cabin temperature. The AC is quite effective just like the old Innovas.
9. The lane-keeping assist is annoying at times, especially when you want to change lanes and it resists.
10. I sorely miss backlighting on the sunroof controls. There are separate buttons for the sunshade and the sunroof. There are also multiple other buttons in that region. In the dark, you will find yourself taking your eyes off the road if you want to open/close the sunroof/sunshade while on the move.
11. Enough has been said about the headlights already, but I would like to emphatically state that they are absolute garbage. Such lights have no business being on a 36 lakh rupee car, let alone an MPV that is expected to see so much highway action!
12. Even though the car is quick and can attain triple-digit speeds really effortlessly, the CVT gearbox makes the engine whine whenever you plant your foot. Didn’t notice an appreciable difference in throttle response between the three driving modes.
13. The NVH levels are otherwise quite satisfactory. Very little road noise creeps in and the engine is usually very quiet when the car is being driven sedately. Even at idle, when the car is not in EV mode, the engine doesn’t make much of a racket.
14. Since it always starts in EV mode, temporary chauffeurs and valet drivers sometimes have a hard time understanding that the car has started. On at least two instances, I’ve had confused people coming up to me to tell me that my car isn’t turning on!
15. The fit and finish on the outside isn’t great. The bonnet feels extremely hollow when tapped and some of the fixtures creak when pressed.
16. Short occupants in the middle row have a hard time getting a view of the road ahead due to the fact that the front seats are placed very high thanks to the battery under them.
17. The ride quality is really good. Passengers won’t be tossed about even on broken roads and the straight-line stability is just like an Innova. There is none of that annoying floaty sensation that some tall vehicles inherently have.
18. I’m no audiophile, so the sound system is excellent in my books. At high volumes, the bass makes the IRVM shake.

Overall, I’m quite happy with my purchase. For a vehicle that is chauffeur-driven 80 per cent of the time, it is an excellent choice. Easy to drive, comfortable to travel in, loaded with tech, reliable and durable, spacious and practical and easy on the pocket. The only major flaw in my view is the weak headlight throw, but the other flaws are just minor irritants in an otherwise excellent package.

The inner side of the door handles are quite susceptible to scratches. Got them PPF’d. Also had them cover the shiny surface of both the keys as they also are quite prone to scratching.

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Even after spirited driving, the Hycross still manages a fuel efficiency between 16-20 km/l.

BHPian turbospooler recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Review so far:

My family loves this reliable workhorse. The sheer comfort one experiences in this due to its smooth powertrain and decent suspension really makes it the first choice. We have been able to plan longer and farther trips due to the Hycross. We have completed 13,000 kms in this as Jazz is our daily driver and Beast makes for the perfect road trip car.

The mileage is great. In the city, I get 18-20 km/l and on highways, it churns out 16-18 km/l. And I am a spirited driver.

A few things I personally dislike is that even after paying 31L, I don't get better quality interiors.

Birthday treats planned: Install the dashcam I bought over 2-3 weeks ago. The beast is cleaned daily, so maybe will plan a proper car spa day for it soon!

Any other ideas on how you would celebrate your vehicle's birthday?

Beast with its brother, i.e. another Beast!

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