As we had seen at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Innova Crysta is longer, wider and taller than before. There's even a glimpse of the new Corolla Altis and Camry. Giving it a distinct face is a massive hexagonal grille and these chrome slats that merge with the double-barrel headlamps.
Wide shoulder and narrow waist - these sharp creases that fade away towards the end like an artist’s brush stroke. Smaller details like these aero-stability wings improve high-speed stability, and higher variants come with a set of good looking 17-inch wheels.
The last set of glass window near the D pillar is razor sharp, giving the side profile a distinct look. Just like the saber-tooth inspire taillights do to the rear design. The Innova has more road presence now and makes a stronger statement. But maybe, just maybe there is an overdose of bling for some, which might divide opinions about its design.
Interior:
As you get in the car, the interiors will wow you! New materials, colour combination and multiple layers make you realize how drab the older one was.
There’s ambient lighting, dual zone climate control and 7-inch audio system with navigation. Toyota terms it to be the most feature packed MPV on sale in the country. The driver’s seat is large and well bolstered, making it apt for long distance touring.
In higher variants the driver's seat can be electrically adjusted, and there’s a meaty leather wrapped steering wheel with plenty of controls and a separate stalk for cruise control… but thankfully ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and airbags come as standard in all variants.
The AC vents are higher up, while the rest of the buttons and infotainment system are positioned conveniently, within reach. The new touch screen acts like a display for the rear camera and also has tons of features, fuel economy calculator and trip meter. We wish the touch could have been more intuitive and rear camera display to be a tad sharper.
The soft top of the dashboard feels great, faux wood tries to add a premium touch, while the shiny hard plastic at the bottom looks out of place in this otherwise fancy cabin.
Features:
Plenty of smart engineering make the Crysta’s cabin ideal for long drives. So, you get cooled glove-box, a couple of cup-holders that slide out in front of the AC vents to keep them cool, and no less than 20 bottle-holders! Surprisingly, for a cabin this smart there’s just one USB charger and 12v power output socket.
Open the rear doors and you’ll be welcomed by faux wood trims on the door panel, which missing is on the front doors. The seats are a lot more comfortable and seem to be borrowed from a premium sedan. Clearly the focus has now shifted to the rear seats, where majority Innova owners sit.
There’s a foldable table and a button to slide forward the front seats even from the second row. Jutting out of the ceiling are the climate control rear coolers surrounded by ambient lighting. This definitely is the best seat to be in.
One of the biggest improvement has to be the 1-touch-tumble second row which is just so easy to use. The Crysta is larger than the Innova, but the wheelbase hasn’t changed. So, the cabin space is pretty much the same as before. Inspired by aeroplane seats, Toyota has used new-age foam which is sleeker, offers good support and carves out more room in the cabin. Which can be seen on the third row. Although you have to be seated in a squat-like position, it’s better than most other MPVs available in India. Interestingly, all 7 passengers get 3-point seatbelts, including the third row occupants.
The slit third row can be folded individually with equal ease to create space for luggage. And another premium touch is the easy close boot lid, which doesn’t need to be slammed down like other MPVs.
Engine:
Toyota has brought entirely new engine options on the Innova Crysta. We started with the 2.4-litre diesel motor which is offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox. In-spite of being smaller than the older 2.5-litre engine, the modern four cylinder turbocharged motor has more grunt and is also more frugal. But like the older engine feels not very refined. Just notice the gear lever do the Shake while cranking up the MPV.
Once in motion it settles down and has good mid- and top-end power. Rev it harder and the motor gets audible and stressed, forcing you to shift to the next gear before reaching the redline. At 149PS, it produces a stunning 49PS more than the outgoing Innova which is evident right from the word go. There is more than ample torque at 343Nm which comes handy while over taking other cars, even when the Crysta is packed to the brim with passengers and luggage.
But the clutch still has a long travel… a compromise you pay for durability. The gear stick is shorter and more car like now, but an averagely built Indian will have to stretch a little to reach the gear-knob when it was slotted in third.
The 5-speed manual gearbox has better spread ratios now, which means you can quickly shift to fifth and cruise on the highway. Having said that, having a sixth gear would have kept the engine even less strained during long distance journey.
Toyota engineers spoke about improved sound insulation, but still there is a fair amount of road and engine noise which can be heard within the cabin… yes, even with the windows up. You also get 3 driving modes – Normal, Eco and Power. As the names suggest, Power has the best accelerator response, Eco can squeeze maximum out of a litre of fuel and normal gives you best of both.
The other engine option is for thoselooking for more convenience and opulence. This is also a brand new motor - a 2.8-litre turbocharger with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Currently this is the second MPV, after the Maruti Ertiga, to come with an automatic option in India.
After a long day of driving and photoshoot, we couldn’t have asked for anything better - driving back in this automatic car, through the busy streets of Goa. With 174PS power on the tap, it really quick off the line and feels quite spirited for an automatic car. There a massive 360Nm of toque which starts to flow really early in the rev range giving the Crysta automatic creamy power deliver. There’s hardly any turbo-lag and the gearshifts are linear, making it perfect for city use.
There are no paddle shifters on the steering wheel, but you can still control the gears using the manual mode on the gear lever. It’s not as engaging to drive as the manual, but way more effortless.
