Increadible INNOVA-TION. Review on Toyota Innova

The review is just based on initial impressions.

One look and you know it's a Toyota.The sleekish and big flowing headlamps are very much Corolla and Camry like .The sharp sloping front design makes it look more of a tall sedan rather than a MUV from the front. It is actually a MPV shape ,the side profile and the rear confirm that it is actually a utility vehicle.

On the whole it looks like alltogether a new vehicle segment and even the recently launched GM Tavera looks a bit outdated in front of it. And what to say the Qualis looks 3 generations back if compared. The Innova's sleekish front gives a sophisticated feel to the car and is a good move from the Boxy Qualis.

The car is actually bigger than the Qualis in dimensions and gives excellent interiors which are truly in the Camry Style rather than a Qualis.

The UV looks rather too sophisticated to be a that of a fleet/taxi operator or a mass transport vehicle.

Toyota created the IMV platform - International Innovative Multipurpose Vehicle - when they realised that people movers wearing the Toyota badge in many countries were looking rather dated. They had tired engines and had very basic crashworthiness, but people still bought them in large numbers because they were reliable and economical to a fault.

The new platform brings in a new breed of multi-purpose vehicles, pick-up trucks and even an SUV. The Innova over here brings in a new standard of refinement, performance and safety.

The top end V variant gets ABS (anti-lock braking system) and airbags for the driver and passenger

The mainstay of the Innova is going to be the diesel-powered version. The new diesel engine (coded 2KD-FTV) is a four-cylinder unit that displaces 2500cc and it drinks diesel through a common-rail system.

The Innova is priced between Rs 6.7 lakh ( base petrol) and Rs 10 lakh (top-end diesel) - a price-band flexible enough to appeal to a host of car buyers.