[mrk212]

Booked the Zx AT Bronze at Salem on May 2nd along with my uncle who booked the same model in the Grey.

Follow up from the dealer has been very good. He has constantly called and kept us updated and on Tuesday the 10th he called and confirmed that the Grey had been allotted and we could test drive the vehicle when we were free.

Finally made our way to the showroom yesterday and test drove the car. Both of us were happy with the drive quality and the performance. The comfort of the seats are one of the most significant advantages of the new car. I quite liked the fabric seat covers on the other variants and would have preferred the 8 seater option but the rest of the family like the Zx variant and the safety features are better in the Zx so didn't bother changing the booking to the Gx AT.

The Grey car is already with them but according to them delivery will only be done after the government order passes and this delay is due to the state elections. The Manager has promised delivery before the 25th of May which was very good news.

As for my Bronze it looks like it might take a while. Even the manager said it might take a couple of months and expected date would be in the last week of July or even August.

They also showed some of the additional accessories most of which were too costly and in my opinion would spoil the mostly clean design of the car.

Salem dealer has had close to 100 bookings and the group as a whole (Annamalais) have about 950 bookings throughout their network and the predict they will fulfill those in about 6-7 months.

[ece2k2]

Originally Posted by mrk212

Booked the Zx AT Bronze at Salem on May 2nd along with my uncle who booked the same model in the Grey.

I booked ZX AT Pearl White at Anaamalais Toyota Coimbatore on 3rd May and I was told that there are around 130 bookings ahead of mine. Total number of bookings stands at around 250 so far. According to the SA, most of the bookings are for the same variant/color that I have opted for.

It looks like I am in for a long wait

[mrk212]

Originally Posted by ece2k2

I booked ZX AT Pearl White at Anaamalais Toyota Coimbatore on 3rd May and I was told that there are around 130 bookings ahead of mine. Total number of bookings stands at around 250 so far. According to the SA, most of the bookings are for the same variant/color that I have opted for.

It looks like I am in for a long wait

I was told that my booking was in the top 20 at Salem .

Yes the Pearl White and Bronze has been the most popular choice as per the Sales person. They have a couple of silver Gx ATs that are ready to be delivered as soon as deliveries begin. They also mentioned that the Zx AT has been by far the most popular in terms of bookings and inquiries so far.
Even the display vehicle for the 2.4 Vx had no one near it and people were falling over each other next to the Zx AT.

Maybe some people who don't want to wait for 5-6 months for the 2.8 variants may jump ship to the Endy or the XUV 500 , but I don't see people settling with the 2.4 variants.

[paragsachania]

Toyota gets 15,000 bookings for Innova Crysta in 10 days

Japanese auto major Toyota on Friday said that it has received over 15,000 bookings for the second generation of its 11-year-old flagship model Innova Crysta, within 10 days of launch.

“Over 60 per cent of the 15,000 bookings we have received so far are for the automatic version that too of the top-end model,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice-chairman Shekar Vishwanathan said after launching the new MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) in Mumbai.

Despite having capacity to meet demand, the company said Mumbai customers will have to wait more than two months to get delivery. He said, as the demand increases they will ramp up output and lower the waiting period.

The top-end Innova Crysta (2.8-litre, 8-seater with AMT) comes for Rs. 20.77 lakh here while the low-end model is priced at Rs. 13.83 lakh.

He said since introduction in 2005, replacing its popular model Qualis, the company has sold a little over 6 lakh Innovas in the country, while globally it has 1.6 million customers. The Innova was sold only in three markets apart from India — Indonesia, Thailand and Dubai.

The Innova has been the market leader from the start and despite the market getting so much cluttered with almost all companies having at least one model in the MPV segment, it still enjoys 35 per cent market share, the company said, adding the old model, which will be phased out from now has been notching up an average sale of 5,500 units a month

We can crib and we can cry loud about the price, premium and 'et al but the fact remains that Toyota commands a huge trust and the previous generation Innova is a testimony to that (I can add Qualis to this as well).

Beat this - As per the article, more than 60% of the booking is for the Automatic. A hint that given the convenience, the buyers don't hesitate to pay.

You clock 10 a day or 1000 a day - They never disappoint you in terms of offering the best balance with everything.

Way to go!!

Source

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

fact remains that Toyota commands a huge trust and the previous generation Innova is a testimony to that (I can add Qualis to this as well).

Beat this - As per the article, more than 60% of the booking is for the Automatic. A hint that given the convenience, the buyers don't hesitate to pay.

Showing how much difference an presence of an Automatic can make. Our city traffic is too high, people want convenience and don't mind paying for it.
Wish the previous gen Innova had one, my dad would have paid a premium to buy it. But it was not to be. (To prevent cannibalizing the Fortuner AT)

Toyota will win your trust and never let it go. I can tell this from our family experience from 2000 till now.

[RavenAvi]

Toyota India will be introducing a 2.7L petrol variant of it's most popular Indian offering before the festive season ahead.

Sales have declined in the Delhi/NCR region ever since the Supreme Court ban on registration of diesel cars with 2,000cc & above displacement came into effect, and to counter this, Toyota India's R&D team has fast-tracked the development of this all-new petrol heart for the Innova Crysta together with their Japanese counterparts.

N Raja, director and senior vice president (sales & marketing), Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said:

“We have seen our sales coming down by 800 units a month in Delhi since December after the Supreme Court ban. To address this issue, we have fast tracked the development of a 2.7 litre petrol engine. Our R&D engineers in Japan are working on the new engine. We plan to launch the petrol variant of Innova Crysta in Delhi-NCR markets by Diwali this year,”

The company will continue to retain the old model of Innova for another four months and it has already discontinued the production at its plant in Bidadi near Bengaluru. The company has an installed capacity of 1,00,000 units in it's first plant, where it also produces Fortuner. Of this capacity, 85% will be reserved for Innova Crysta to meet the fresh demand, he added.

The Toyota Innova has a king-sized market share of 32% in the entire MPV segment.

Financial Express

[GKR9900]

Test drove the Innova Crysta at Nippon Toyota, Ernakulam today.

I must admit, I was never an Innova fan, or Toyota for that matter. Their styling never impressed me. Why their engines were always underpowered compared to other manufacturers in spite of having similar displacement was beyond me. Low on style, low on power, low on equipment. The only car from their stable that impressed me was the Fortuner. However, that was rather short-lived, because after a TD, I felt like I was driving a tractor(no offense to the owners). Of course, Toyota reliability is legendary though I'm yet to experience it.

I think it's safe to say that I entered the showroom with a prejudiced mind. After all, it's just an MPV. What's so special in that, right?!

Me and my folks entered the showroom, and there she was. The Innova Crysta. Wow! For an MPV, she really does look sweet! The old egg shaped body has given way to a nicely contoured silhouette. We were looking at the 2.8 ZX AT. The front looks imposing with that high bonnet. The side is rather plain. And the rear is kinda ok. I wonder how it would have looked without those fangs drooping down from the rear lights as indicators. Also, even with the 17 inchers, she looked undertired especially at the rear. The Crysta was not as big as I expected. Definitely bigger than the previous gen though. Overall, this MPV has more of an SUV-ish stance.

Step inside and boy, it's mighty impressive. The layered dashboard looks particularly nice. Materials used are of good quality. The dials with that 3D effect looks nice. I would've liked them to be bigger though. The MID is crisp, albeit a bit crowded. Also, the dash was a bit on the higher side, especially for the driver. Shorter drivers might have a problem with visibility even after setting the seat at it's highest position. Come to think of it, the seats are extremely comfortable, well contoured and supportive. Those long drives are going to be a breeze. The steering felt just right. The top wood finished portion of the steering is classy. Pedals were well spaced out. I would've loved to see an organ type A pedal though.

The middle row is the place to be. Those captain seats offer supreme comfort. The arm rests were on the smaller side though. The AC vents do a pretty good job. The ambience provided by the blue backlighting is nice. Should feel like a lounge at night. The in-cabin illumination is by standard bulbs. Come on Toyota! They should've been LEDs! I also tried out the third row. It's best suited for short passengers. I'm 5'8", heavily built and wasn't too happy with the 3rd row. They can be reclined, which is a good move. Although the captain seats are awesome, the 8 seater would've offered a bit more flexibility. More than 4 occupants and someone invariably has to enter the 3rd row. Even with all 3 rows up, there's a decent amount of luggage room in the boot. Nice!

The Drive
This is the 2.8 ZX AT. 4 cylinders and a 2.8. Ideal candidate for a noisy diesel, I thought. I was wrong. The engine is surprisingly quiet. Put the transmission into D and the Crysta starts to inch forward. By default, the Crysta is in 'Normal mode'. Even then, a slight dab on the A pedal is enough to let you know that there's something really powerful under the hood. Turbo lag is well controlled and the engine pulls neatly. I felt that the first 2 gears were rather short and jerky, maybe it was my accelerator input. Torque really is king here, and I could hardly stop grinning. I mean, come on! This is a 2,800 kg MPV we're talking about! And it pulls even better than my 138 bhp Vento, that too with 4 people on board! The sight of this imposing MPV closing in on your tail briskly is enough to make you jump out of the way. And I did exactly that, to a few unsuspecting auto rickshaw drivers Straight line acceleration is really good.
The auto gearbox is good, but nothing exceptional. It's no double clutch. It changes gears promptly. If you're a sedate driver, you'll appreciate it. If you're aggressive, the gearbox will leave you wanting for more. Go for some brisk accelerator inputs and the engine revs up. It starts getting gruff post 3.5k to 4k rpm. It's no high-revving sports car. The best way is to ride the torque wave and plan your maneuvers ahead, and once you get to know the nature of the engine and adjust your inputs accordingly, the Crysta is going to reward you. Putting the car into 'Eco' mode was not so great. 'Feeling meh' would be the apt expression. 'Power' mode felt great. There's increased throttle response, upshifts are later. I couldn't find a long enough stretch to put it to the test though. I did feel that the power mode is kinda limited by the auto box. Wonder how it would've gone if there was a 6 speed MT on offer.
The ride is superb for a body on frame. I remember the first time I drove a Fortuner , I was turned off by it's bumpy ride quality. But the Crysta is a whole another story. You drive in absolute comfort. Dad and mom were in the middle row and they were really impressed. We also took the Crysta over a broken piece of tarmac. Swifts and Ertigas were crawling, but the Crysta conquered them effortlessly. This car has some seriously impressive ride quality! Of course, body roll is to be expected, but I felt that the Crysta handles well for a car it's size. Braking was never an issue inspite of rear drum brakes. Tried sudden braking and the Crysta came to a halt without breaking a sweat.

Toyota seemed to have hit the sweet spot with the Crysta. I would've loved better horns, side steps, a sunroof, ventilated seats, AWD etc but i'm just nit picking. It's very very hard to fault a car that does so good in many areas. And I think I finally understand why Toyota has such a huge fan following! Yes it's probably over-priced by about 2-3 lakhs , but it's a well-rounded product. After almost a decade after introducing the Innova, I say this to you Toyota "Well done!"

[ece2k2]

i took a short test drive of Innova Crysta ZX AT a couple of days back and I was really happy with the car. I drive a Linea TJet & Swift 1.3 DDiS (old version) and comparatively Crysta's engine didn't feel under powered at all. The ride quality is as good as my Linea TJet and Crysta's 5.4 m turning radius is pretty good for its size.

Only problem I faced is engine revving unnecessarily in the lower gears. If Toyota manages to fix this, I think this is an almost perfect car one can buy in India.

While I understand that Toyota demands a hefty premium for Crysta - especially in the ZX AT trim, I am getting a feeling that there exists no other "safer" alternative in this price range that offers such a premium experience with piece of mind for years to come.

[ecenandu]

Looks like Innova Crysta has converted many skeptics into believers.

Good to know that and I'm more than happy with my Dad's decision, now. They are going for a test drive next week, will update their views here.

Although these short test drive won't give a clear picture about the car, I will wait till the official Team-bhp review is out for a more balanced point of view. But general buzz has been positive, looks like Toyota has build up on the strong points of the previous Innova.

I really hope Toyota won't get carried away with the success and increase the price further.

[GKR9900]

Hereby attaching the prices of Innova Crysta provided by Nippon Toyota, Ernakulam. Check out the difference in tax for the higher variants! The waiting period is said to be 5 months.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Is there a 'normal / city' mode between these two?

By default, the car is in 'normal' mode. If you're running on Eco/Power mode (shown in the MID) you can revert back to the normal mode by disengaging the currently active mode(by pressing that button again).

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Looks like Innova Crysta has converted many skeptics into believers.

Count me in!

Originally Posted by ece2k2

While I understand that Toyota demands a hefty premium for Crysta - especially in the ZX AT trim, I am getting a feeling that there exists no other "safer" alternative in this price range that offers such a premium experience with piece of mind for years to come.

Exactly! Remember how the XUV5OO took sales away from the D segment sedans a couple of years ago? Back then, the Innova was too utilitarian to compete with a fully fledged D segment sedan. XUV was the only choice as it offered the power and features necessary to take the fight to the other court and win. Now it's the Crysta's turn. Although it's at the higher end of the D segment, people will be willing to put down their money for the Crysta. It's THE complete family car. I wouldn't be surprised to see people considering cars at even a higher price range being tempted by the Crysta. For example, a prospective Skoda Superb customer might check out the Crysta for what it offers. Of course there are obvious differences. But the reliability card pulls in favor of the Toyota. True to their words, Power does meet Luxury now It may seem that Toyota might have lost a few of it's customers by increasing the prices, but they are also eyeing customers from other segments now.

I had a brief chat with the Sales Exec about the upcoming Fortuner. He said that there is a possibility of Toyota launching it by the end of this year.It seems they're least bothered about the Endeavour's aggressive pricing strategy. They were overwhelmingly positive about the new Fortuner's price climbing further up into unmentionable territory!

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by GKR9900

Check out the difference in tax for the higher variants!

That's because above 20 lakhs, road tax is 20%. The ZX manual missed the 20 lakhs INR by a whisker, had it been 20 thousand odd more expensive, then road tax would have increased by a lakh

[motorheart]

all,

Took the delivery today from Nandi Toyota, Kudlu gate . It was a great experience, though they were supposed to give the floor mats and mud flaps, it seems like they dont have the stock. The odo was at 12 Kms. It took almost 1 hour to complete the briefing about the different features available and the how to session.

It was a busy day for the team as i could see multiple deliveries happening in parallel and the CRM people running here and there getting the feedback forms signed.

[t2k4]

Bronze color in daylight, not sure it qualifies as bronze. More of a dirt/mud appearance. The press photos give the bronze a very distinct metal appearance, which is missing in daylight in person.

You can also view the "weakly" off at Pioneer Toyota in the background.

[vkochar]

Fuel Efficiency of this monster is pretty interesting.

I have been driving spiritedly and have done 120 kms so far. I got the car at 33 on the odo.

Now I filled up almost 60 liters when I got the car.

I thought this would be good enough for a range of 500-600 kms by taking an estimate of 9-10 kpl.

I think I was wrong !!

This morning I went to show a friend the car and was fooling around on the display when I noticed it was showing me liters of consumption to 100 km and I switched it around to kilometres per litre which we all are more used to.

It showed me 6 kpl.

On the way back home I drove with a very light foot and it was upping slightly.

This monster is a guzzler to say the least and the powerful mode is going to give no more than 5-6

However driven intelligently it could perhaps return 10.

I am wondering what the FE can be when I take this on the expressway to delhi from Agra on ECO mode and setting it at 90 on the cruise control. This is one trip I make every week and one of the prime reasons to buy this.

Time will tell.

I am not complaining as I am not bothered a lot with FE as my daily runner in city is still going to be the Verna.

However I thought I would quickly give my two cents to potential buyers.

Taxi owners are going to run away from this engine.

[AWD]

Originally Posted by vkochar

Fuel Efficiency of this monster is pretty interesting.
It showed me 6 kpl.

On the way back home I drove with a very light foot and it was upping slightly.

This monster is a guzzler to say the least and the powerful mode is going to give no more than 5-6

Taxi owners are going to run away from this engine.

I think Toyota hasn't been able to calibrate the gearing properly, which could be reason for high fuel consumption. I've been saying this from the moment I test drove, there is excess build up of revvs in the auto before first few gear changes, now this un-necessary build up is certainly going to burn some fuel!

Since your vehicle is just out of the showroom, FE may see an increase post first service. But that increase isn't going to be tremendous, I guess from 6 it may go up to 8-9.

P.S. The onboard FE display will show right readings after some more distances are covered. Maybe by the next fill up.