Quote:
Originally Posted by raj_5004
Hi, thanks. even I have always believed that innova & XUV are competitors. Comparison added below.
That is because in general, everybody feels that the Aria's cabin is much better.
XUV & Aria when compared to THE GOD - Toyota Innova (!!!) :
Looks-
What do I say now? The XUV & Aria feel like it was designed in 2020 when compared to the innova! Agreed, the innova looks good when viewed head on. But thats about it. look at the sides which is a slab of sheet metal. no cuves or no creases whatsoever. come to the back, again a slab. Without a spoiler, it looks like a proper tin box. Yes, the alloys are great & the new bumpers are also good but those 15" wheels on such a huge car look way out of proportion. Cmon, even my Punto has 15 inchers! Aria & XUV has got beefier 17 inchers.
No debates on this, the Aria & XUV looks way better than the Innova. Yes, the taxi market & fleet owners would still like the Innova for its simplicity & the "T" badge, which evokes a premium appeal.
Engine & Performance-
Can the 102 bhp D-4D motor of the Innova give a fight to the monster 140 bhp mHawk & Dicor? Well, Yes & No.
No... because the mHawk from the XUV leaves it far behind when it comes to performance & drivability. For those interested in figures, i guess innova does 0-100 in some 16 seconds whereas XUV does it in 12 seconds, according to a popular mag. Even if you ignore the figures, after driving the XUV, Innova feels like a slow coach.
Yes... because inspite of the lower power & torque, at slow speeds & in city traffic, the innova feels more responsive & eager than the Aria. As i have mentioned before, the Aria suffers from a turbo lag below 2000 rpm. No such problems with the innova. Like the XUV, it pulls cleanly from low rpms without any fuss. But the power advantage of the Aria can be felt at higher speeds & RPM. At 110 kmph, the innova feels strained whereas the Aria is lazily cruising with enough grunt for more. Top speed of Aria & XUV is in the range of 180 kmph whereas Innova will max out at 155 kmph.
Nobody would drive these cars at those speeds but the point is at 120-130 kmph, the innova is near its limit whereas the other two has enough grunt to pull a quick overtaking maneuver.
Talking about refinement, again the D-4D is way off the mark. The innova's engine is very very noisy in comparison, at idle & even at higher RPMs. even in city traffic with music off, you can always hear the engine inside the cabin. At highway speeds in my car (120 kmph+), I am forced to switch off the music, such is the engine noise.
The D-4D is proven for its reliability. I have not heard of any issues in the mHawk engine as well. But I have certainly read about issues with the Dicor in the safari, hope that is solved with the Aria.
Gearbox-
Innova has the smoothest gearbox with the most precise feel but it has also the longest throw. Also, the ultra long gear lever looks very crude. The gear lever of innova does rock on starting & switching off the engine.
Handling-
Innova is the sweetest handler of the lot. It has the least body roll & best steering feedback IMO. In my car, I have felt that the car is not stable at speeds above 130 kmph but not many have felt this way. On the contrary, many report that the innova feels almost as stable as a car on the highway.
Ride-
Now, many feel that the Innova's ride is the best. I disagree a bit. I feel Aria's ride is much better. XUV & Innova is evenly matched. While the XUV has some pitching on rough surfaces, the innova suffers from vigorous sideway rocking over rough patches. I think the puny tyres are to be blamed.
Space-
This is the USP of the innova. In all the 3 rows, the innova offers the most space. Okay, Aria offers more boot space but innova makes up for it by offering much better legroom in the 3rd row, thereby making it the most usable third row of the lot by adults. After Xylo, Innova has the best 3rd row IMO.
Interiors-
Now, there can be varies opinions on this. Some may say that toyota's quality, fit & finish & durability is the best. Well, I agree. But look at the dash. When compared to the XUV's, it looks plane jain & so boring. I for one, can live with average plastics, so I would prefer a better looking dash than good plastics on a boring dash. even Aria strikes a nice balance between good plastics & design. Everything in the innova's dash shouts boring/old/plain!
Seats of the XUV & Aria is again better than the Innova. But Innova has the option of captain seats in the middle row which the other two lacks.
I like the side mounted rear vents of the XUV and the Aria than the roof mounted vents of the Innova. Durability wise, there is no doubts that Toyota is leagues ahead. I am yet to hear a Toyota rattling. Aria & XUV is yet to prove on this front.
Features, Price & VFM-
The XUV does make the Aria feel overpriced but then the Innova should die of shame then! It makes the Innova look so damn expensive that it almost makes no sense to buy the innova except if you are a toyota loyalist or you see no brand image in an Indian company.
Sorry if i have hurt anyone but I know many will tell me that this is the premium you pay for the reliability & the brand image. Well then, the premium is just too much.
The innova is horribly low on features, infact it has NO features when compared. It is priced almost close to the top end XUV.
(My) Verdict-
As far as I am concerned, I see no reason in buying an Innova anymore. Both the Aria & XUV are better in many regards & most importantly, offer more bang for the buck. Surprisingly, the XUV & Aria is not only more powerful but also more fuel efficient as well.
P.S.: The innova has already seen a drop it its sales after the launch of the XUV. |
Excellent comparison and I agree on almost all counts of the comparison except your end pick of choice is not the same for me personally (I'm not saying your choice is wrong, just that for my priorities the innova would still be the pick if I were in the market for one of these vehicles.
Why? Here goes .... but before that a bit of background:
This would be 3rd vehicle in the garage with other 2 comprising at least one high end sedan (civic (currently) or above as and when I upgrade). the second car too for me is currently a city AT but don't know what that would be replaced by eventually. Either small AT car or small diesel entry sedan / hatch. Purpose of 7 seater would be ability to move around all in comfort if and when we'd be larger family.
So why the Innova?
1. My primary thrills drive would not be the innova - it would be another sedan that is civic or higher therefore I don't mind lack of power since I have another car in the garage for driving thrills.
2. The low end responsiveness coupled with no turbo lag, sweet handling, great steering is extremely important since my wife would drive it a lot within the city. These advantages for me personally outweigh the lack of outright top speed on the highway.
3. The captains chairs seating options are uniquely advantageous in my eyes. Love the ease of access to the last row, particularly if you've got kids strapped up in car seats in the last row.
4. Smooth gearbox a boon - although I have noticed the long throw which is admittedly annoying.
5. Fit and finish: whatever the kit level, the car feels well put together and high quality. To me, I prefer that over a heavily featured up car where many of the features or finishing feel below par. I sat in the XUV for a TD and many things that fell to hand just didn't leave a feel good factor to me. That's not the case in Innova and personally, I'd pick the innova on this count too.
6. Some meaningful boot space even with all three rows of seats being used - Innova does all right here, XUV fails completely although on this singular count, perhaps Aria is the best.
Ultimately, given it would be the second or third vehicle and people mover candidate in my house if I were to buy one of these, I want a well put together built to last vehicle that will be hassle free, won't let me down, will have low cost of ownership and can run 8-10 years / 150,000 kms without requiring replacement (damn thing doesn't come cheap and not even the primary ride - don't want to plonk 15 Lakh every 5-6 yrs on replacing this). Given the above I'd go with the innova despite it's pricing seeming un-premium.
IMO, Innova at 2012 facelift should seriously consider a slightly more powerful engine to bridge the gap in power with XUV and aria. It should also bring in an auto box as this is something both it's competitors will inevitable have (XUV and Aria). Also, they should try to hold it's price since they're already at a significant premium over it's immediate competition - XUV and Xylo. I won't compare to Aria pricing since it's not really proving successful on account of it's price.