16th March 2019, 00:20
| #1 |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Thane (W)
Posts: 37
Thanked: 51 Times
| The Toyota Innova Crysta - An Absolute Truck Yea - Super-bright red rear fog lamps - Pear White body paint shines bright - Huge rear-view mirrors with great scope of visbility - Excellent ground clearance - Dedicated motor pulls tailgate in if not shut properly - LED headlamps - Superb driving position (feels as though you own the road from up there) - Huge trunk with rear row seats folded (captain seat variant can easily hold a bicycle without folding middle row seats) - Plethora of bottle holders - Excellent air conditioning - Premium interiors and dashboard design - Captain seats are super comfortable - Discrete blue interior lighting - Well equipped MID with lots of stats on show - Speaker system has great bass support. - Auxilliary charger socket for middle and rear passengers - Automatic roll up and down of all power windows - Excellent NVH insulation - A new and more refined 2.4L engine - Excellent torque figures - Excellent engine braking - Favours coasting without frequent downshifts - Dedicated Power mode provides mind blowing accelaration - Taller gears - Excellent tyres (Bridgestone B390) - Smooth clutch - Confident steering - Unbeatable turning radius Nay - Minor dents are welcome on the body - Lack of cabin refinement - Lacklustre infotainiment system - No Android Auto / Apple CarPlay - Heck of a battle to play videos - No auto-dimming on the IRVM - No door-lock triggered auto-folding or opening of ORVMs - No adaptive headlamps - No escort lamps - No volume control knob (soft buttons only) - Manual transmission variant didn't get the more powerful 2.8L engine - Gear lever rattles pretty much all the time - Cabin resonates at lower RPMs - Slotting into second gear is a task - Lack of a 6th gear - Lack of a useful dead pedal - Heavy steering at crawling speeds Introduction It is what it is, believe it or not. It ain't a V6 or a V8 but this ladder on frame MPV with a pick-up truck DNA is an absolute beast I can't stress enough to explain. I got my 2.4L diesel VX 7-seater manual transmission Innova Crysta in Christmas, 2018 as my dad's gift for getting through my engineering swiftly and it's about 4 months old with about 3170km up its sleeve, as I write this post. Since I intern nearby, I do about 26km every day. I prefer calling it the Innova by dropping out the suffix, as it feels a lot familiar and recalls its glorious past. We've got the Innova-exuberance in us since its very launch about a decade back, as my dad worked in Toyota back then. At that very time, he used to bring home one of the G4s lying around in office which had pretty much all of the basic stuff such as power windows and a music system (yes!). We also owned a VX back in 2016 which had to be pushed off for personal reasons. So yeah, we've driven around the Innova's for quite a while. Design The thing feels like a house on wheels for its size and has excellent road presence. I've always been a fan of the ground clearance of the Innova, so it certainly has scored in this domain, hands down. Trust me, you're going to drive undaunted by those tree-trunk-like speadbreakers. I've been enchanted by the size of those rear-view mirrors which are SO HUGE with an excellent scope of visibility. I'm not of the clan that cares about looks, yet this one stands out of the herd. The mammoth overall, has grown longer while I specifically like the longer bonet length as compared to the earlier facelift. The design now looks serious with that subtle shark fin antenna. There's now a super-bright red lamp replacing the right-hand-side reverse lamp which can be triggered by the fog lamp knob - a useful inclusion to back up in the darkest areas. My variant is pained Pearl White which has a beautiful shine by the day as against the mainstream cab-like white. Since mine's a VX, I like the LED headlamps as against the high beam which is a traditional halogen. The tailgate finally has a motor that pulls itself in if not shut with enough thud - man I crazy about this thing. With that said, the size at times serves less like a boon - in tight traffic. Making lane changes and maneuvering is a cumbersome feat while going bumper-to-bumper in cities like Mumbai. Also referencing my dad's opinion, the A-pillar seems to get in the way while negotiating blind turns, especially the hair-pin bends on ghats. I don't know if it's just me, but merging into flowing traffic from a service road makes it a tad bit difficult as there's a little obstruction in viewing the cars before the merger point, thanks to the long body. Folks say, and I certainly believe in the Innova's bulletproof-like build but here's a little catch to it. In mall parkings where cars are laid by each other, the lack of spacing between vehicles and frivolous handling of doors cause it to hit another car while being opened. This leaves minor dents on the body panels which is not something I've ever spotted on my 2-year i20. For that matter, I let my eyes wander around and most hatches (the Indica and other poorly built cars exempted) don't suffer from such dents that are viewable at an acute angle. I've seen brand-new and middle-aged Innovas and even the ones that have reached their second end with such minor dents or warps on the body. Interiors Step right in and the windshield is a playground. So is the boot as for reference in my captain seat variant with rear row seats folded, I stashed my bicycle in without breaking a sweat. The dashboard is a huge overhaul for anyone coming from the legacy edition. It's equipped with enough and more bottle holders and I find the one to my right, in front of the AC vent, the most accessible as I drive. Speaking of AC, the air conditioning is just over-the-top. To back-up my claim, here's a scenario - at 25 degree C and the rear row air conditioning turned off, I freeze during evenings! Similar thoughts are shared by my mates who occupy the co-driver seat. My age pretty much explains my disregard for premium embellishments and hence don't care much about the wooden finishings on the dash as well as doors, though the soft cushioning on the door-panels where one's arms generally rest, are a real boon on the expressways. It's a personal thought though, but I kind of hate the fact that the gear lever is now shorter. I'd agree that the center row is designed for comfort which certainly is true. Since it entered my garage, I haven't had an opportunity to witness a ride off the back seat as I've always been the driver yet, I've waited on my mom's occasional visits to the tailor spending the interlude in the middle row seats. My variant is fitted with captain seats which are super comfortable. I typed out a job application with my phone mounted on a Bluetooth keyboard off the tray table - found a niche application for those tray tables! I'm a fan of those blue themed cabin lights, the brightness of which can be manually controlled. They look super awesome from the rear seats, especially during night drives. Haven't got a chance to test out the last row myself for obvious reasons, though my close friend had a good nap back there during our night drive from Thane to the Queen's Necklace, Mumbai, if that's of any relevance. Now, for a car worth about 23 lakhs, the cabin and it's accoutrements don't justify. The cabin reeks of lack of refinement if you look close enough. First off, the dashboard, by virtue of its design, has various components fixed to each other which makes slight clicking sounds, especially when you press the wooden gimmicks. The IRVM on such an expensive vehicle still doesn't sport auto dimming. Wind up the power windows and exactly before they're wound up completely, you'll notice a prominent shudder as the interior door panel nudges you - downright lack of refinement. As indicated in subsequent sections, the very nature of engine enables coasting at lower RPMs but, mind you, doing that is certainly going to annoy you. Coasting in the 3rd gear at about 1000 revs with a little throttle is going to vibrate the hell out of the cabin as every single thing inside (especially your metal strapped wrist watch, no kidding) resonates. It urges you to shift down - do that and you're outside the power band making absolutely no sense. The gear knob rattles all the while even while idling. Electronics Coming from a computer science background, buckle up for the real deal in this department. Probably my expectations were higher but the infotainment system has a lacklustre UI despite the appealing audio quality. I personally am a bass-head and love the bass levels of the stock speaker system even without having to tune it over 50%. The UX is similar to the one on the previous facelift and is certainly a showstopper. As an Android enthusiast, I hate the fact that there's no Android Auto or even Apple CarPlay for that matter (don't care about the privacy debate, Toyota). On side note, I can't really find a way to even play a .MP4 video off a pendrive on the infotainment system. That's a straight zero. Much of the hatred totally attributes to me coming from a Hyundai, and boy, the technology in my 2017 Elite i20 is far better. Another matter of disappointment is that the ORVMs DO NOT auto close on locking the doors. Glad atleast they do at the push of a button unlike the previous generation of the Innova. Speaking of buttons, the push button start to crank the engine is a pretty good inclusion. Headlamps do not illuminate sides as you turn - heck even my i20 does it! No escort lamps either. I should be really thankful for lane-change indicators at the least. The Car Hacker's Handbook hails Toyota for its technology but I really don't see the charm, at least in India. I'm quite fascinated with the MID which feels far more pragmatic as compared to most cars of the segment, with some good stats on the show - instantaneous fuel economy (I use this a lot to optimise my driving), cost of fuel as a function of FE (my personal favorite), cruising range and engine runtime since start are to name a few. For the enthusiasts, we have the OBD port which in my case, has been put to good use with an Android app that shows more stats (Torque like) such as engine load and a car locator feature on detecting engine stop, built by myself. It's worth noting that the speedometer is 4kmph behind the actual speed - a calibration issue as seen on most cars. The steering mounted controls are pretty ergonomic though I just hate the fact that there's no dedicated knob for volume control on the infotainment system. Soft buttons are good but definitely cannot replace the good knob! The coolest part is the ECO drive stats which show up even on the infotainment system - the only practical use of that 7" screen as I see it. In my opinion, the AUX and USB ports are thoughtfully positioned - right in the center for, in such a huge car it really should be accessible by the passengers in the rear. I haven't plugged an adapter into the second power socket, though it's a great inclusion for the passengers in the middle and rear rows. Among few of the technological pluses are the automatic roll ups and downs of all power windows which is quite useful at toll gates and the trunk which is automatically by a motor if not shut properly. That's an awesome touch. The IRVM has a flip lever to cut off high beams coming from the car drafting you - absolutely no regrets on it not being electronic as on most Hyundai's (indulgence kills). Drivetrain - The Deal Maker Before diving into the specifics, on a broad note, the NVH insulation levels are colossal. The IFS does an excellent job and at times it's hard to accept that I'm actually driving at 60kmph which feels more like 40kmph inside the cabin. Ride comfort is a straight A+ and for my driving manners, I get about 13kmpl - 14kmpl within the city. Haven't done a purely-highway trip as yet and hence can't comment on those FE figures. Engine Here's what stands out and is the real deal maker - what's on the front, right under the hood. The 2.4L diesel engine that churns out 148bhp and 343Nm torque is an absolute beast and is certainly a leap over the previous 2.5L as regards refinement. I choose to disregard the horsepower figures are it really doesn't matter to me and what grabs my attention are those torque figures that absolutely makes it a climber. Nothing stops you from revving high but, a hair over 2000 revs and you'll find the Eco indicator on the MID turn off though it definitely pulls on without reluctance. But here's a little note - if you practice shifting at RPMs over 2000, better rev-match well or you'd just lunge forward every now and then, thanks to the excellent engine braking. You have all the liberty to coast around town without having to make frequent downshifts. I follow the instantaneous FE figures relegiously and hence downshift whenever required but peep out of that window and you'd find a good number of Innova owners thumping the throttle at low RPMs which makes that oddly satisfying grunt. Agreed, the 2.8L variant mated to the AMT is a different scene all-together and though I haven't driven it earlier, I'm complascent enough to admit that I totally am an MT-head and prefer the manual gearbox with this engine. It's just sad that Toyota gave the AMT a whole new engine but yeah, the grass is always greener on the other side. The smarter ECU allows three driving modes - Eco, Normal and Power which are quite self explanatory and hence lets not get into the usual stuff. The Eco differs from the Normal mainly on grounds of more resistance at higher RPMs and more efficient handling of the air conditioning. The Eco seems to cap the engine at about 1800 revs after which unless you thump the throttle, it really makes no difference. Frankly though, I tried out the Power mode for once and it bounced me off to a totally different world. Claims have it, that this mode can make overtaking on bidirectional-no-divider highways a breeze and to add my two cents to it, even the Normal easily can (provided on you're on the right gear). I rev-match every shift and it's mind blowing on the Eco mode as the engine is less responsive giving you enough buffer to match the RPMs to the desired levels. If you're just like me and practice heel-toe-downshifting, this ride can put you off especially if you're coming from a hatch like the i20 (in my case for instance). This attributes to more spaced out pedals which now require twisting your foot anti-clockwise but yeah, it just takes some getting used to. These two techniques, though an added effort, make the ride ever so smooth and I really don't miss an AMT - don't mind walking that extra mile (~ an enthusiast!). It's important to note that the vehicle is equipped with BTO (brake-throttle override) which cuts off acceleration the moment the brake and throttle pedals are depressed simultaneously over a certain threshold, while showing an error on the MID. This high torque engine consequently has excellent engine braking (which can be well exploited) and here's a scenario - coming to an absolute stop from about 70kmph on a highway, I engage the brakes only at 13-14kmph, no kidding, and engine braking takes care of the rest. The engine overall is quite silent as compared to it's previous generation, although on the inside sound levels are pretty much the same. The pitch and grunt have been borrowed down its glorifying legacy, if that's any relevant. In my opinion, if it really is dissenting, the engine struggles at higher RPMs as most high-torque diesel engines are. Dump the throttle at a high RPM figure and you'll lean forward which makes the gear 2-3 shift a wee bit uncomfortable since the fallback RPM is quite low at gear-3. This also makes it a bit uneasy to drive at 80 kmph @ gear-5 because if you dump the throttle, engine braking will make you lean sway every now and then. Transmission So mine's a manual transmission and I take immense pride in announcing the same. Physically though, the gear lever is shorter than before but as claims state, sits right above the transmission and hence exhibits a lot of vibration while the engine is running. Try not to crank your engine when the gear is slotted into 1 or be surprised to see it rattle ferociously. Rest your hand on it and you too would, jokes apart. I've heard from sources that the transmission is a whole new box with taller gears but the second gear still suffers from the same issue as on its previous generation. Slotting into the second gear is almost impossible and generally takes another attempt with a bit of physical strength (not for the faint hearted!). I've pretty much figured a workaround here which is like so - just double clutch every shift into the second gear and mark my words, you WILL NOT be disappointed. If you're coming from a sedan or a premium hatch, you might find the gearbox rugged but it's what it's like. Double clutch every shift and you'll be amazed to witness the smoothness of the manual box. A sixth gear on the MT would have been something great to have, not really for over-speeding but for better FE figures. Clutch No comments and complaints - the clutch is absolutely slick. Clutch life is what we Indians, especially the ones living in overcrowded cities like Mumbai whine about. As far as my experience goes, it has bit of a long travel but that's no biggie. Dumping the clutch certainly reduces life while is also bad for the whole drivetrain. Speaking of the Innova, it will only stall but never stop. Note that in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I prefer stalling and revving in gear 1 than riding the clutch which just reduces wear. This little trick even saves your brakes, thanks to high torque and engine braking on the first gear that together literally substitute your brakes. Most cars these days are equipped with a dead pedal right next to the clutch - something you'd miss on the Innova. I'd call it the partial dead pedal here, as there certainly is one, by the look of it, but merely a little padding on the floor which in no way serves its purpose. It rather feels hazardous as the upper foot can even get locked under the clutch pedal while transitioning from the dead pedal to engage the clutch. I reckon it takes some getting used to as I now find myself using the partial dead pedal whenever my foot is off the clutch. Just ensure that you experiment enough on open roads beforehand. Brakes Front discs and rear drums - these brakes never deceive you (terms and conditions apply). So yeah the brakes are awesome and I've heard my dad exemplify the same on the older Innova's but on this one there's a little thing. It probably is just me but here's what it's like. Drive at about 5-10kmph, depress the brakes say by about 20% and you'll find that making a very little difference, release and depress them again by 20% pronto and it'll be super effective. It's again probably just me ranting as I transition from a premium hatch but that's that. I've never had to do emergency braking and in the process thud the brakes and hence haven't gotten a chance to test their resilience against harsh and abrupt braking. Otherwise, they do an excellent job. Wheels Beautiful alloy wheels and the 4 B390s make for a superb drive. I generally don't have a lot of people on board and hence maintain about 33psi in all tyres. I've not driven enough on diverse terrains to put forth a game-changing comment about these tyres though they've been doing an excellent job since day one. As I recollect, since it's journey from the showroom till the first service milestone, the rides were quite bouncy as the tyre pressures were at 35psi. That's probably how they bid adieu to the factory though at the first service, the service engineer got it corrected to 33psi in all. Excellent tyres, hands down. Not a fan of the light-grey metal coloured wheel rims, though I'm planning to eventually get it pained to the dark-grey colour as on the Touring Sport variant. Steering Though it's a power steering, it's one in its own right. Don't expect the handling to be as seamless and effortless as that on a sedan or a premium hatch. Overall, I'm really happy with the steering though it does feel a tad heavier at lower speeds which makes sense for a car of this stature and hence no complaints. It wiggles when left free and negotiating speedbreakers at an angle and also while driving on bad roads. There's one thing that I certainly am amazed about, being the turning radius. Mind boggling. No more three point U-turns. It's been improved over the earlier generation and does a great job. I can vouch for the fact that it's much more than my i20's or a Brezza's, the latter that had no option but to back up on a small two lane road to complete the U-turn unlike my Innova right ahead of it. Super impressed. I don't over-speed and hence can't comment, but it's highly responsive and feels confident at respectable highway speeds. On a side note, I love how the horn sounds. A typical Toyota thing though. Summary Regardless of whether you skipped it all and arrived straight here or have really been keeping up since the beginning, this section is sufficient enough to make or break a deal, so hurry not. The Toyota's provide excellent after sales which is something I really must include in this review. Had a little mishap which led to a body-line damage on the rear-left door and the Madhuban Toyota, Kurla dealership patiently did up all that I requested them to. They empathetically considered all my perfectionist remarks and did up the vehicle flawlessly. While, after the first job, there was a teensy bit difference in the paint hue (I nitpick), without any disregard, they called upon a paint professional and literally repainted the entire door without a penny in addition to what I paid for the first job. *(shoutout)* So should you own a Toyota Innova Crysta 2.4L diesel MT VX 7-seater? Conclusion I wonder why the Innova is marketed as an MPV when it's built like an SUV (4WD exempted). The vehicle is a body-on-frame that makes it practically bulletproof and to top it all, a rear wheel drive. Enough said, take my money! In traffic it stands out and on highways it owns the road. The only hitches are those usual big car ones, generally brought to light by owners of smaller cars but apart from that, the cabin certainly calls for refinement while the inclusion of a 6th gear on the MT would have made the engine happier at highway cruising speeds (80-100 kmph). You might find the vehicle heavier (in terms of steering) and rugged (in terms of the manual gearbox) but that's probably how such cars are. Bear in mind that the Innova is a fleet vehicle which implies that it's built for heavy-duty workload and robustness. It's an excellent vehicle in its own right with both pros and cons (nothing in this universe is perfect) but to be frank, the pros just overshadow the cons to such a great extent that I've never found myself whining about the latter. To reiterate, the electronics really really need an overhaul while the drivetrain is certainly the deal maker here, in addition to which Toyota's proven long term reliability and resilience is what sets it apart from its competitors. Footnote While I hope this initial ownership review gives you a little insight into the MPV segment leader, there's a lot of room for improvement. Being my first very thread on this elite platform, I'm really looking forward to maintaining it and need all your support. Thanks for reading! Images  Fig. At Kolshet Creek, Thane  Fig. At Kolshet Creek, Thane  Fig. At Kolshet Creek, Thane  Fig. At Kolshet Creek, Thane  Fig. Hulk-sized mirrors  Fig. In front of my apartments  Fig. In front of my apartments  Fig. In front of my apartments  Fig. Right after a 3M shampoo wash  Fig. Right after a 3M shampoo wash  Fig. At Shree Ayappa Temple, Vartak Nagar, Thane  Fig. At a friend's place  Fig. Shining under the headlamps of a trailing vehicle  Fig. One mammoth meets another, the Touring Sport  Fig. One mammoth meets another, the Touring Sport  Fig. Clean engine bay at the first service  Fig. Dashboard and associates  Fig. Dashboard and associates with blue-themed lighting  Fig. Instrument cluster, infotainment and my monitoring system  Fig. Instrument cluster during the day  Fig. Instrument cluster at night  Fig. Middle and rear rows  Fig. The official car cover comes with a bag! (accessory)  Fig. Taking a good nap inside the official cover (accessory)  Fig. Taking a good nap inside the official cover (accessory)  Fig. The official car pillows (accessory) Last edited by GTO : 29th May 2019 at 08:50. Reason: Moving post out |
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29th May 2019, 08:51
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| Team-BHP Support   | |
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30th May 2019, 20:22
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| Senior - BHPian  | Re: The Toyota Innova Crysta - An Absolute Truck Quote:
I had a long trip in a friend's Innova from Bangalore to Mumbai and its was not at all tiring. Despite driving for the better part of a day, I was really fresh after the 1000+ km drive. My dream garage has 1 spot reserved for an Innova Crysta for sure, especially the captain seat variant which I feel is the best car to be driven around town... | |
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31st May 2019, 18:04
| #4 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Thane (W)
Posts: 37
Thanked: 51 Times
| Re: The Toyota Innova Crysta - An Absolute Truck Quote:
Nevertheless, did a Thane - Bhimashankar and return in the Innova in yesterday and today, and will try posting a travelogue on the same. Experienced true kick-down power in the PWR mode while taking on a truck, for the first time, and it certainly did blow my mind.  | |
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10th September 2019, 09:58
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16th September 2019, 15:47
| #6 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Thane (W)
Posts: 37
Thanked: 51 Times
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