[Bhushanrulz]

Well firstly I would like to thank the forum for all the support it has offered me throughout these years. I joined in 2005 and have been thriving on the numerous threads which enlightened me to things like Excellent GTO Reviews, Pete’s Box, ICE and all the excellent ownership reviews.

Prologue to the Purchase:
I had bought a Safari Dicor LX in 2005 and had finally cured the 7 year old itch to get one. The great driving posture and the presence it made on the road were remarkable. Safari was always the dream car and I have enjoyed every single bit of it, but the pathetic after sales and maintenance of the car has made me part with it, though with a heavy heart. Then began the search for a replacement which had to be less bumpy comfortable and spacious. I do not indulge in offroading and hence the MUV’s were also in for comparison.

Heavy Weight Contenders:
Ford Endeavour, Toyota Innova, Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari.

Ford Endeavour: Took a test ride but did not find the car comfortable, moreover had heard about the heavy maintenance and cost of spares and so had to rule this one out.

Tata Safari: Wanted to really buy the car but the heavy maintenance costs were a huge deterrent.

Mahindra Scorpio: The car was good to drive and comfortable as well, but I really never liked the looks of this car.

Toyota Innova: I drove the car, liked it, but I hated the huge price tag attached and the plain vanilla interiors. It required a hell lot of convincing, since IMHO the Innova, does not look like a 12.32lac car! Add to that the taxi image that the car bears. But the reliability of the Toyota brand and the Mica Grey Color which I really liked, made me give in, and I headed straight to the Toyota dealer.

@ The Dealer:
I visited Shinrai Toyota at Worli which had a very courteous staff. Also after comparing with a few other dealers like Wasan, Lakozy and Madhuban, I found out that Shinrai was offering the cheapest price. Shinrai was offering a price difference of 8,000 from the cheapest quotes I had received from the other dealers. When I quoted the Shinrai price to the other dealers, they were willing to match the price. So that cleared the air, that yes it is possible for dealers to sell me the car at that price and that Shinrai is not playing foul with me, so I stuck to Shinrai. Plus the 8k savings were to now going to be used for an above average sun film!
After going through the dozens of models on offer, starting from the one with no power steering right upto the model with airbags, I was confused. The Fortuner on display further added to the dilemma!

Finally Selected!
I finally zeroed in on the GX 7 Seater which seemed to suit my needs. Booked it with half the amount on 18th December 2010, with the registration due in the first week of Jan 2011.

The car had arrived at their stock yard in Bhiwandi on 30th December 2010 and I went there with the Team BHP PDI check list. Checked the car thoroughly and went ahead to the showroom.

Time for Interior Refresh:
At the showroom, there was a white Innova on display which had done a few interior modifications… and I loved it! It was a GX model and had interiors way better than the V model! All of a sudden I fell in love with the Innova, since the original poorly done beige interiors were a major concern for me.
There was no sign of beige in the interiors at all! That is where I made my decision, by paying an extra 45,000 the car truly seemed like a 12.32 lac car!!
The interiors went well with the Mica-Grey Colour of my car. It took 4 days to get the interiors done, but the wait was truly worth it!
There were 3 interior options, one was black+grey, the other plum+beige and the last which I did not like brown+beige.

For 45,000/- you get:

· Dashboard/Steering/Doors/AC Vents etc, all of them change from beige to Black & Grey
· Art Leather Seat Covers (superior quality)
· Half Wooden Steering wheel
· Roof turned to velvet touch
· Wooden Panels on door supports (all four doors) and ac vents
· Plus excellent fit and finish!

The other accessories I Opted for were Rear Spoiler with Lights, Reverse Sensor, Door Side Moldings with Chrome and number etching on all the windows.

The Extra Brunt:

· Interiors – Rs. 45,000/-
· Rear Spoiler – Rs. 7,000/-
· Reverse Sensor with LCD Display – 8,000/-
· Door Side Moldings – 7,000/-
· Number Etching – 550/-

A Total of - Rs.67,550/-

Finally!
On 8/1/2011 I took the delivery of the car, tipped the guys and headed straight to the temple for Puja and then home.
It was pretty dark for clicking pictures when I returned home; however I am attaching a few before and after picture comparison of the interiors. Will post detailed pictures in a day or two.

[lsp]

Wow, the car looks worth its salt (or money) now. congrats on your purchase.

If I were you, I would have gone with the original interiors for a while, say a year or two, and then plunge the money into the 'mods'. Also I would have waited for a 2011 made vehicle.

But then, I am not the one buying the vehicle. So as long as you get what your heart desires, all is well.

Wish you many many happy miles with her.
Drive safe.

[Bhushanrulz]

Originally Posted by lsp

Wow, the car looks worth its salt (or money) now. congrats on your purchase.

If I were you, I would have gone with the original interiors for a while, say a year or two, and then plunge the money into the 'mods'. Also I would have waited for a 2011 made vehicle.

But then, I am not the one buying the vehicle. So as long as you get what your heart desires, all is well.

Wish you many many happy miles with her.
Drive safe.

Well i had already sold off my Safari in mid Decemebr and needed a vehicle soon. I knew it was not possible for me to get a 2011 manufactured model asap, plus the increase in price. Thats the reason why I booked it in december to get the price benefit, and got it registered in Jan'11

As far as the interiors go, I was totally unhappy with the original ones, and thats why got the mod done the minute I saw one.

And lastly, thanks a lot for ur wishes...

[kevinephraim]

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

It took 4 days to get the interiors done, but the wait was truly worth it!
There were 3 interior options, one was black+grey, the other plum+beige and the last which I did not like brown+beige.

For 45,000/- you get:

· Dashboard/Steering/Doors/AC Vents etc, all of them change from beige to Black & Grey
· Art Leather Seat Covers (superior quality)
· Half Wooden Steering wheel
· Roof turned to velvet touch
· Wooden Panels on door supports (all four doors) and ac vents
· Plus excellent fit and finish!

The other accessories I Opted for were Rear Spoiler with Lights, Reverse Sensor, Door Side Moldings with Chrome and number etching on all the windows.

The Extra Brunt:

· Interiors – Rs. 45,000/-
· Rear Spoiler – Rs. 7,000/-
· Reverse Sensor with LCD Display – 8,000/-
· Door Side Moldings – 7,000/-
· Number Etching – 550/-

A Total of - Rs.67,550/-

Finally!
On 8/1/2011 I took the delivery of the car, tipped the guys and headed straight to the temple for Puja and then home.
It was pretty dark for clicking pictures when I returned home; however I am attaching a few before and after picture comparison of the interiors. Will post detailed pictures in a day or two.

Firstly, Congrats on the new buy! The innova is a superb vehicle to own! IMHO you should have gone for the V 7 seater as it was just a matter of 1.5 lacs more and you have the safety feature of Airbags and ABS. MID display and climatronic AC and the controls on the steering for the Music system which is built in. That is subject to your choice as i found the inbuilt music system good enough for my tastes and only needed a sub woofer! Alloys also, but then that can be got aftermarket and i'm sure you will be getting those. as also another bump up will be a tuning box!

The changed interiors look smashing! Was this done by the showroom itself and if so is everything covered in the warranty? The reason i am asking is because the removing of the dashboard panel involves quite a bit of wiring removal and refitting in the V model due to the Airbags and steering mounted controls etc.. and in case i opt for this change do they do it in the V model too?

You are lucky in mumbai to have 3 dealers to check your pricing with, here in Pune its only the monopoly of DSK.

Are there any mechanical fittings available through the dealer / company aftermarket as well? For example , can they fit rear disc brakes for you if you are willing to pay the extra amount and will that affect the warranty / guarantee of the vehicle?

[prince_pervez]

Congrats! It sure is refreshed and boy does the OEM interior look dull after your innovations. Congrats again and drive safe.

[jkdas]

Congrats and that too on owning a special Innova!

How did they do it? Paint or new parts? Can you post more pix?

[Bhushanrulz]

Originally Posted by kevinephraim

Firstly, Congrats on the new buy! The innova is a superb vehicle to own! IMHO you should have gone for the V 7 seater as it was just a matter of 1.5 lacs more and you have the safety feature of Airbags and ABS. MID display and climatronic AC and the controls on the steering for the Music system which is built in.

The changed interiors look smashing! Was this done by the showroom itself and if so is everything covered in the warranty? The reason i am asking is because the removing of the dashboard panel involves quite a bit of wiring removal and refitting in the V model due to the Airbags and steering mounted controls etc.. and in case i opt for this change do they do it in the V model too?

Are there any mechanical fittings available through the dealer / company aftermarket as well? For example , can they fit rear disc brakes for you if you are willing to pay the extra amount and will that affect the warranty / guarantee of the vehicle?

Well my car is strictly gonna be used in the city and hence the airbags and abs would hardly be of any use to me. Though I completely agree to the fact that they are essential and very necessary. Moreover I never thought the Innova would be over 11lacs on road.. so I definitely could not have convinced myself to get it for 14lacs... at that price I would have thought of taking a loan, and stretching my budget to an outlander/fortuner/yeti/captiva

And yes, the complete interior package was done by the dealer himself and this does not put the warranty at stake.

NO it is not possible for the V model to get the dashboard interiors done due to the presence of airbags and the steering controls as mentioned by you and confirmed by the dealer.

I shall confirm on the aftermarket mechanical fittings and get back to you.

And thanks for your wishes

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Congrats! It sure is refreshed and boy does the OEM interior look dull after your innovations. Congrats again and drive safe.

Thanks a lot

Originally Posted by jkdas

Congrats and that too on owning a special Innova!

How did they do it? Paint or new parts? Can you post more pix?

I think it was painted cuz all new parts for 45,000 would be a steal! (plus non-original )

I shall post detailed pictures tomorrow

[DMehta]

Man! Car looks great! 50 odd grand well spent.
Please upload many more pictures!

[DRIV3R]

I am sorry, but something seems amiss here.

You say your car arrived at the stockyard at Dec 2010. Well, if that's so why is the speedo console from the old gen Innova?

This is the speedo console of the Innova refresh. (lifted from an ownership log here)

[ulhas.ahirrao]

Hey Bhushan congrats on the new purchase, the new interiors look awsome!

Originally Posted by kevinephraim

You are lucky in mumbai to have 3 dealers to check your pricing with, here in Pune its only the monopoly of DSK.

DSK monopoly in Pune is gone now, Sharayu Toyota has started its 3S Dealership in Pune...

[manikjeet]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

I am sorry, but something seems amiss here.

You say your car arrived at the stockyard at Dec 2010. Well, if that's so why is the speedo console from the old gen Innova?

This is the speedo console of the Innova refresh. (lifted from an ownership log here)

this speedo console is for VX model and he purchased a GX model so the speedo would be different

[Bhushanrulz]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

I am sorry, but something seems amiss here.

You say your car arrived at the stockyard at Dec 2010. Well, if that's so why is the speedo console from the old gen Innova?

This is the speedo console of the Innova refresh. (lifted from an ownership log here)

I went through the forum and found the image, its a sept'09 VX refreshed model.. so either the console has changed over a years period, or as manikjeet had said above, its peculiar to the VX model and not GX.

[kevinephraim]

Originally Posted by ulhas.ahirrao

Hey Bhushan congrats on the new purchase, the new interiors look awsome!



DSK monopoly in Pune is gone now, Sharayu Toyota has started its 3S Dealership in Pune...

really? where is the showroom / sales and service center?

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by manikjeet

this speedo console is for VX model and he purchased a GX model so the speedo would be different

Nope. Even GX comes with the new console. My friend has one.

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

I went through the forum and found the image, its a sept'09 VX refreshed model.. so either the console has changed over a years period, or as manikjeet had said above, its peculiar to the VX model and not GX.

What do you mean by "the console has been changed over a years period" ?

If you are not kidding, kindly get this issue settled with the dealer.

Other Innova GX refresh owners can confirm here.

[PCS]

Hey guys, let me clarify

Innova VX gets Optitron Meters where as othe models dont

Hey Bushan, Gr8 buy man, Innova is an awesome car any day !!!