Rumour: Toyota Innova Facelift India bound before October?

Facelift cycles for car models have been gradually reducing each passing year. The current Toyota Innova, representing a mid-career makeover for the hugely successful MPV model that was first launched in India during 2005, was launched at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. Nearly a year and a half after the facelifted model's launch in India, Toyota could give its hot selling MPV yet another makeover.

With car sales facing the brunt of a slow economy in the country, car makers in India are opting to bring forward launches of facelifted and special edition models. A similar story seems to be unfolding in the case of the Innova as well, which saw a facelift in Indonesia weeks ago. AutocarIndia reports that the facelifted Innova will be launched in India before October 2013, right before the onset of the festive season.

The facelifted model comes with revised exteriors that include a new front grille, bumper and chromed surrounds for fog lamps. At the rear, a dollop of chrome is added to the hatch lid, along with additional reflectors. The MPV gets a new infotainment system that features a roof mounted screen, and revised seat fabric on the inside. The petrol and turbo diesel engine of the MPV will be carried over unchanged.

The MPV is powered by a 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 102 PS-200 Nm and a 2 liter petrol engine that outputs 136 PS-181 Nm. Both engines come with a 5 speed manual gearbox that drives the rear wheels of the MPV. While the Innova, called the Kijang in the Indonesian market, is also available with a 4 speed automatic gearbox on petrol variants, Toyota India doesn't offer such an option on the Indian versions.

The Indonesia-spec Innova also gets ABS+EBD and twin airbags as standard on all variants. In India though, these safety features might be made available only on the top end models as a large chunk of the MPVs sales come from the cab market, where a lower purchase price swings decisions. The facelifted Innova sold in India could retain the 8 seat and 7 seat options, while a moderate price increase is likely.