autoX Awards 2023: Toyota Innova Hycross Performance, Quality and Value for Money Ranked

autoX Awards 2023: Over the years, the Toyota Innova has carved out a niche for itself in the Indian market, almost evolving into a sub-brand of its own. It’s a vehicle opted by a unique blend of customers, including private users, fleet operators, taxi drivers, and so on, all of whom swear by its spaciousness, practicality, reliability, and resilience. While the previous iterations of the Innova were characterised by a low-tech framework based on a ladder frame and rear-wheel drive, the introduction of the Hycross has brought the Innova nameplate to contemporary standards, with a new monocoque platform and a strong hybrid powerplant that dramatically changes the game.

In its latest form, the Innova exhibits a stark departure from its earlier dynamics due to its monocoque body and front-wheel drive configuration, offering a significantly enhanced driving experience compared to its predecessors. The inclusion of the new 2.0-litre hybrid powerplant has significantly increased its efficiency, solidifying its position as the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. The refinement, too, has also improved considerably, as the petrol unit is much quieter than the earlier diesel variant, which was the best-selling variant.

The interior has also seen a major upgrade, for it now is more spacious, making it a very usable people hauler. Of course, the other big upgrade – and the Hycross features a lot of them – is in terms of equipment, which has finally come to terms with what is expected in the Indian market. As a result, you get a much better infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ADAS features, and a panoramic sunroof.

Also Read: Toyota Hits 300 Million Cars Global Production Milestone

While I expected the Innova Hycross to be one of our ‘Best of 2023’ winners, it fell short in a few aspects, narrowly missing the opportunity to win one of the five awards. Some of the issues with the Hycross include the e-CVT transmission, which exhibits the rubber-band effect and can be annoying, especially when you’re pushing it, and a slightly firm suspension.

In terms of design, it also lost a few points, given the sizes of its wheels and tyres, which look incongruously tiny with the overall dimension of the car. Furthermore, its premium pricing also compromised its standing in the value-for-money category – yes, we still think it’s quite expensive for what it is. However, all this doesn’t take away from the fact that it is arguably the most usable three-row people mover that you can buy today.

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