05 June,2016 09:33 AM IST | | Jim Gorde
There is more to some things than which meets the eye, and then there are those that are out and out impressive
Toyota Innova Crysta
There is more to some things than which meets the eye, and then there are those that are out and out impressive. The Innova, among the sharpest tools in Toyota's shed, is no diamond in the rough. It speaks for itself.
The Innova has been the go-to car for many. When it came down to comfort, safety, practicality and value, the Toyota Innova has managed to scare off many would-be challengers. It didn't matter what the budget was. There were some people who simply couldn't decide. With Rs 20 lakh, many chose an Innova. With Rs 40 lakh, many considered other options and then bought two Innovas. That was the scale of acceptance of this vehicle.
The dash features dark plastic, aluminium and faux wood which lend a posh effect. Pics/Sanjay Raikar
The Crysta is the new top-end Innova and has the styling, features, equipment, and even more power, to prove it. It will soon be available in showrooms, and, finally, has a choice of manual or automatic transmission.
The Crysta is reminiscent of the old Innova; the lines are there, but the look is all-new. There's more chrome, sharper detail and better light-clusters in the front and rear. The projector headlamps illuminate better, and the split tail-lamp clusters stand out.
The new car is, in one word, bigger. It's 180 mm longer, 70 mm wider and 40 mm higher, while sporting the same wheelbase. The Innova Crysta has more room for passengers and cargo, more than enough for the average family.
The layout is more modern and aesthetically pleasing, but the faux alcantara on the door-panels brought a furrow to the brow. The dashboard and centre console are well-laden. The seats are upholstered in black but don't make the cabin appear any less spacious. Besides, they also slide and recline.
Crysta gets anti-lock brakes with brake assist, stability control and hill-start assist. Let's not forget the seven airbags, including one for the driver's knees and side curtains.
In the battle of the senses, we've come a long way from 70- and 90-PS motors. The Crysta offers premium SUV-rivalling figures with the new 2.4-litre turbo-diesel motor making 150 PS and a Fortuner-equalling 343 Nm driving the rear wheels. It's evident in the way it goes. For a 1.8-tonne vehicle, the acceleration gather space in an appreciably linear manner. The low-pressure turbo delivers almost zero lag, unless you're below 1,000 RPM. The handling too is nothing spectacular, but holds the road well, thanks to the electronic nannies and a nicely balanced suspension-setup, complete with 215/55 Rs 17 rubber providing the grip.
Where the old 2.5-litre unit ran out of breath, this 2.4 can cofortably cruise at 150 km/h and just as relaxed as the 2.5. There's also a more powerful automatic variant on offer, with a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel making 174 PS and 360 Nm, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Innova Crysta 2.4 M/T will launch with a price tag ranging between Rs 16 lakh-Rs 20 lakh. The more powerful automatic versions will cost about R2 lakh more than their manual counterparts. The present top-end Innova 2.5 Z costs Rs 19.37 lakh. If a popular, robust and feature-rich vehicle is what you want, the Innova Crysta makes a strong case for itself.
