Toyota Innova Crysta India review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

So the updates to the exterior and interior are both huge improvements, but there’s even more good news in store. The Innova Crysta comes with two entirely new diesel engines, a 2.4-litre with a five-speed manual gearbox, and a 2.8-litre with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The 2.4 manual first, and when compared to the old 2.5-litre engine, there are some similarities. This one too is not very refined, sounding a bit gravelly at start-up and then again at higher revs, and it also doesn’t enjoy being revved a lot, making you want to shift up well before the redline. However, both these aspects are slightly improved from the old car. The Crysta settles into a smooth and relatively silent hum at low to medium revs, and though you’ll still want to shift up early, you get more out of each gear now. The rest is all positive. For one, there’s more power – 150hp is a significant jump in power over the old 102hp, and at 13.1sec, the Crysta is a full 4.4sec faster from 0-100kph than the previous car! It even feels much stronger when you’re overtaking, which is essential when you’re out on the highway with a fully loaded-up car; this is helped by its solid 343Nm of pulling power that’s made as low as 1,400rpm. The old Innova was geared very short, so cruising in fifth on the highway was a noisy affair and the engine sounded strained. The newer car has a much broader torque spread and relatively taller gearing, so it feels a lot more comfortable loping along at high speeds, although we feel a sixth ratio would have made it more effortless still. So it’s a great highway cruiser, but if you find yourself in traffic, you will notice the clutch pedal is on the heavy side and that the short gear lever needs a little more effort. It’s also got three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Power. Eco is best for when you’re in town and want to stretch every last litre of diesel, while Power yields the quickest responses to accelerator inputs. But Normal mode is the best for everyday driving, delivering a good mix of power and efficiency.

What really tells you that the Innova is now a seriously premium car is the availability of an automatic gearbox. The six-speed unit also comes with a larger, even more powerful diesel engine – 2.8 litres with 174hp at 3,400rpm and 360Nm at 1,200-3,400rpm. This car is properly quick, being able to cross 100kph in just 11.5sec, and this is despite the fact it weighs almost 1.9 tonnes! The automatic gear shifts themselves are smooth, but we feel the system is too eager to change gears sometimes, even when not necessary. And while there are no paddle shifters for manual gear control, you can change gears manually with the gear lever itself.

The good news just keeps coming, as the other great strength of the Innova – its comfortable and all-conquering ride – has not been tampered with either. At just about any and all speeds, the big MPV just punishes bumps and potholes into submission. The suspension is tuned a little on the soft side and absorbs all sorts of road irregularities well, and if there is a slight jittery feeling, it’s more down to the relatively large 17-inch wheels than the suspension. In a straight line on the highway, the Innova Crysta stays superbly flat and composed, keeping cabin occupants comfortable throughout. The only disappointment is the steering. Of course, one cannot expect sportscar precision in an MPV, but the Crysta’s wheel feels too heavy at low speeds and requires too many turns, lock to lock, to make a U-turn. Conversely, at higher speeds, it starts to feel loose and inconsistent, and this can get a little disconcerting. You'll also feel a bit of steering shock through the wheel as you drive over sharper bumps. And, expectedly, there’s loads of body roll around corners, and combined with the slow, heavy and mushy steering, this is really not a car you want to drive enthusiastically.