Toyota Innova Hycross review, road test

The Toyota Innova Hycross elevates the MPV experience. It has supremely comfortable seats and thanks to its spaciousness, its ability to ferry seven or eight passengers in comfort remains unmatched. What’s more is that its monocoque construction improves its driving manners by a quantum leap - it rides flatter, handles better, and its electric power steering makes it much more user-friendly than the Crysta.

Pricey, but the most comfortable seven- or eight-seater you'll find in this segment.

The Toyota Innova Hycross petrol automatic is for buyers who want nothing but a petrol Innova, and aren’t willing to stretch for the hybrid version. Its rudimentary interiors are a let down; it misses several features, and then there’s the moaning CVT which dampens the drive experience. More importantly, its low fuel efficiency could be a deal breaker for many.

The hybrid version feels like a class above - it is better dressed to impress, feels more luxurious and packs in a lot of premium kit. Even its powertrain is smooth; it is quick, and returns rather respectable fuel efficiency. But for all its merits, Toyota is asking a rather steep premium for what it has to offer.

Sure, there are more convincing, much more affordable and better value-for-money seven-seater alternatives available in the market, but as Toyota’s sales reflected in the past, pricing hasn’t been a deciding factor for Toyota Innova buyers. And going by how the Hycross has shaped up, once again Toyota has the winning hand.