20 Years Of Toyota Innova In India, A Look Back At How It Started And How It’s Going

The Toyota Innova, an MPV nameplate that was first introduced in India in 2005 as a successor to the very successful Toyota Qualis. There’s no doubt the Innova has come a long way and became one of the most long-lived nameplates, completing its 20 years in the country. Over these two decades, we have seen the Toyota Innova into three different iterations: the original Innova, the Innova Crysta, and the Innova Hycross, with over 12 lakh units sold.

The latter two are still on sale, continue to be in demand, and command high waiting periods despite changing times. Let’s take a look at a brief timeline of how the Toyota Innova has evolved over the years.

February 2005: Toyota Innova Launched

It all started when Toyota took the Qualis off the shelves and introduced the Toyota Innova nameplate in India for the very first time, in both 7- and 8-seater layouts. While the fundamentals remained the same as the Qualis to carry people in utmost comfort, the Innova was way more modern. 

It had a clean and understated design complete with petal-shaped headlights and an imposing front grille. The interior was finished in ivory shade with touches of redwood-like grain finish panel. At that time, it used to come with amenities like a 2-din audio system with MP3 and CD player, 6 speakers, 3-row AC and an adjustable steering wheel. The safety was taken care of by dual front airbags and ABS. The first Innova was offered with either a 2.5-litre diesel engine (102 PS/200 Nm) or a 2-litre petrol engine (136 PS/182 Nm).

Before the facelift was introduced, Toyota managed to sell over 1.62 lakh units in four years, which was remarkable back in the day. 

January 2009: The First Facelift For The OG Toyota Innova

The first-gen Innova kept on evolving with minor styling updates like one in 2009. It mainly got a revised fascia with a tweaked grille for a more imposing look. New alloy wheels were also on offer. But crucially, the Innova got some much needed feature updates to keep it up with the times. Amenities like auto AC, steering mounted audio controls, multi-information display (MID), and rear parking sensors were a first to the Innova. 

January 2012: Toyota Innova Facelift

In 2012, Toyota launched the Innova facelift at the Auto Expo in Delhi. It received revised headlights and a sleeker grille, while the overall silhouette of the MPV remained unchanged. Premium features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with DVD and Bluetooth support, along with a rear parking camera, were introduced.

October 2013: Another Facelift For Innova

One year down the line, Toyota once again launched the facelifted version of the original Innova, this time with a broader grille, revised tail lights and updated interior theme. It also had body graphics and an extended roof spoiler for sportier appeal. Inside, it got a wood finished gear knob, new wooden trims on the dashboard and a wooden armrest panel along with leatherette seats for a more upmarket look. 

May 2016: A Big Step, Innova Crysta (2nd Gen Innova)

In May 2016, Toyota gave the Innova a major overhaul, replacing the original model with the all-new Innova Crysta. Built from the ground up, the Crysta featured comprehensive design changes, including sleeker and sharper headlights and tail lights, a new grille, and a completely redesigned cabin layout.

It was a significant leap forward in terms of tech compared to the original Innova, offering features such as automatic LED headlights, a cooled glovebox, rear auto AC with display, and an 8-way powered driver’s seat. The safety package was also upgraded to include seven airbags, hill hold assist, and vehicle stability control.

The new Innova Crysta had two diesel engines on offer: a 2.4- and 2.8-litre diesel units making 150 PS and 174 PS respectively. The latter was borrowed from the Fortuner and was a favourite for its massive performance on tap. Later in August 2016, Toyota also brought the petrol-powered version of the Toyota Innova Crysta with a 2.7-litre petrol mill making 166 PS and 245 Nm. Both petrol and diesel variants were made available in manual and automatic transmission choices.

The legacy of the Innova continued with the Innova Crysta, but after 2020, it began to feel dated and it was in need of a facelift.

Also Read: Here’s How Long You Will Have To Wait To Get A Mahindra SUV Home This August

November 2020: Toyota Innova Crysta Facelift

Toyota gave a makeover to the Innova Crysta badge in November 2020, with which it received a new trapezoidal piano black grille surrounded by chrome, slightly revised front bumper, and new diamond-cut alloy wheels. 

The interior remained more or less the same, but there were some crucial feature additions. These include the front parking sensors with display on MID, and a bigger touchscreen infotainment system, and connected car features, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. All these updates helped the Innova Crysta remain relevant in the big MPV space.

But… It's a big but! There was sad news for people who loved the Crysta automatic. In 2020, Toyota dropped the bigger 2.8-litre diesel engine due to the more stringent BS6 emission norms imposed by the government of India. Instead, the smaller 2.4-litre diesel engine was made available with the option of an automatic transmission.

December 2022: Toyota Innova Hycross (3rd Gen Innova)

In December 2022, Toyota launched the Innova Hycross, which had radically different fundamentals. For the first time ever, the Innova traded its body-on-frame architecture for a new monocoque chassis and front-wheel drive layout. The other bigger talking point is that it was the first mass-market MPV in India to offer a strong-hybrid powertrain. The Innova Hycross is also shared with Maruti Suzuki, and sold as ‘Invicto’ under the Suzuki badge. 

The Innova Hycross is powered by a 2-litre petrol engine with the choice of non-hybrid (174 PS/205 Nm) and strong-hybrid (186 PS combined) powertrains. Both these powertrains are only being offered with CVT automatic gearbox, driving the front wheels. 

The Hycross was once again a major move, being more premium and feature-rich than the Innova Crysta. It comes with a 10-inch touchscreen system with connected car tech, JBL sound system, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, dual zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and ventilated front seats. It also features Ottoman seats in the second row with power adjustment and extended leg rest. On the safety front, it gets (advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), featuring adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist. Other features include a blind spot monitor, a 360-degree camera and electronic parking brake with auto-hold.

The Toyota Innova Hycross remains the most modern Innova till date and the carmaker has already delivered over 1 lakh units since its debut. The MPV was so popular that Toyota had to halt bookings for the top-end ZX variant for a while to cater demand. 

March 2023: Toyota Innova Crysta Revived

After the introduction of the Toyota Innova Hycross, bookings for the Innova Crysta were halted for a brief period. However, in March 2023, Toyota relaunched the Innova Crysta with an RDE-compliant 2.4-litre diesel engine producing 150 PS and 343 Nm, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. An automatic option wasn’t offered with the Crysta as it was exclusive to the Innova Hycross. 

The updated Innova Crysta gets an updated grille while still retaining the core design of the old Crysta inside and out. Toyota offers the current Innova Crysta with features like a touchscreen infotainment system, a 6 speaker sound system, automatic AC and an 8-way powered driver’s seat. In terms of passenger safety, the updated Crysta gets up to 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, vehicle stability control (VSC), a rearview camera and three-point seatbelts for all passengers.

Despite being from a generation behind, the trusty 2.4-litre diesel engine, bulletproof reliability, and low maintenance costs make this a car that’s popular even today. 

Existing Price Range

Currently, the prices for the Toyota Innova Hycross range between Rs 19.20 lakh and Rs 32.58 lakh, while for the Innova Crysta, it ranges from Rs 19.99 lakh to Rs 27.18 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi). 

Both iterations of the Toyota Innova continue to enjoy strong demand, carrying forward the legacy of this long-standing nameplate. Whether as a family MPV or a trusted tourist vehicle, most Indians have experienced what it’s like to travel in an Innova.

What’s your favorite memory with the Toyota Innova? Share it with us in the comments.

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