Toyota Innova Hycross

One of the longest and most popular nameplates from the MPV category in India has been the Toyota Innova. Towards the end of 2022, we got the third-generation model called the Toyota Innova Hycross. The new MPV gets many firsts including a new strong-hybrid powertrain and a front-wheel drivetrain (FWD), all of which promise for it to deliver a more premium experience over the second-gen Toyota Innova (called the Innova Crysta). 

I have spent extensive time behind the wheel of both petrol and petrol-hybrid versions of the Innova Hycross. Here’s the details review.

First things first- the Innova Hycross is the biggest Innova till date. It has heaps of road presence and is even bigger than the Innova Crysta on all dimensions save for its height. Up front, both the petrol and hybrid versions of the Innova Hycross get multi-reflector LED headlights and the same big grille. However, the major differences are the absence of LED DRLs, fog lamps, and chrome elements on the Hycross petrol.

In profile, the Hycross petrol gets the basic details right including body coloured door handles and alloy wheels (16-inch units). The Hycross hybrid, on the other hand, comes with the ‘Hybrid’ badge below the ORVMs, chrome window beltline and door handles, and rides on bigger 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels.

At the back, both get a chunky bumper and a flat-ish tailgate, sporting wraparound LED taillights. While the petrol version of the MPV gets just the ‘Innova Hycross’ badge, the Hycross hybrid also features a chrome strip connecting the taillights and the variant and hybrid monikers.

Colour options include Blackish Ageha Glass Flake, Platinum White Pearl, Silver Metallic, Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic, Attitude Black Mica and Super White. While super white is a very commonly chosen colour, the Hycross does look really good in it.

Design & Quality

If you see the cabin of the Hycross petrol and hybrid back to back, that’s when you will realise how different the two are. Where the Hycross petrol has an all-black cabin theme, the hybrid variants get a black and tan interior.

The petrol-only Innova Hycross is only available in the base GX trim. Hence it gets dull black plastic on the dashboard and door pads with contrasting silver elements and black fabric upholstery. But given its price positioning, the feel and fit and finish (including the flimsy stalks and poor quality of the cup holders) of this variant are a bit of a let-down.

On the other hand, the dash design of the Hycross hybrid is a lot cleaner and more modern than what has been the case on Toyota cars till date. Toyota has made use of soft-touch leatherette materials for most of the touchpoints in the front row, including the centre portion of the dashboard as well, giving a premium and comfortable experience inside the cabin. Here also you will notice the silver accents running around the centre console, door pads and on the steering wheel. That said, we still do feel that Toyota could have scored much better in terms of making its cabin perfect by using high-quality plastic while also improving on the appointment levels of some of the panels in the centre console and of the steering-mounted controls.

Front Seats

Doors of the Hycross open w-i-d-e. Getting in and out is an easy affair. As you’d expect with a Toyota, ergonomics are bang on. The cabin feels familiar and you’d be comfortable practically instantly if you’re upgrading from a smaller vehicle. You will also appreciate the driving position that gives you a clear view of the bonnet. All round visibility is fantastic, and large as the car is, the seating position and comfort get you used to being at the helm of the Hycross quickly. 

Also, if you’re a very tall driver, the Hycross will feel right at home with its generous space, large seats and big footwell space.

Second Row

What sets the Innova Hycross apart from the average MPVs in our market is the second row experience, which has plenty of room to offer to average-sized adults.  

The captain seats by themselves are quite comfortable, accommodating even large frames with ease. The second row in the Hycross hybrid gets the most talked-about feature and the USP of this new Innova: the ottoman seats. The seats effortlessly slide rearward, granting ample legroom, and recline almost completely. Furthermore, the calf support smoothly shifts forward, perfect for a nap or comfortable lounging while enjoying a chauffeured ride. While the space available is simply unparalleled, the 2nd row legrests aren’t that useful for tall passengers

Third Row

When it comes to the third row of both the Hycross petrol and Hycross hybrid, it is capable of comfortably carrying a family of 7-8 people. You can even recline the seats and 3 normal-sized people can be seated for short journeys. In the Hycross hybrid, you can adjust the ottoman seats to a more conservative yet comfy setting, enabling the third row to easily hold two adults. Legroom is good, suitable for a 6-footer, and the seats can recline. Even the under thigh space, usually a compromise in the back row, is decent. Long trips with six adults are doable, but fitting three in the rear bench is snug due to limited width. 

Getting into the third row is a task as the second row seats need to be slid ahead manually while the seatback has to be reclined (which takes a little time owing to electric adjustment) to create some room for entry. Still, Toyota deserves praise for providing a headrest and 3-point seatbelt for the middle passenger in the last row.

Storage Options

Both space and practicality are given importance in equal measure. You get two pop-out style cupholders under the side AC vents & two cupholders are located in the centre console. All the door pockets are plus-sized and can hold a 1-1.5 litre bottle easily with space to spare. 

The storage pocket under the central armrest is deep and makes you wish it was cooled. On the passenger side, there is a long and slim tray on the dashboard above the glovebox. The glove box isn’t cooled but is big enough for documents and a few cleaning cloths. 

At the rear, both front seats have seatback pockets. Also, there is a foldable tray with a couple of cupholders between the middle-row seats. The third-row occupants get individual cupholders on both sides along with storage spaces to keep their smartphones. 

Charging Options

There’s type-A and a type-C charging port along with a 12V accessory socket in the front row. Move to the rear and the 2nd row occupants get two type-C chargers while the last row adds another 12V accessory socket. There’s a wireless charger available as well but it’s an accessory.

Boot Space

Boot space is rated at 289-litres with all rows in place. You can trade the third row for additional boot space — folding the third row gets you a total of 690-litres of space to play with. Both versions of the Innova Hycross can take in small- and full-sized trolley bags with the third row in use. Upon folding down the last row, the Toyota MPV has more than enough space to swallow up three trolley bags and one soft bag with room to spare for a couple of additional soft bags as well.

One small advantage that the Hycross petrol has over its hybrid counterpart is that it gets some extra storage space in the floorboard to house a few lightweight or laptop bags. This area in the other version of the MPV is taken up by the batteries for its strong-hybrid setup. Loading up items in your luggage in the Hycross hybrid isn’t much of a problem thanks to the flat floor created by folding down the last row of seats.

Features

One department where the Innova has improved significantly with the addition of the Hycross name is the set of equipment. Speaking of the Hycross petrol first, it gets an 8-inch touchscreen system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, all four power windows, a 4-speaker music system, and a 4.2-inch coloured MID. That said, we feel Toyota should have equipped it with auto AC, cruise control, and a 360-degree camera given its price.

But if you really want to taste what premiumness feels like, opt for the Hycross hybrid to get the full benefits in terms of features. It is equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen unit, dual-zone climate control roof-mounted vents for the 2nd and 3rd row, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and a digital driver’s display.

That said, we would have liked it even more had Toyota polished the feed of the 360-degree/ reversing camera and provided a more lag-free interface for the infotainment unit. In terms of equipment, the Hycross hybrid should also have seat ventilation for the middle row seats.

Other features include cruise control, a powered tailgate, an 8-way powered driver’s seat with memory, a punchy 9-speaker JBL music system and retractable rear sunshades.

In case you pick the Hycross petrol, its safety net includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, ISOFIX child seat mounts and reverse camera or reverse parking sensors (depending on the version chosen). 

Customers buying the Hycross hybrid get a 360-degree camera and also advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, rear cross traffic alert and a blind spot monitor. Toyota’s been thoughtful enough to include a separate button for normal cruise control as adaptive cruise control can be a bit too reactive at times in our traffic conditions. Bharat NCAP crash tested the Innova Hycross in 2025 and the MPV scored the full 5 stars for adult and child occupant safety.

Engine And Performance

With the generation upgrade, the popular Toyota MPV shifted bases as it became a petrol-only offering for the first time. As standard, it gets a 2-litre naturally aspirated engine rated at 173PS and 204Nm. It can be had with a CVT gearbox only. The more popular option is the 2-litre self-charging hybrid that is also automatic only. The hybrid not only raises fuel-efficiency but delivers stronger performance as well.

2-litre Petrol

City Performance

The engine is at its happiest in the city. Power delivery is uber-smooth and there’s more than enough punch to keep up with traffic and make low speed overtakes. Part throttle inputs are more than enough to manage daily commutes and given how predictable the response is, you’ll also like this engine if a driver is ferrying you around. Overtakes in the city will see the engine getting a bit vocal but that’s to be expected with continuously variable transmissions. You can get around 11-12kmpl in the city with this engine in city traffic.

Highway Performance

Highway cruises are also a smooth affair with this motor, provided you have a relaxed driving style. It’s happy to get up to 80-100kmph and sit there all day but high speed overtakes, especially when fully-loaded, see the engine getting quite vocal. It’s not that the engine doesn’t have the punch or that it’s struggling to deliver power, it’s just that you have to rev the engine quite a bit to make quick overtakes at high speeds. Even while driving through the ghats, the engine will feel quite vocal so it's best to build speed progressively, rather than giving hard throttle inputs. You can get around 14-15kmpl on the highway with this engine.

2-litre Petrol-Hybrid

City Performance

The hybrid setup has a split personality. It’s calm, composed and unbelievably efficient when you’re in the mood for a leisurely drive. It starts up in EV mode and is happy pottering around purely on battery power at low speeds. As the speeds climb, the petrol motor kicks in, giving you the power you need. Lifting off of the throttle and braking feeds energy back into the battery. The electric motor takes over from time to time, helping you extract more from every litre of petrol. 

Whether you’re driving yourself or are being driven, the Hycross is very smooth and progressive in its power delivery and it’s a quality you will appreciate. In the city, it’s capable of delivering a fuel-efficiency of over 16kmpl, depending on the driving conditions.

Highway Performance

The benefit of electric assistance isn’t just better fuel-efficiency but also instant power delivery. Getting up to and past 100kmph is no struggle. Sure, if you press the pedal hard, the engine gets vocal but it’s also quick enough to go from 0-100kmph in under 10 seconds. The electric and petrol combo also makes overtakes very easy and even when the engine gets louder, vibrations are kept in check very well. Sit at a steady cruise on the highway and you can get 19-20kmpl from the Hycross hybrid.

Ride Quality

A well-tuned ride rounds off the driving experience. It’s easily one of the most comfortable cars you can buy in India, irrespective of the road conditions. Slow speeds have you experience some side-to-side movement, but it never gets uncomfortable. The cabin settles quickly. High speed stability is fantastic and will inspire confidence over those interstate journeys for sure. The steering feels light enough for the Hycross to be easily maneuvered in city traffic. Steering weight at high speeds feels adequate as well. 

The Hycross is available with six variants: G-SLF, GX, GX(O), VX, VX (O),  ZX and ZX (O). The G-SLF, GX and GX (O) only feature the petrol engine with an automatic transmission while the VX, VX (O), ZX and ZX (O) are only available with the hybrid petrol also featuring an automatic transmission. Further the ZX (O) variant only gets the ADAS features over and above the ZX variant.

Toyota Innova Hycross G-SLF Variant

• Available as a 7 or 8-seater.

• Gets LED headlights and part-led tail lights, electrically-adjustable mirrors, manual AC with rear blower speed control and vents, front and rear power windows, and tilt and telescopic steering adjustment.

• There is no head-unit or infotainment system but you do get 4-speakers.

• 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, hill-start assist, ISOFIX and rear parking sensors are included in the safety package. 

• Rides on 16-inch steel wheels

Toyota Innova Hycross GX Variant

• Available as a 7 or 8-seater.

• Adds a gun metal finish to the front grille, driver seat-height adjustment, a rear centre armrest and an 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• It also gets steering-mounted infotainment controls. 

• While the G-SLF gets push-buttons start, this variant gets passive keyless entry as well.

• Oddly, instead of adding to the safety features, it swaps the rear parking sensors for a rear camera.

• Adds 16-inch alloy wheels

Toyota Innova Hycross GX (O) Variant

• Available as a 7 or 8-seater.

• Rear defogger and automatic climate control get added in the 1st and 2nd row.

• The interior is now finished in a brown-black two-tone.

• The touchscreen gets upsized to 10.1-inches but only with the 7-seater version. Only this version gets retractable rear sunshades too.

Toyota Innova Hycross VX Variant

• Available as a 7 or 8-seater and is now powered by the strong-hybrid powertrain.

• Upgrades the dual-LED headlights to tri-eye LED headlights with LED position lamps and upgrades the part LED tail lights to full LEDs.

• Strangely, it loses LED front fog lights vs the previous variant.

• Transmission now has paddle-shifters and tyre-pressure monitoring is added to the safety package. 

• The sound system gets upgraded to 6-speakers but it still gets an 8-inch touchscreen. 

• Adds an auto-dimming IRVM, an acoustic windshield for better sound insulation, cruise control, a bigger, coloured MID and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

Toyota Innova Hycross VX (O) Variant

• Available as a 7 or 8-seater and continues to be powered by the strong-hybrid powertrain.

• Adds LED front fog lamps, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Toyota Innova Hycross ZX Variant

• Available as a 7-seater only and continues to be powered by the strong-hybrid powertrain.

• Adds 18-inch alloy wheels, dual function LED DRLs, wheel-arch cladding and some chrome highlights on the windowline and door handles.

• Auto AC gets an additional pollution filter, front seats are ventilated and the driver’s seat gets power adjustment with memory.

• 2nd row seats get powered and have ottomans, leatherette seats are added, and you now get a 9-speaker JBL music system.

Toyota Innova Hycross ZX (O) Variant

• This variant is the ZX grade with ADAS features like auto high beam assist, auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring.

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• If you’re getting the petrol, go for the GX (O) variant as it has some features that add functionality and tech.

• If you’re getting the petrol hybrid, VX (O) variant as its features list is quite complete. Get the ZX if you feel the powered ottomans are of value or if you want a better music system.

• The ZX (O)’s ADAS features are worth investing in especially if you have extensive highway use.

With the Innova Hycross, Toyota has given its popular MPV a touch of SUV in multiple aspects taking the premiumness quotient up a few notches. The new Innova Hycross thus takes the already strong points of the Innova Crysta even higher, although it isn’t as rough and tough.

The Hycross petrol, although basic in nature, is for those who are in need of a big MPV that can carry seven on board in a comfortable manner and gets the job done. Given its basic nature, you might have to spend some extra money to spruce it up with more features and feel-good elements.

If you manage to extract the premium from your wallet for the Hycross hybrid, it has plenty more to offer including upmarket looks, a very efficient powertrain and a rich features set. Its second row experience is unmatched at this price point. Add to it the reliability and low service cost factors of owning a Toyota and it only sweetens the deal.

Other Options To Consider  

Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Reasons To Consider

• Delivers the same space, practicality, performance and efficiency and a more affordable price.

Reasons To Ignore

• More features including ADAS.

• You value the Toyota badge and the Innova name.

Toyota Innova Crysta

Reasons To Consider

• More rugged ladder-frame chassis and rear wheel drive.

• Diesel engine.

Reasons To Ignore

• Not as feature-loaded.

• Ride comfort isn’t as good.

• Not as feature-loaded.

Mahindra XUV700

Reasons To Consider

• More feature-loaded and more affordable.

• All-wheel drive option.

• Diesel engine option available.

• Petrol engine will appeal more to enthusiasts.

Reasons To Ignore

• Hycross’ ride comfort and back seat experience is better.

• Third row space and comfort is better.

• Boot space with a full passenger load is more generous.

• Petrol hybrid delivers as good if not better fuel-economy than the diesel XUV700.