Toyota Innova Evolution

Toyota Innova has been present in our market from more than a decade now and is known for its sure-shot reliability, imperishable build & durability and can be called the perfect highway companion. The D4D Diesel engine has excellent drivability and is decently efficient too. Along with a brilliant car one also gets Toyota’s bother-free ownership experience with brilliant after-sales service. It is because of this reliability that the car has been every taxi owner’s first priority as well. So lets take a look in to the history of Toyota Innova.

FIRST GENERATION 2005

Innova was launched in the Indian Market on February 24th, 2005. The Innova replaced the legendary Toyota Qualis and had to fulfill high expectations which it did perfectly. It was the first 3-row seating passenger car in the Indian market and redefined the MPV segment. The first generation Innova was powered by a 2.5 L D-4D common-rail diesel engine that produced 102PS of power and 200Nm of torque and also had a Petrol variant used that was powered by a  hefty 2.0L VVT-i engine that generated 136PS of power and 182Nm of torque.

FACELIFT 2009

The Innova saw its first update in January 2009 which made the Japanese MUV more luxurious. It saw inculcation of premium features like steering wheel controls (for audio and MID), plush fabric seats, automatic climate control, optitron meter with illumination control and MID Display (Distance travelled and average / real-time fuel consumption indicator).The Innova has been a hot seller for Toyota and 1.62 lakh units of Innova have been sold in between 2005-2009 making it the segment leader in the MPV category. Innova has also been getting the no.1 status in JD Power survey for every year from 2005 to 2009. With rising fuel prices, Toyota added a CNG variant in the Innova which was based on the same 2.0 L VVT-i Petrol motor.

The CNG cylinder had a capacity of approximately 12kg of CNG and the running cost on CNG for the Innova was estimated to be around Re. 1.6/km or even less depending on the driving cycle. Taking into account mileage, increased engine oil life and reduced maintenance costs, the CNG Innova offered about 50% saving over diesel in running costs. The CNG Innova was priced at around Rs 85000 higher than the petrol version. In 2010, the Innova also saw a slight mechanical change with the addition of an intercooler.

FACELIFT 2012

The car was cosmetically revamped in 2012 and was showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi along with the updated Fortuner. The changes included new front grille, new warp around headlamps, fog lamps, new design alloy wheels and a newly designed bumper, rocker molding with three dimensional fog lamp to add to the sporty appearance of the car. The rear end got new sharper and wider rear garnish with embossed model name with a hidden camera inside it. This update also made the Innova more luxurious on the interiors front on the interiors front which followed a light colour design with horizontal flow theme, dual tone seat covers and dark wood finish interiors. The new luxury features also included touch screen display audio with USB , Aux and Bluetooth, steering wheel with audio, MID and Bluetooth control switches.

In September 2012, a new limited edition version of the Innova was also launched called the Innova Aero. The Main changes that were present in the car were the addition of new dual tone bumpers and spoilers along with side skirts, roof spoiler and Aero badging to give it a distinct look.

FACELIFT 2013

This update again had no mechanical changes whatsoever and once more cosmetically updated the car with a new front grille with chrome lined fog lamp, body graphics to name a few changes along with updated interiors which saw more use of wooden inserts in the dashboard. This update also added a new Z variant in the Innova.

FACELIFT 2015

On January 5, 2015 Innova got another update. Mechanically remaining the same, the main implication of this update was the standardization of Airbags across all variants. Among the changes were new Front Grille, a touch of Sporty Moulding on the sides, rear Chrome Back Door Garnish and outer mirror cover with turn signal indicator.