Toyota Innova 2.5 LE 2014 Diesel 8 Seater BSIII

Innova 2.5 LE 2014 Diesel 8 Seater BSIII Review

Its raining launches even before the festive season in the automobile bazaar of India. Toyota Innova limited edition is the latest version to arrive with a slew of additional features. It is made available with seven and eight seater options featuring diesel engine as standard under the hood. Among those, Toyota Innova 2.5 LE 2014 Diesel 8 Seater BSIII is the mid level variant that is powered by a 2.5-litre intercooled, turbocharged engine. This limited edition trim is bestowed with a slew of additional cosmetics in terms of both interiors and exteriors. In terms of exteriors, it gets a chrome garnish for headlight and tail light clusters, limited edition emblem and stylish body decals. While its internal cabin gets a new dual tone seat upholstery with matching door trim, which gives a refined look to the cabin. In addition to these, the car maker has also incorporated a touchscreen audio system including a DVD player, which further makes its competitive in its segment. Not to forget that the car maker has also integrated an anti lock braking system and driver's side SRS airbag, which improves its safety standards. This new trim is available with only two exterior paint options like Silver Mica Metallic along with a brand new Bronze Mica Metallic.

Exteriors:

This limited edition trim has a stylish external appearance owing to its body decals and chrome package. Its front facade has a large headlight cluster with chrome underline and is equipped with halogen headlamps and turn indicators. Its radiator grille is quite large, which has a thick chrome surround and is embossed with company's logo. It is also fitted with a distinct looking bumper that is further equipped with a body colored protective cladding and has provision for incorporating fog lamps . The side profile looks quite stylish as it is decorated with trendy body graphics. It also has aspects like body colored wing mirrors, external door handles and protective side molding. However, its wheel arches are equipped with conventional steel wheels including full wheel covers. These rims are further covered with radial tubeless tyres of size 205/65 R15, which provides excellent grip on roads. Its rear profile looks quite trendy as it has several eye-catching aspects. There is a body colored strip placed above the license plate console, which is further affixed with reflectors. In addition to these, its tailgate is embedded with 'Limited Edition' badge, which emphasizes its new look. Furthermore, its taillight cluster also gets a chrome underline, which gives it a magnificent look.

Interiors:

The internal cabin of Toyota Innova 2.5 LE 2014 Diesel 8 Seater BSIII trim has a dual tone color scheme, which is further amplified by silver inserts given on steering wheel and center fascia. Its cockpit section has two individual seats, while the second and third row gets a bench seat with integrated head rests. These seats are covered with a new dual tone fabric upholstery, which gives a plush appeal to the interiors. Apart from this, its dashboard is equipped with an advanced audio system featuring a touchscreen display, which brings a trendy look to the cabin. Its urethane steering wheel has four spokes and it is engraved with the company's logo. There are quite a few utility aspects incorporated to the dashboard including a glove box, accessory power sockets and an instrument cluster. It is further equipped with notifications like door ajar, seat belt warning, tripmeter, tachometer and a clock.

Engine and Performance:

Powering this latest trim is the 2.5-litre, in-line diesel engine that has a displacement capacity of 2494cc. It is based on DOHC valve configuration with 4-cylinders that have 16-valves in all. This motor is further incorporated with an intercooler turbocharger that allows it to produce a maximum power of 100.6bhp at 3600rpm in combination with a commanding torque output of 200Nm at just 1200 to 3600rpm. This motor is paired with a five speed manual transmission gearbox and it complies with Bharat Stage III emission norms. This engine helps the vehicle to produce a maximum mileage of approximately 12.99 Kmpl, which is quite decent.

Braking and Handling:

This latest variant gets an improved braking mechanism owing to its anti lock braking system. The car maker has equipped its front wheels with a set of ventilated discs and paired the rear ones with leading trailing drum brakes, which delivers a reliable performance. On the other hand, it gets a robust suspension system as its front axle is fitted with double wishbone system. At the same time, its rear axle is coupled with four link system in combination with lateral rod, which further augments its mechanism. The manufacturer has integrated a responsive power assisted steering system that supports a minimum turning radius of just 5.4 meters, which is quite good.

Comfort Features:

This Toyota Innova 2.5 LE 2014 Diesel 8 Seater BSIII trim is the mid range variant and yet it is equipped with several important comfort features. It houses a manually operated air conditioning system including heater along with air vents for second and third row, which keeps the entire cabin cool. It also has quite a few standard aspects like power steering with tilt adjustment, all four power windows with driver's side auto down function, keyless entry, power door lock, and back sonar. In addition to these, it has aspects like second row bench seat with 60:40 split folding, front seats with sliding function, 50:50 folding third row seat, driver's seat height adjuster and reclining function for all seats. In addition to these, this trim is also integrated with a 6.1-inch touchscreen audio unit including a DVD player that supports USB port, AUX-In socket and Bluetooth connectivity. On the other hand, its cabin is packed with utility aspects like front map lamp, front sun visors, glove box and a cigarette lighter.

Safety Features:

This vehicle has a specially designed GOA body structure that features crumple zones and impact protection beams, which can absorb the jolts caused in case of an accident. In addition to those, it has safety features like anti lock braking system, driver's side air bag and an engine immobilizer.

Pros:

1. Minimum turning radius of just 5.4-meters makes handling easier.

2. Safety aspects like ABS and driver airbag will add to its advantage.

Cons:

1. There are only two exterior paint options.

2. There is still scope to improve its interiors.