Since Innova Hycross debuted in India, Toyota has removed Innova Crysta from the official website
We all know Innova, don’t we? A no-nonsense MPV from Toyota which was an instant hit with Indian audience. From regular families and taxis to politicians and VIPs, Innova has appealed to a wider range of audience. Toyota surfed the wave of success generated by Innova for a long time.
When it was time for an update, Toyota launched Innova Crysta. This was Toyota’s first attempt at transforming a drab-looking Innova into a stylish and appealing MPV that was a lot more premium in its construction and pricing. Fast forwarding to November 2022, Toyota has added a new-generation Innova to its lineup in the form of Innova Hycross.
But the question remained as to what would be Innova Crysta’s fate. Toyota recently cut Crysta’s wings by discontinuing its sought-after diesel powertrain. Now, the Japanese brand seems to have cut down Crysta in its entirety. Is Toyota set to bring it back in a facelifted avatar? It is a possibility as it was a popular product. Let’s take a look.
Toyota Innova Crysta Removed
With newer Hycross in place, Crysta’s place in Toyota’s Indian lineup was always meek. That said, there were speculations in place that Toyota would only offer Crysta for fleet owners for commercial applications. Now that Innova Crysta is taken down from official website, those rumours and speculations seem to be watered down.
New succeeds old. This has been the way in nature and also, cars. Few manufacturers have tried to defy this law by selling both old and new products. For example, Indica Vista was sold beside Indica, Indigo Manza was sold beside Indigo and 5th gen City is sold beside 4th gen City. By taking Innova Crysta off its official website, it is evident that Toyota is not taking that route.
New-gen model has been launched in Indonesia as Innova Kijang Zenix and has debuted in India as Innova Hycross. Even though prices are not yet revealed, it is more SUV-ish than a drab-looking MPV. When compared with Safari, XUV700 and Hector Plus, it comes off as a larger overall vehicle with oodles of space on the inside.
There are a lot of firsts for Innova Hycross. Firstly, it is the first-ever Innova to feature a modern and lighter monocoque construction with FWD architecture making it more economical and efficient. Secondly, it is the first-ever Innova to get a hybrid powertrain. And along with it, packs in a lot more tech and kit that Innova Crysta could not have possibly packed.
Rumour Mill
There were multiple rumours in place which suggested that the 2.4L diesel engine in Innova Crysta had not met with emission regulations submitted with NCAT type approval. According to Toyota, the validity of this rumour was questionable. It is slightly disappointing for prospective customers that still want an Innova with a ladder-frame chassis.
Modernity has always been the way forward. Now that Innova Hycross is debuted in India, it is just a matter of time before Crysta will be bygone. That said, owing to its massive popularity, Toyota might consider launching a facelifted version and bringing back its 2.4L diesel mill. When launched in 2015, Innova Crysta primarily rivalled Tata Hexa and Mahindra XUV500.