All-new Toyota Innova to get radical styling

Toyota’s best-seller, the Innova, has gotten a bit too long in the tooth and is ready for a replacement. The Innova is the most popular MPV in India and is the company's bread and butter product. While there is still some time for the new model to be unveiled, we have accurate illustrations of the all-new Innova that’ll replace the existing model. 

The new Innova will feature a new design language, not too different from the latest Toyota cars like the 2014 Corolla Altis. The new design theme is a radical departure from the current design and it is far more edgier than expected. Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda did famously say “No more boring Toyotas.” And we can say for sure, they don’t look boring anymore.

The new Innova features a new nose that is a big change from the outgoing model as the anvil-shaped grille is a stand out feature at the front. The distinct bonnet is a bit more prominent and that makes it look less like an MPV. The windscreen of the new Innova is drastically raked, follow the silhouette line up the roof of the car and down to the other side, and it shows that Toyota designers have also used a C-pillar with an inverted kink to good effect. What also works well is the manner in which the bars of chrome run through the headlights and carry on down the shoulder line of the car. As a result, the new Innova now looks less van-like and that could go down well with a majority of private owners.

The Innova will be built on a new version of the IMV platform. While Toyota is not likely to change it too much, we understand the new car will feature a new, stiffer and lighter version of the chassis. The new ladder frame is likely to be more compact and space-efficient as well; a slightly longer wheelbase is also on the cards.

The 2.5-litre D-4D diesel engine used in the Innova is set for an upgrade and could be available in two states of tune — 118bhp or 142bhp. At present, the Fortuner 2.5 available on sale in India
is powered by the 142bhp variant of this engine. 

It’s over a decade old, yet the Innova continues to sell in good numbers of approximately 60,000 units a year. This despite the fact that price of the Innova has risen from an average Rs 9.38 lakh to Rs 15.35 lakh. With the new model Toyota seems to make the right moves to continue its dominance over the MPV segment.

SELVIN JOSE